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HOW RUBBER STAMPS ARE MADE & how i made $$$ - I AM SELLING MY MACHINE AND METAL SHEETS



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 28th 04, 01:05 PM
Nintendo DS 4 Sale
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default HOW RUBBER STAMPS ARE MADE & how i made $$$ - I AM SELLING MY MACHINE AND METAL SHEETS

BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND METAL SHEETS
WITH ENGRAVINGS.

I'm selling my 5" x 8" platen size rubber stamp machine, $400 OR BEST
OFFER... Together with the machine, are the metal engravings I used to make
Art Deco and Victorian Monograms, and sheets of MORE THAN 200 POPULAR FIRST
NAMES FOR BOYS AND GIRLS (and adults), which alone cost me A TOTAL OF more
than $700 to get engraved.


HOW TO MAKE RUBBER STAMPS FOR RESALE

You need a rubber stamp machine... what it is is a vulcanizing machine with
a up and down pair of thick heating plates that heat up to the right
temperature, which is regulated by a dial and a thermostat...

Steps to make a rubber stamp

Part 1
Make a handle, you can be creative and cut your own using woodworking
machines, or buy stuff like cabinet door knobs.

Part 2
Make the rubber impression...

You need a rubber stamp vulcanizing machine, matrix board and uncured rubber
sheets...
Secondary accessories you also need are Aluminum foil, talcum powder and a
pair of gloves that can insulate you from heat.

The machine would have what is called a "platen"... it is the square area
that is available to make the rubber impression... Your design should not be
greater than the area of the platen. The "hobby size" is usually 4" x 6",
but for a more serious business, 5" x 8" or more is much more durable and
not a time-waster.

If you want to get technical, you need to learn 2 terms - Thermoplastic and
Vulcanization.

The matrix board looks like thick illustration board. It is made up of
layers of uncured plastic powder and some type of paper. It is the same
material that the hard plastic handles of pots and pans are made of. The
thing is "thermoplastic", meaning it will cure and take the shape of the
mold upon simultaneous introduction of HIGH heat and pressure.

Rubber to cure and retain a permanent shape needs to be vulcanized.
Vulcanization is the process of curing rubber with the introduction of high
heat and pressure, so in a way, rubber is also thermoplastic, but this time
the rubber is not as hard as the matrix board. Rubber sheets have the red
dye, sometimes black, or something else, but the most important ingredient
in a rubber sheet is the rubber, and sulphur, which causes the rubber to
cure. That's why rubber smells like sulphur.

So to make a rubber stamp impression that is readable or positive, you make
a drawing or computer printout, which is a positive, then make a metal
engraving from it, which is a negative, then make a matrix board impression
from the metal engraving, and then you make a rubber sheet (the rubber
stamp) which is a negative, so that the end users can make a positive rubber
stamp printout.


1. Make a final sketch - black on white paper.... pen on paper or a
computer-designed printout
2. Bring the paper to a metal engraver - use the business yellow pages and
find one in your area... Have the metal engraver cut up the metal sheet to
less than your platen area.
3. Place the matrix board on top of the metal engraving, wrap the pair with
aluminum foil and place the pair on the platen.
4. Heat up the machine to the recommended temperature and wait 10-15 minutes
(whatever is recommended by the matrix board supplier, usually 375 degrees
Fahrenheit to 475 degrees, and the "temperament" of your machine.) FROM
THIS TIME ON USE YOUR GLOVES SO YOU DON'T GET BURNED.

ALWAYS WRAP USING ALUMINUM FOIL, OR ELSE, your matrix board or your rubber
sheet will stick to the machine and you'll have a hard time taking it off.
It's worse than gum stuck on hair.

5. bring up the bottom platen to the ceiling platen, and the matrix board
will sink into the metal engraving. Let the matrix cure.
6. Bring down the bottom platen and let the matrix and metal engraving cool.
7. Once cool, take off the aluminum foil, bend the matrix board a little and
the metal engraving will snap off.
8. Brush some talcum powder on the matrix board and place a sheet of
uncured rubber on it. Wrap this with aluminum foil.
9. Bring the pairing on the heated platen and bring the floor platen to the
ceiling platen, and let the rubber "cook" or cure at the recommended
temperature and time.
10. Bring down the bottom platen and take out the pair. Let the thing
cool... Take off the aluminum foil.
11. your Rubber sheet is cured and can be trimmed and mounted on the handle
using a really strong contact cemet.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------

THE CHEAPEST and QUICKEST WAY TO MAKE A HANDLE
--- is to make wood blocks that will finally look like stackable bricks
--- is to not bother finishing the wood blocks with a wood stain and varnish
--- is to not bother mounting the handle (the part that looks like a cabinet
knob)

Buy a 12" or higher table saw and a table saw guide so you can make
perpendicular cuts to make different sized squares and rectangles. If you
think you're saving money on the smaller hobbyists table saw, they will
SMOKE AND trip your fuse, and won't be able to handle the pine boards.
BUY THE fine toothed fine finish table saw blade. If you use the finest,
there will be no need to sand the edges.

