Makers stamp

R

Raymond Sauvage

Joined
Oct 7, 2002
Messages
1
First of all i would like to say hello. I'm a new member here, this is my first post. I have been forging blades for some time now, mostly Scandinavian style blades.

Well the question was, has anyone here any experience making a stamp to punch in your logo or name in a blade when it is finished? I know it is posible to buy such, but they are realy expencive.
 
Just a red herring

Have you considered a stencil and electric etch. I have a logo that is very simple. I had some stensils made up I burn it in with a bit of salt water and a carbon electrode conected to a ordinary car battery charger.

I will be watching because I have been considering a stamp aswell.
 
When I met Dr. Lucie at the Blade show, he allowed me the privlege of handling not only some of the many Scagal blades that he had there, but Scagals' stamp, as well. I would describe it as being made much the same way that some of us do filework. It was very cool.
 
When do you stamp a blade, in the making process? While forging? While normalized / annealed after cold work? After HT? After finish?

Thanks,

JD
 
Reg ELLERY said:
Have you considered a stencil and electric etch. I have a logo that is very simple. I had some stensils made up I burn it in with a bit of salt water and a carbon electrode conected to a ordinary car battery charger.

Where do you get the stensils and can you elaborate more on the electrode and setup?
 
Joss, the stamp is the last thing I do before heat treat. Electro chem would be the last thing you do before putting the final edge on the blade.
 
I went to a local sign writer about 6 years ago. WHat he does is have sheets of adhiesive tape similar in texture to electrical insulation tape. He had a flash computer driven cut out machine that would cut out letters to any size. You peel them off and stick them to what ever you want.

My lodo is a very simple top view of a leatherback sea turtle just a bit stylised. If I want the logo proud ie for damascus i put it on the blade when polished. when the metal is etched the logo sits proud. (acid will lift the tape. I use copper sulphate solution to etch damascus) If you want to burn the logo in each turtle is surounded by a square of tape I leave the turle on the paper pull of the square. Stick the square to the blade. I got an old carbon brush from an alternator or generator, clamped one side of the car battery charges to the blade one side to the carbon brush/electrode. Put a drop of salt water for conduction on the hole in the tape the current will etch in a logo in seconds always less than a minute.

The polarity does matter if you reverse the pos+ and neg- one way will leave carbon on the blade for a slightly black look. the other will not leave the black just a gully. both look ok to me.

This is the cheap way. If you want to get proper stensils and electric etchers they can be bought. I have a friend who makes etchers, but the really nice re-useable stensils at the moment come from the US. Sorry I never got the address. I believe they advertise sometimes in the magazines I assume it was the Blade magazine.

The sign writer 6 years ago did not have the technology to cut out small enough for blade size lettering. But that was then I still have a couple of sheets of logos left. I would suggest you could get a piece of polished metal scrap some pvc electrical tape make any shape in it 4 or 5 mm and have a go before you lash out.
 
RG Ellery,
Thank you for posting this,I`ve wanted to buy a etching machine for quite a while now but after reading your post I went out to the shop and put together an experimental machine.I used a 12v 375 ma power supply,snagged a carbon brush from an old drill that died some time ago,and used the empty body of an ink pen to make the electrode,carbon brush(I sanded the end flat where it was curved from contacting the motor)on the tip with the wire runing through the pen,and cut out several small shapes from some clear plastic to use as stencils.it didnt seem to work too well until I applied a small sqare of felt to the end of the electrode,moistened it with salty water and now the dern thing works quite well.I thought the power supply would be a bit underpowered amperage wise but that is not the case,it really is fast,takes about 3 or 4 seconds to etch deeply enough that trying to sand it away with 220 grit is futile.I think I either need a weaker salt solution or back off on the amperage.But for a blind shot at making the thing I`m very pleased with what I have so far,a bit of tweaking should produce very satisfying results.
Thanks a bunch
Scott
 
A stamp(as opposed to an etched logo) gives a very traditional touch to a traditionaly styled knife I think. Some stamps can be used cold with a press, but it is more in keeping with the traditional look to hot stamp. I stamp mine when I do the first normalization in heat treating. If you send blades out for HT, of course, this is not doable. Designing and making stamps is an art in itself. They can be a positive (relief) stamp that leaves a negative impression; or an engraved (negative)stamp that leaves a positive(raised) impression in a cartouche. You can even make a relief stamp and use it create mutiple negative stamps.
 
Ray, My stamp is G+ this is as close as the computer
will do it, the lip on the G connects to the +. That
said I have just finished a set of stamps, one large
one small, thy are made from O1 . that is what I
had on hand. It is not hard to do I used power
tools for all of it. A belt grinder for the od dia.
a carbide burr to hollow out the G a cut off wheel
to make the thin cuts the belt grinder to finish up.
it really worked good. One tip don't use a small
dia. bar stock like 1/2" dia it won't stand up, use
at least 3/4" to 1" just grind the point down to the
right size.

I hot stamp just before the normalizing, the last
thing I do in the forging process.
Hope this helps Gib
 
SYLVESTER

Thanks I had a look at the link site to Bob WARNER. Thanks for sharing that its a great site. He is like most of you guys way more profesional than me. I like to put in the cheap ways for the new guys
and cheap guys like me, but I have to say the professional approach at an early stage may be the way to go. I hang around with old retired guys and cheap guys. Monkey see monkey do.

This forum has opened my eyes to a far more professional way to make knives. It is nice to have options that cover varing budgets.
Thanks again.

The stensil maker and anodiser were something to think about.

FOX

Thanks for your link as well. I think I will ask for a quote I make some forged items that I don't polish a stamp would be ideal for them.
 
I just got a quote back from henry evers.

$138Us for a logo stamp.

Just to give you a rough Idea of what they are worth. I had to let it go for the moment. Our week dollar and a few other bills can't afford
it just yet.
I'll stick with the batter charger.
 
Pröve med
Leif Röraas, Weiss gate 13, N-3600 Kongsberg , Norge
tel 0047-32733138.

I had my stamp made by a company in Helsinki, costs 90 eur, about the same in usd. Have heard the above stamp maker is even cheaper. And as you live in Norway, it might be a good choice.

hilsen Dennis
 
Reg somehow it never dawned on me you were etching that cool mark. Now it all makes more sense. That's what the red was! The resist...

I had my stamps made by Harper Manufacturing in Nevada, the last one cost about $100 including shipping. If my mark were simple enough I'd rather make my own, and that might be a good thing to consider when you design one.

Dave
 
Dave in that photo I sent when you take of that red turtle the metal is still shiny. The rest of the blade has been eaten away with a coppersulphate solution.

Coppersulphate is better than acid because the acid wil attack the adhesive and the logo will come of half way through the blade etching.

For the best etching rate use a copper sulphate solution made from hot water or but your solution container in a larger container and pour the hot water around it to keep the chemical recation working.
Mainly for you snow counrty guys.

Copper sulphate is far better for your health aswell. Copper sulphate was used in water treatment for dirnking water until they discovered its only side effect a tendancy to make men impotent. A bit of trivia from an old water supply worker. ( Its safe just don't drink it)

Did you have a look at the stencil machine on the other sight. I was thinking of making a machine. When I do I will let you know and i can make you some.

The battery charge will do as an etcher.

Just one last tip. The salt solution does make a difference to the etch. If using felt I have been told that if you put in a couple of drops of saltwater hair shampoo in your batch of solution it works better. Never tried it myself I don't use any felt.
 
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