New tang stamp, am I too weak?

D

Destraal

Joined
May 28, 2008
Messages
135
So I got a tang stamp made by Harper and received it the other day. Well, I seem to be having trouble getting a good impression on annealed steel. I can get some of the outer rim of the stamp to print, but can't seem to get the whole thing. So my question is whether it's my technique or is it possible that the lines are too thick for me to feasibly stamp it by hand.
IMG_1600.jpg

There's a picture of my stamp, it's about .5" across. Sorry, not the best picture.
I think some of the problem might be that I am a little afraid of hitting my finger while I hold the stamp, so I don't hit it quite as hard as I can (one of the first tries I managed to hit my index finger pretty hard). Do you think that simply making a jig to hold the stamp on the blade will fix my problem or will I need to get some form of press (arbor or a bottle jack one like Kevin Cashen)?
Anyways, thanks in advance. Don't want to heat treat any more blades without my stamp on them.
Kevin
 
you could probably use alot more power without fear if you used a pair of tongs or pliers to hold the stamp in place. that way the worst that could happen is you mess up your stamp, instead of turning your fingers into ground beef...

good luck! good looking stamp too, by the way.
 
I purchased an arbor press from teh local wholesale tool, and a 1 1/4 (I think) 1/2 drive socket from Sears to hold the stamp. after it is all lined up I hold the stamp down with the press, and smack teh top of the press ram with the light sledge. They do make jigs specifically designed for holding stamps, but I wanted a multitasker.

scroll down and you will see my pics.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4669906
 
I made a fixture to hold mine on the arbor of my arbor press. I then pressed the stamp against the steel and struck the arbor sticking out the top of the press. This would give me an ok stamp. I then went to heating the blade to normalizing temp then stamping. Much cleaner and more consistent results.
 
I am almost farley certen you have to much detail to stamp by hand. this is my stamp that i made and i have to use a 4 pound hammer and give it a very hard whack. so hard that if i miss and hit my hand i would have to go to doctor and get a cast on it. to many lines on a stamp increases the overall amount of force needed to stamp. it looks like you will need to stamp hot or use a press

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I have the same trouble with my stamp from the same maker, I made a holder much like the one they offer on their site and give it a good wack with a 4lb hammer and still only get a very faint mark.
I have a large chopping block just out side the work shop that I use when stamping but most of the time the blade goes one way and the stamp holder almost jumps off the block, I think I may screw it down next time.

Richard
 
You may have already considered this, but is there a solid, heavy surface beneath the blade?

I have a hard time getting my letter punches to get much depth when a blade is on my wood work bench. I place a dedicated piece of thin hardwood on my anvil to protect the blade, which gives the best and most reproducible results.
 
My thought is that there is way too much surface area on that stamp to achieve a good stamp by hand. You have to displace a lot of steel to get an impression with a stamp like that. The less surface area the mark has to print into/onto the steel, the less force is required.
I would suggest that if you insist on stamping cold, build yourself a small press with a 12+ ton hydraulic jack, such as I did here.

I personally don't like stamping a blade cold. It puts a great deal of wear and tear on an expensive stamp, making it last only a fraction of what it should....especially if your whacking it with a hammer. The press makes the chances of mushrooming the letters less, but still wears the stamp quickly compared to hot stamping. I have actually split the ricasso on a few knives when I tired to get the pressed in mark just a tad deeper.
 
I don't stamp my hawks or rr spike knives cold,I put the stamp in a visegrip and use my treadle hammer,but it sees double duty because I stamp my etching paper with it for my knives.I also think that is too much detail to stamp cold,A lot easier hot,you might have to straighten a little afterward.Just my 2 cents fwiw-:)-Regards Butch
 
So it seems like the consensus is that I should either hot stamp it or make a press for it. I think I'll start with hot stamping, since that's certainly cheaper. Wouldn't the hot blade affect the temper of the stamp though?
 
Any time you apply heat to the steel after heat treat and temper will affect the temper in the metal. I hand stamp mine here in the shop. I show some illustrations on my setup on my website. :thumbup:

Another think I want to mention is, striking the stamp with a hammer will not make a good impression of the mark. Most likely it will leave one side deeper than the other. And if you go back over the stamp it will only create a double stamp impression. So, go with the press and it will work for years and year. :)

I use a 12 ton bottle jack press for my stamps. I had to make the holder for the stamp.

Terry
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I ordered on two weeks ago from Harpers Mfg also. I asked if you needed to buy a press of somesorts to stamp a blade and the person told me a hammer strike would do. He aslo told me that it had to be unhardened steel. I guess I will find out next week when I get it.
-frank
 
That stamp wooks like the outter ring needs to be removed? It is looks like there is so much involved that it can not make a good impression. Never seen anything like it nor would I want one.
 
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