AS A RULE, go to Home Depot or Craftsman, look at the table saw circular
blades... the size that has the finest tooth comb must have the matching
table saw size, and the power, buy the table saw model that can support
that. The coarser blade will require a lot of sanding and you have just
increased your time more than 4 times. You do not need sanding AT ALL using
the finest blade, maybe just one swift pass over a sandpaper to make dull
the pointed corners.

DO NOT USE a portable circular saw... Your wood blocks would not have the 90
degree angle.

If you want grooves, use a router mounted on a table, but that could use up
a lot of your time.



THE FASTEST WAY TO FINISH THE HANDLES
MIX THREE INGREDIENTS an oil-based wood filler, varnish and an oil-based
wood stain... If you want you can mix in an oil-based gold paint or colored
paint. The gold paint will make the handle antique-like. You'll discover
the right amounts eventually.

Using an old t-shirt wrapped around your gloved finger, dip into the mixture
and sweep over the wood, and let dry. That's it!

DO THIS IN OPEN AIR... don't do this inside the home. DO NOT SMOKE, keep
away from fire, the oil is flammable.



You can buy FOAM SHEETS at art stores, and paste the sheet on one side of
the pine plank.
Cut the wood and the foam sheet together to save time.
or
You can cut the wood, place contact cement on the cut wood blocks and the
foam sheets, and using a cutter (blade), cut around the wood blocks. Use an
old table or cut over an old phone book, or if you have thick glass or
mirror or an old plexiglass sheet like an old cheap framed picture with an
acrylic plastic cover, you can use these.



DON'T CUT OFF YOUR HANDS OR GET BLINDED. Use goggles, and do not use your
hands on the table saw. Use WOOD STICKS to push and guide the wood you are
cutting. DON'T GET LAZY AND FAIL TO INSTALL THE PROTECTIVE BLADE COVERS AND
GUIDES. WASTE AS MUCH WOOD as you feel is the safe distance between your
fingers and the blade, just don't get your fingers too close to the blade.
You have been warned. EXPECT flying projectile pieces of wood as you cut
the shapes. Don't let kids or anyone else watch you cut, do not let anyone
stand in the direction of the blade.

USE A DUST MASK, I actually wet an old but clean cotton scraps of t-shirt
and use a mask to keep it in place. Even with this precaution, you still
might inhale wood dust - which is STILL better than inhaling plastic dust -
do not attempt to cut an acrylic plexiglass sheet this way.

In the long run, a decent sized rubber stamp that is for the mass market
will cost you just pennies.


TO SAVE TIME, EVEN FOR HOBBYISTS
To save time, your platen, 5" x 8" in my case, will have a square area of 40
square inches... compare this to a 4" x 6", which will have a square area of
24, almost half of the 5 x 8. This means that you can "scrunch up" all your
designs before you go to a metal photoengraver, arrange them to optimize the
baking area, they don't have to be in the same upright direction, to fit in
a 4.5" x 7.5" square area for the platen, with some allowance for the edges.
It's the flexible rubber sheets that you'll be cutting with scissors and
setting on the handles.

DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE I DID, I BOUGHT A 4 X 6 SIZED MACHINE, AND IT EASILY
TRIPLED MY PRODUCTION TIME AND DISCOURAGED ME FROM MAKING HUGE RUBBER
STAMPS..
Just imagine, if you have a 3" x 2" rubber stamp design, see how many you
can make on those 2 popular sized rubber stamp machine. The 4 x 6 will
accommodate a 3.5 x 5.5 total area of designs.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------



SUPPLIERS AND REPAIR

The machine has 2 important components - the 2 heating platens, and the
pressure is provided by a CAR JACK. The car jack needs to be replaced once
in a while. The heating platens can be repaired by a local electrician.
The best way to find an acceptable electrician is to go to a tire shop and
ask the shop who they call to have their vulcanizing machines repaired.

The uncured rubber sheets can be purchased from the vulcanizing shop's
suppliers or you can see them online from the rubber stamp suppliers..

The matrix boards also have suppliers online. Just type the words - matrix
board rubber stamp supply... they also supply rubber sheets and foam, but
the foams are usually over priced.

Foam sheets can be purchased cheap and locally using the BUSINESS yellow
pages under foam sheets or foam rubber sheets. This is usually used for
furniture repair. Or go to Michaels or any art supply store, and they will
have multicolored, decorative foam sheets. Although you really do not need
foam sheets and you can just paste the rubber to the handles, foam sheets
give the users a degree of familiarity, and contribute to the comfortable,
classic look.

To easily mount rubber on the wood or foam, you can use DOUBLE-SIDED
PERMANENT Carpet Tape, or adhesive. The strongest I've seen is the double
sided plastic sheets sold by the rubber stamp suppliers, but it also adds up
the final cost of a stamp.


RUBBER SHEETS
Consider foam rubber
There are 2 types of foam rubber in the market... the open-cell and the
closed-cell. Foam has cells, and open-cell rubber foam is like dishwashing
sponge, and allows for air to pass through each cell. Closed cell has air,
but since the cells do not have holes, the closed cell is not pourous.

