Fix for a bad tang stamp/impression.

A

AlteredMopar

Joined
Nov 30, 2011
Messages
22
You got your new stamp to mark your blades. A custom makers mark that you are proud of. You take a hammer in hand and "bang" you have an impression, a bad one. Maybe you flinched, maybe coughed, maybe your wife/girl friend flashed you. It doesn't matter. What matters is you are going to have to hit it again. Don't hit it yet. A metal stamp doesn't cut an impression in the metal, it moves the metal out of the way. The blade you hit use to be flat, now it's not, and it's going to be real hard to line that sucker back up and hit it again. A double impression is more than likely. Take the blade to the bench, grab a sanding block with 400 grit paper and sand it flat. Not off, just flat. The stamp makes little ridges that are in the way. Sanding them off will allow the stamp to line back up, in some cases almost like a key. It takes 45-60 seconds of sanding. Now you can hit it again. Don't flinch this time.

Another thought before you hit it for the first time. Some times you will get a "bounce" and there will be scars to smooth out or remove. Simple scotch tape from the desk, one layer one each side, will cusion the bounce and keep most secondary scratches from being a problem. The stamp has enough force to bite through the tape, but the bounce does not, most of the time. Masking tape also can be used.

One last thing, and it's a simple thing, wipe off the anvil, rail road iron or other chunk of metal before striking. A small piece of grit or metal will leave it's own impression on the other side of the blade. A quick wipe will reduce head aches later.

I'm sure using a press would be the easiest fix in the long run, but until I spring for one of those, I got a hammer.
 
Even without a press, its still best to have a jig to hold the stamp.
Not my picture but...
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I don't stamp my mark, but, have used lots of stamps, we sometimes need to cut studs for pressure piping/vessels and every stud needs the type of stud marked on it, IE B7, B16 etc and every weld a welder makes on pressure piping has to be stamped with his mark. Either weld a small handle on the stamp or grab it with some vise grips. This gives you much more control over the stamp, moves your fingers out of the way, and in the event of a miss strike the punch doesn't fly off somewhere.
 
The bench, anvil, or whatever you are supporting the blade on is the key to getting good stamp impressions. If the blade can move or bounce under the impact then you are likely to encounter problems, period. A fairly heavy anvil works well, if you use a workbench then you should, if possible, center your work over one of the legs (this is effective if the bench is on concrete, less so if on a wood-framed floor). If you have to resort to using tape to pad the workpiece and mitigate the bounce, then I suggest using a more solid/immobilized work surface.
 
I have seen hardy tool holders for stamps, similar to a spring fuller. In fact, in one of the John Neeman videos you can see his holder like that.


-X
 
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Buy a small arbor press (a 1 ton is plenty), mill out the ram to fit your stamp, drill a hole to hold the stamp in place, and thread the hole. Get your stamp perfectly flat on the blade (use a light to check for perfect contact). Put strong pressure on the press handle and hit it twice with a heavy hammer.

If you cannot do the work yourself, contact Al at Riverside Machine. He sells one.


Milt
 
Enco had small arbor presses for sale in the last catalog starting under $40 bucks. Harbor freight stores also have them. Small ones are not expensive and very handy dandy.
 
I have used Uncle Al's Riverside arbor stamp press for maybe 20 + years. It makes perfect stamps in a blade.
 
The arbor press sounds like the way to do it. Can you guys post pics of your press? I would like to get an idea of what converting one from Enco or HF would take.
 
I used to stamp my blades with individual letter stamps. Very easy to screw up, after a while I developed an "art" of it and was pretty good- but I eventually switched to etching my maker's mark, and really prefer it. I used to stamp before HT, and then occasionally would have to take too much off the ricasso after HT and wash my mark out. With the stencil process, I can do it after HT at any point.
 
I went the arbor press way for one batch. Last time I do that. I also won't be using a hammer and a vice-grip either. Maybe it's harder for me because I only work with stainless steel, but before anyone asks, it wasn't my technique, it was the method. I use this now.

IMG_0221.jpg
 
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