Trouble With Getting Metal Design Stamps to Stamp

You love using metal stamps to stamp designs in metal but sometimes the stamp does not stamp the design as well as you would like. With practice, your stamps can be perfect most of the time.

Work with Soft Metal

• Metal will take a stamp better if it is soft. Purchase dead soft metal to stamp or use a torch to anneal the metal yourself. You can anneal most metals by heating the metal with your torch until it reaches the annealing temperature; for most metals, you will know the metal is at the annealing temperature when the metal turns cherry red.

Work on a Steel Surface

• Use a steel block, anvil or other surface when stamping. Before stamping, place the annealed metal you want to stamp so it sits flat on the steel surface.

Brass Hammer

• You can use any hammer to strike a steel stamp, but a brass hammer will work best. Brass is a soft metal that has more give than the metal used in most hammers.

Measure and Mark

• Remember the expression, "measure twice and cut once." The same theory holds true with stamping. Measure the metal you want to stamp and mark exactly where you want to stamp it before you begin to avoid errors.