Rubber sheets, do not have cells, they're just flat sheets even after
vulcanization... this is the type used for patching tires and the same
material is used for the usual rubber stamps... If you want to save money,
buy rubber sheets where the tire repair shops buy theirs.. compare the
prices between them and the rubber stamp suppliers.

The self-inking stamps that do not have the pads, where users just brush ink
over the impressions, use the open cell foam rubber.

So to make rubber stamps, you can use the open cell foam sheets or you can
use the plain rubber sheets. You only use the foam rubber sheets if you
have those ready-made plastic rubber stamp handles where the rubber just
recedes into the handle, and not invert to "kiss" the hidden inked pads when
at rest. Foam rubber sheets also have a different set of temperature and
pressure, and is more expensive to produce.



METAL ENGRAVINGS VERSUS PHOTOPOLYMER...
These two types of printing press sheets are normally used by printing
presses which do not use the offset type of printing. You might be asked if
you want photopolymer instead of metal, and you might be tempted to get
it... Photopolymer is like the actual rubber sheet, except that it is made
of clear plastic. The sheet is plastic, not rubber, and ink does not stick
on plastic. You'll notice the impression it makes is not a rubber stamp
impression. It only works with printing press ink. You can go as far as
cutting these flexible sheets with scissors and mounting them on the
handles, but your customers will know they did not get a rubber stamp.

The engraver will also ask you how DEEP you want the engraving to be... tell
them you need them to make rubber stamps and no deeper.

The metal (or photopolymer) sheets are photosensitive sheets. They are
exposed to light in a process you and I don't need to understand too much.
After the sheet is exposed, they are placed in an acid bath, and some parts
of the flat surface remain and some parts corrode. The deeper engravings
spend more time in the corrosion process, and it is not advisable for making
the matrix molds, because "caves" and not indents will be produced on the
metal sheet, which will permanently lock together the matrix mold and the
metal engraving. You will never be able to use the metal sheet at all. You
just need the depth to be deep enough to "indent" the matrix board.



MAKING PHOTOGRAPHS INTO RUBBER STAMPS
The sheet makers have a process to convert pictures into the dots. I
usually call and spell it "velox", but there's a more accurate term. Look
at the newspapers and you will notice that the black and white pictures are
made of dots. Ask for your metal engraving shop to convert your pictures to
that, and they will understand what you want. If you do this using
photoshop and print it out of your machine, and bring this printout to your
engraver, you will get a bad engraving. Let them do their job... they can
even convert a huge or even colored picture into your specified size.

----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------

MAKING OFFICE RUBBER STAMPS THE TRADITIONAL WAY

YOU WILL NEED:
Metal types
Metal Type Tray
Lead Quoins / inserts / spacers
Type cabinet
brayer
printing ink
paper
all of this can be purchased from a type foundry.

additional - sharpie permanent ink markers

Metal types are used by the traditional type printing presses and hot foil
stamping machines.
You purchase metal types in sets... you choose a typeface, and the set will
have like 4 capital Q's, 4 small q's, 10 A's, 25 e's, etc. The more popular
the letter, the more there will be in a set.

The type cabinet is like a set of drawers with small compartments. The
traditional trays have a designation, so the A's go to a compartment, the
a's go to another compartment, the B's go to another, b's go to another, and
so on, including punctuation marks. Each typeface and type size goes to one
drawer.

BEFORE I UNPACK AND UNRAVEL AND SCATTER ABOUT A TYPE SET, I GET A PERMANENT
MARKER, A GREEN MARKER, RED MARKER, BLUE, AND BLACK for example, and I run
the marker on the exposed edge AND COLOR CODE THE SET, so that if a letter
mixes in with another type set, I easily spot it.

You compose the metal types on a metal tray, and since the letters are
mirror image, you need a good eye, a good spelling skill and a mirror to
check your composition. You need spacers between words, which are included
in the typeface set, hence having the same height as the letter set, and you
need line spacers in between the lines.

You "lock" your composition on the metal tray using additional spacers and
quoins.

spread ink on a brayer, and run the brayer over the composition. Top the
composition with bond paper, and run the brayer over the paper to make a
positive ink impression. Use this as a PROOF to check your spelling and if
you missed any lines.

All this is metal, you place this tray composition on the platen, and heat
it for 15 minutes. When you are sure the metal is hot, you press the matrix
board on the tray, to make the letters indent onto the matrix board.

IF YOU GET IMPATIENT, and you press the matrix board on cold type, you will
flatten and destroy your type. If you indent even one or two letters, or if
you remix flattened letters with the rest of your set, you will produce
UNEVEN letters. This is also why you need to proof your composition with
ink, and see if you are getting a level impression.

Wait another 10 to 15 minutes to cure the matrix board.

When cool, the matrix board can just snap off using a regular old butter
dull butter knife to pry the board from an exposed edge.

UNCOMPOSE the tray and put the type back to the type tray. Make sure the
tray is cool. Uncomposing will take as much time as the time you compose
the tray.

As you slowly make money, buy more metal typefaces so you can offer more
styles and sizes to the customers. A traditional type cabinet will have 10
to 18 or more trays, and the top is inclined with locking edges so a worker
can compose with the tray on top of the table and the worker can sit
comfortably on a high stool.

Metal type used for foil stamping is more expensive but is made of harder
material.

AND THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE RUBBER STAMPS
That's why rubber stamp making is a business... even if everyone knows this,
not everyone can afford the necessary machine, and not everyone will have
the space, time and energy to do this just for the heck.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------


BIGGER PLATEN AREAS

Bigger than 5 x 8 machines are available, but you will still the 5 x 8 for
smaller orders... The bigger ones will also need bigger car jacks / pumps,
which might not be available in your area. They also tend to be
geometrically more expensive. Bigger machines are not for the mom and pop
operation. If you want to be the rubber stamp center that consolidates all
the rubber stamp orders from all the rubber stamp / office supply stores in
the whole city, then buy a bigger machine. You must assure yourself a huge
customer base, because orders for office stamps, for example have a
turnaround time. You cannot tell your customers to come back next month for
their orders because you're still consolidating orders for rubber stamps.

Your uncured rubber will displace to the edges of the matrix board as you
vulcanize and bake the rubber into the mold. A bigger platen area will put
in more pressure on the rubber sheet, you will end up with a thinner rubber
stamp, which may work, but will be ugly.


STREET FAIRS

I made $800 bucks in 2 days selling rubber stamps for a dollar each. I
remember getting the costs down. I ended up with stamps that just cost me
under a quarter each to make. Of course you also have to consider the
traffic.
Since they were just a dollar, I let the customers try the stamps and they
didn't care if the stamps they bought were still wet with ink or get dirty.
They're just happy getting a lot of stamps for a buck each. Hobbyists also
know that the stamps naturally get dirty when used.

You can also try selling online!



And forgive the grammatical errors and disorganization.

If you want to know more, just email me.



----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------


THE POPULAR FIRST NAMES....

I BOUGHT BABY NAME BOOKS...
I used a computer to list all the names, and eliminated the ones I thought
was not popular at all.
I calculated the cost of metal sheets that I can afford to pay the engraver
and narrowed down the names some more.

I made sure I spelled and capitalized the names in different ways... for
example, I had Elizabeth and Elisabeth, JoAnn, Joanne and Joan.

then i composed them on the computer and separated them in groups and made
sure they have ample line spaces. The names did not have to have word
spaces between names, because I will be cutting and separating them with
scissors.

Each group of names fit my 5 x 8 platen... alphabetically from a to z...

then i made the rubber sheets with a RED COLOR

then I used wide permanent double sided carpet tape on the back of the
sheets, without removing the paper on the remaining exposed side,

then i passed a brayer with black printing ink on the impression side.

ONLY THEN DID I cut them individually.

Then I used wide transparent tape, and stuck the pieces on the tape
ALPHABETICALLY, with AMPLE SPACE between the names
and TAPED THE TAPE with the pieces protected from falling onto CARDSTOCK
PAPER I bought from Kinko's.

I bought a mirror so I can easily AND QUICKLY search through the mirror FOR
A NAME.

THIS WAY I DID NOT HAVE TO MOUNT ALL THE NAMES, AND WILL ONLY MOUNT UPON
DEMAND. TO SAVE SPACE and ease the load... Just because you have a thousand
names, you don't have to carry a thousand rubber stamps, you can just carry
200 handles, and mount on demand.

I went to the street fairs... KIDS AND PARENTS come over, and I go I bet I
have your name, and they go, no you don't it's not spelled in the popular
way, or it's something like Lakesha... I go through my stamps, I see it,
they feel what they got is a find. I made the money, they get a rare name
stamp. Stamps like those are incredible because the square area of rubber I
needed for a small name, that is 1/4" in height is really smaller than a 3"
x 3" heart stamp.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------




"Jim" wrote in message
om...
Looking for a little bit of information on making stamps.

I have been all over the web and back looking for different
proccesses. It seems to me that they all boil down to a few
components:

Photopoly Resin
Printed negative
UV Light
and some glass.

Is there anyone who has made their own exposure unit? Is it do-able?



Ads
  #2  
Old November 28th 04, 01:19 PM
Nintendo DS 4 Sale
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


actually the 200 names i mentioned is an understatement
There's more than that... I will count upon request..



"Nintendo DS 4 Sale" wrote in message
. com...
BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND METAL SHEETS
WITH ENGRAVINGS.

I'm selling my 5" x 8" platen size rubber stamp machine, $400 OR BEST
OFFER... Together with the machine, are the metal engravings I used to

make
Art Deco and Victorian Monograms, and sheets of MORE THAN 200 POPULAR

FIRST
NAMES FOR BOYS AND GIRLS (and adults), which alone cost me A TOTAL OF more
than $700 to get engraved.


HOW TO MAKE RUBBER STAMPS FOR RESALE

You need a rubber stamp machine... what it is is a vulcanizing machine

with
a up and down pair of thick heating plates that heat up to the right
temperature, which is regulated by a dial and a thermostat...

Steps to make a rubber stamp

Part 1
Make a handle, you can be creative and cut your own using woodworking
machines, or buy stuff like cabinet door knobs.

Part 2
Make the rubber impression...

You need a rubber stamp vulcanizing machine, matrix board and uncured

rubber
sheets...
Secondary accessories you also need are Aluminum foil, talcum powder and a
pair of gloves that can insulate you from heat.

The machine would have what is called a "platen"... it is the square area
that is available to make the rubber impression... Your design should not

be
greater than the area of the platen. The "hobby size" is usually 4" x 6",
but for a more serious business, 5" x 8" or more is much more durable and
not a time-waster.

If you want to get technical, you need to learn 2 terms - Thermoplastic

and
Vulcanization.

The matrix board looks like thick illustration board. It is made up of
layers of uncured plastic powder and some type of paper. It is the same
material that the hard plastic handles of pots and pans are made of. The
thing is "thermoplastic", meaning it will cure and take the shape of the
mold upon simultaneous introduction of HIGH heat and pressure.

Rubber to cure and retain a permanent shape needs to be vulcanized.
Vulcanization is the process of curing rubber with the introduction of

high
heat and pressure, so in a way, rubber is also thermoplastic, but this

time
the rubber is not as hard as the matrix board. Rubber sheets have the red
dye, sometimes black, or something else, but the most important ingredient
in a rubber sheet is the rubber, and sulphur, which causes the rubber to
cure. That's why rubber smells like sulphur.

So to make a rubber stamp impression that is readable or positive, you

make
a drawing or computer printout, which is a positive, then make a metal
engraving from it, which is a negative, then make a matrix board

impression
from the metal engraving, and then you make a rubber sheet (the rubber
stamp) which is a negative, so that the end users can make a positive

rubber
stamp printout.


1. Make a final sketch - black on white paper.... pen on paper or a
computer-designed printout
2. Bring the paper to a metal engraver - use the business yellow pages and
find one in your area... Have the metal engraver cut up the metal sheet

to
less than your platen area.
3. Place the matrix board on top of the metal engraving, wrap the pair

with
aluminum foil and place the pair on the platen.
4. Heat up the machine to the recommended temperature and wait 10-15

minutes
(whatever is recommended by the matrix board supplier, usually 375 degrees
Fahrenheit to 475 degrees, and the "temperament" of your machine.) FROM
THIS TIME ON USE YOUR GLOVES SO YOU DON'T GET BURNED.

ALWAYS WRAP USING ALUMINUM FOIL, OR ELSE, your matrix board or your rubber
sheet will stick to the machine and you'll have a hard time taking it off.
It's worse than gum stuck on hair.

5. bring up the bottom platen to the ceiling platen, and the matrix board
will sink into the metal engraving. Let the matrix cure.
6. Bring down the bottom platen and let the matrix and metal engraving

cool.
7. Once cool, take off the aluminum foil, bend the matrix board a little

and
the metal engraving will snap off.
8. Brush some talcum powder on the matrix board and place a sheet of
uncured rubber on it. Wrap this with aluminum foil.
9. Bring the pairing on the heated platen and bring the floor platen to

the
ceiling platen, and let the rubber "cook" or cure at the recommended
temperature and time.
10. Bring down the bottom platen and take out the pair. Let the thing
cool... Take off the aluminum foil.
11. your Rubber sheet is cured and can be trimmed and mounted on the

handle
using a really strong contact cemet.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------

THE CHEAPEST and QUICKEST WAY TO MAKE A HANDLE
--- is to make wood blocks that will finally look like stackable bricks
--- is to not bother finishing the wood blocks with a wood stain and

varnish
--- is to not bother mounting the handle (the part that looks like a

cabinet
knob)

Buy a 12" or higher table saw and a table saw guide so you can make
perpendicular cuts to make different sized squares and rectangles. If you
think you're saving money on the smaller hobbyists table saw, they will
SMOKE AND trip your fuse, and won't be able to handle the pine boards.
BUY THE fine toothed fine finish table saw blade. If you use the finest,
there will be no need to sand the edges.

AS A RULE, go to Home Depot or Craftsman, look at the table saw circular
blades... the size that has the finest tooth comb must have the matching
table saw size, and the power, buy the table saw model that can support
that. The coarser blade will require a lot of sanding and you have just
increased your time more than 4 times. You do not need sanding AT ALL

using
the finest blade, maybe just one swift pass over a sandpaper to make dull
the pointed corners.

DO NOT USE a portable circular saw... Your wood blocks would not have the

90
degree angle.

If you want grooves, use a router mounted on a table, but that could use

up
a lot of your time.



THE FASTEST WAY TO FINISH THE HANDLES
MIX THREE INGREDIENTS an oil-based wood filler, varnish and an oil-based
wood stain... If you want you can mix in an oil-based gold paint or

colored
paint. The gold paint will make the handle antique-like. You'll discover
the right amounts eventually.

Using an old t-shirt wrapped around your gloved finger, dip into the

mixture
and sweep over the wood, and let dry. That's it!

DO THIS IN OPEN AIR... don't do this inside the home. DO NOT SMOKE, keep
away from fire, the oil is flammable.



You can buy FOAM SHEETS at art stores, and paste the sheet on one side of
the pine plank.
Cut the wood and the foam sheet together to save time.
or
You can cut the wood, place contact cement on the cut wood blocks and the
foam sheets, and using a cutter (blade), cut around the wood blocks. Use

an
old table or cut over an old phone book, or if you have thick glass or
mirror or an old plexiglass sheet like an old cheap framed picture with an
acrylic plastic cover, you can use these.



DON'T CUT OFF YOUR HANDS OR GET BLINDED. Use goggles, and do not use your
hands on the table saw. Use WOOD STICKS to push and guide the wood you

are
cutting. DON'T GET LAZY AND FAIL TO INSTALL THE PROTECTIVE BLADE COVERS

AND
GUIDES. WASTE AS MUCH WOOD as you feel is the safe distance between your
fingers and the blade, just don't get your fingers too close to the blade.
You have been warned. EXPECT flying projectile pieces of wood as you cut
the shapes. Don't let kids or anyone else watch you cut, do not let

anyone
stand in the direction of the blade.

USE A DUST MASK, I actually wet an old but clean cotton scraps of t-shirt
and use a mask to keep it in place. Even with this precaution, you still
might inhale wood dust - which is STILL better than inhaling plastic

dust -
do not attempt to cut an acrylic plexiglass sheet this way.

In the long run, a decent sized rubber stamp that is for the mass market
will cost you just pennies.


TO SAVE TIME, EVEN FOR HOBBYISTS
To save time, your platen, 5" x 8" in my case, will have a square area of

40
square inches... compare this to a 4" x 6", which will have a square area

of
24, almost half of the 5 x 8. This means that you can "scrunch up" all

your
designs before you go to a metal photoengraver, arrange them to optimize

the
baking area, they don't have to be in the same upright direction, to fit

in
a 4.5" x 7.5" square area for the platen, with some allowance for the

edges.
It's the flexible rubber sheets that you'll be cutting with scissors and
setting on the handles.

DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE I DID, I BOUGHT A 4 X 6 SIZED MACHINE, AND IT

EASILY
TRIPLED MY PRODUCTION TIME AND DISCOURAGED ME FROM MAKING HUGE RUBBER
STAMPS..
Just imagine, if you have a 3" x 2" rubber stamp design, see how many you
can make on those 2 popular sized rubber stamp machine. The 4 x 6 will
accommodate a 3.5 x 5.5 total area of designs.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------



SUPPLIERS AND REPAIR

The machine has 2 important components - the 2 heating platens, and the
pressure is provided by a CAR JACK. The car jack needs to be replaced

once
in a while. The heating platens can be repaired by a local electrician.
The best way to find an acceptable electrician is to go to a tire shop and
ask the shop who they call to have their vulcanizing machines repaired.

The uncured rubber sheets can be purchased from the vulcanizing shop's
suppliers or you can see them online from the rubber stamp suppliers..

The matrix boards also have suppliers online. Just type the words -

matrix
board rubber stamp supply... they also supply rubber sheets and foam, but
the foams are usually over priced.

Foam sheets can be purchased cheap and locally using the BUSINESS yellow
pages under foam sheets or foam rubber sheets. This is usually used for
furniture repair. Or go to Michaels or any art supply store, and they

will
have multicolored, decorative foam sheets. Although you really do not

need
foam sheets and you can just paste the rubber to the handles, foam sheets
give the users a degree of familiarity, and contribute to the comfortable,
classic look.

To easily mount rubber on the wood or foam, you can use DOUBLE-SIDED
PERMANENT Carpet Tape, or adhesive. The strongest I've seen is the double
sided plastic sheets sold by the rubber stamp suppliers, but it also adds

up
the final cost of a stamp.


RUBBER SHEETS
Consider foam rubber
There are 2 types of foam rubber in the market... the open-cell and the
closed-cell. Foam has cells, and open-cell rubber foam is like

dishwashing
sponge, and allows for air to pass through each cell. Closed cell has

air,
but since the cells do not have holes, the closed cell is not pourous.

Rubber sheets, do not have cells, they're just flat sheets even after
vulcanization... this is the type used for patching tires and the same
material is used for the usual rubber stamps... If you want to save money,
buy rubber sheets where the tire repair shops buy theirs.. compare the
prices between them and the rubber stamp suppliers.

The self-inking stamps that do not have the pads, where users just brush

ink
over the impressions, use the open cell foam rubber.

So to make rubber stamps, you can use the open cell foam sheets or you can
use the plain rubber sheets. You only use the foam rubber sheets if you
have those ready-made plastic rubber stamp handles where the rubber just
recedes into the handle, and not invert to "kiss" the hidden inked pads

when
at rest. Foam rubber sheets also have a different set of temperature and
pressure, and is more expensive to produce.



METAL ENGRAVINGS VERSUS PHOTOPOLYMER...
These two types of printing press sheets are normally used by printing
presses which do not use the offset type of printing. You might be asked

if
you want photopolymer instead of metal, and you might be tempted to get
it... Photopolymer is like the actual rubber sheet, except that it is made
of clear plastic. The sheet is plastic, not rubber, and ink does not

stick
on plastic. You'll notice the impression it makes is not a rubber stamp
impression. It only works with printing press ink. You can go as far as
cutting these flexible sheets with scissors and mounting them on the
handles, but your customers will know they did not get a rubber stamp.

The engraver will also ask you how DEEP you want the engraving to be...

tell
them you need them to make rubber stamps and no deeper.

The metal (or photopolymer) sheets are photosensitive sheets. They are
exposed to light in a process you and I don't need to understand too much.
After the sheet is exposed, they are placed in an acid bath, and some

parts
of the flat surface remain and some parts corrode. The deeper engravings
spend more time in the corrosion process, and it is not advisable for

making
the matrix molds, because "caves" and not indents will be produced on the
metal sheet, which will permanently lock together the matrix mold and the
metal engraving. You will never be able to use the metal sheet at all.

You
just need the depth to be deep enough to "indent" the matrix board.



MAKING PHOTOGRAPHS INTO RUBBER STAMPS
The sheet makers have a process to convert pictures into the dots. I
usually call and spell it "velox", but there's a more accurate term. Look
at the newspapers and you will notice that the black and white pictures

are
made of dots. Ask for your metal engraving shop to convert your pictures

to
that, and they will understand what you want. If you do this using
photoshop and print it out of your machine, and bring this printout to

your
engraver, you will get a bad engraving. Let them do their job... they can
even convert a huge or even colored picture into your specified size.

----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------

MAKING OFFICE RUBBER STAMPS THE TRADITIONAL WAY

YOU WILL NEED:
Metal types
Metal Type Tray
Lead Quoins / inserts / spacers
Type cabinet
brayer
printing ink
paper
all of this can be purchased from a type foundry.

additional - sharpie permanent ink markers

Metal types are used by the traditional type printing presses and hot foil
stamping machines.
You purchase metal types in sets... you choose a typeface, and the set

will
have like 4 capital Q's, 4 small q's, 10 A's, 25 e's, etc. The more

popular
the letter, the more there will be in a set.

The type cabinet is like a set of drawers with small compartments. The
traditional trays have a designation, so the A's go to a compartment, the
a's go to another compartment, the B's go to another, b's go to another,

and
so on, including punctuation marks. Each typeface and type size goes to

one
drawer.

BEFORE I UNPACK AND UNRAVEL AND SCATTER ABOUT A TYPE SET, I GET A

PERMANENT
MARKER, A GREEN MARKER, RED MARKER, BLUE, AND BLACK for example, and I run
the marker on the exposed edge AND COLOR CODE THE SET, so that if a letter
mixes in with another type set, I easily spot it.

You compose the metal types on a metal tray, and since the letters are
mirror image, you need a good eye, a good spelling skill and a mirror to
check your composition. You need spacers between words, which are

included
in the typeface set, hence having the same height as the letter set, and

you
need line spacers in between the lines.

You "lock" your composition on the metal tray using additional spacers and
quoins.

spread ink on a brayer, and run the brayer over the composition. Top the
composition with bond paper, and run the brayer over the paper to make a
positive ink impression. Use this as a PROOF to check your spelling and

if
you missed any lines.

All this is metal, you place this tray composition on the platen, and heat
it for 15 minutes. When you are sure the metal is hot, you press the

matrix
board on the tray, to make the letters indent onto the matrix board.

IF YOU GET IMPATIENT, and you press the matrix board on cold type, you

will
flatten and destroy your type. If you indent even one or two letters, or

if
you remix flattened letters with the rest of your set, you will produce
UNEVEN letters. This is also why you need to proof your composition with
ink, and see if you are getting a level impression.

Wait another 10 to 15 minutes to cure the matrix board.

When cool, the matrix board can just snap off using a regular old butter
dull butter knife to pry the board from an exposed edge.

UNCOMPOSE the tray and put the type back to the type tray. Make sure the
tray is cool. Uncomposing will take as much time as the time you compose
the tray.

As you slowly make money, buy more metal typefaces so you can offer more
styles and sizes to the customers. A traditional type cabinet will have

10
to 18 or more trays, and the top is inclined with locking edges so a

worker
can compose with the tray on top of the table and the worker can sit
comfortably on a high stool.

Metal type used for foil stamping is more expensive but is made of harder
material.

AND THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE RUBBER STAMPS
That's why rubber stamp making is a business... even if everyone knows

this,
not everyone can afford the necessary machine, and not everyone will have
the space, time and energy to do this just for the heck.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------


BIGGER PLATEN AREAS

Bigger than 5 x 8 machines are available, but you will still the 5 x 8 for
smaller orders... The bigger ones will also need bigger car jacks / pumps,
which might not be available in your area. They also tend to be
geometrically more expensive. Bigger machines are not for the mom and pop
operation. If you want to be the rubber stamp center that consolidates

all
the rubber stamp orders from all the rubber stamp / office supply stores

in
the whole city, then buy a bigger machine. You must assure yourself a

huge
customer base, because orders for office stamps, for example have a
turnaround time. You cannot tell your customers to come back next month

for
their orders because you're still consolidating orders for rubber stamps.

Your uncured rubber will displace to the edges of the matrix board as you
vulcanize and bake the rubber into the mold. A bigger platen area will

put
in more pressure on the rubber sheet, you will end up with a thinner

rubber
stamp, which may work, but will be ugly.


STREET FAIRS

I made $800 bucks in 2 days selling rubber stamps for a dollar each. I
remember getting the costs down. I ended up with stamps that just cost me
under a quarter each to make. Of course you also have to consider the
traffic.
Since they were just a dollar, I let the customers try the stamps and they
didn't care if the stamps they bought were still wet with ink or get

dirty.
They're just happy getting a lot of stamps for a buck each. Hobbyists

also
know that the stamps naturally get dirty when used.

You can also try selling online!



And forgive the grammatical errors and disorganization.

If you want to know more, just email me.



----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------


THE POPULAR FIRST NAMES....

I BOUGHT BABY NAME BOOKS...
I used a computer to list all the names, and eliminated the ones I thought
was not popular at all.
I calculated the cost of metal sheets that I can afford to pay the

engraver
and narrowed down the names some more.

I made sure I spelled and capitalized the names in different ways... for
example, I had Elizabeth and Elisabeth, JoAnn, Joanne and Joan.

then i composed them on the computer and separated them in groups and made
sure they have ample line spaces. The names did not have to have word
spaces between names, because I will be cutting and separating them with
scissors.

Each group of names fit my 5 x 8 platen... alphabetically from a to z...

then i made the rubber sheets with a RED COLOR

then I used wide permanent double sided carpet tape on the back of the
sheets, without removing the paper on the remaining exposed side,

then i passed a brayer with black printing ink on the impression side.

ONLY THEN DID I cut them individually.

Then I used wide transparent tape, and stuck the pieces on the tape
ALPHABETICALLY, with AMPLE SPACE between the names
and TAPED THE TAPE with the pieces protected from falling onto CARDSTOCK
PAPER I bought from Kinko's.

I bought a mirror so I can easily AND QUICKLY search through the mirror

FOR
A NAME.

THIS WAY I DID NOT HAVE TO MOUNT ALL THE NAMES, AND WILL ONLY MOUNT UPON
DEMAND. TO SAVE SPACE and ease the load... Just because you have a

thousand
names, you don't have to carry a thousand rubber stamps, you can just

carry
200 handles, and mount on demand.

I went to the street fairs... KIDS AND PARENTS come over, and I go I bet I
have your name, and they go, no you don't it's not spelled in the popular
way, or it's something like Lakesha... I go through my stamps, I see it,
they feel what they got is a find. I made the money, they get a rare name
stamp. Stamps like those are incredible because the square area of rubber

I
needed for a small name, that is 1/4" in height is really smaller than a

3"
x 3" heart stamp.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------




"Jim" wrote in message
om...
Looking for a little bit of information on making stamps.

I have been all over the web and back looking for different
proccesses. It seems to me that they all boil down to a few
components:

Photopoly Resin
Printed negative
UV Light
and some glass.

Is there anyone who has made their own exposure unit? Is it do-able?





  #3  
Old November 28th 04, 01:21 PM
Nintendo DS 4 Sale
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

oops in case you are wondering,
aside from the rubber stamp machine and metal sheets...


I'M ALSO SELLING A FEW NINTENDO DS

my nephews cannot come to Chicago, an emergency came up, I want to sell the
Nintendo DS due to the emergency. Any takers? can you guys let your
friends know?



"Nintendo DS 4 Sale" wrote in message
. com...
BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND METAL SHEETS
WITH ENGRAVINGS.

I'm selling my 5" x 8" platen size rubber stamp machine, $400 OR BEST
OFFER... Together with the machine, are the metal engravings I used to

make
Art Deco and Victorian Monograms, and sheets of MORE THAN 200 POPULAR

FIRST
NAMES FOR BOYS AND GIRLS (and adults), which alone cost me A TOTAL OF more
than $700 to get engraved.


HOW TO MAKE RUBBER STAMPS FOR RESALE

You need a rubber stamp machine... what it is is a vulcanizing machine

with
a up and down pair of thick heating plates that heat up to the right
temperature, which is regulated by a dial and a thermostat...

Steps to make a rubber stamp

Part 1
Make a handle, you can be creative and cut your own using woodworking
machines, or buy stuff like cabinet door knobs.

Part 2
Make the rubber impression...

You need a rubber stamp vulcanizing machine, matrix board and uncured

rubber
sheets...
Secondary accessories you also need are Aluminum foil, talcum powder and a
pair of gloves that can insulate you from heat.

The machine would have what is called a "platen"... it is the square area
that is available to make the rubber impression... Your design should not

be
greater than the area of the platen. The "hobby size" is usually 4" x 6",
but for a more serious business, 5" x 8" or more is much more durable and
not a time-waster.

If you want to get technical, you need to learn 2 terms - Thermoplastic

and
Vulcanization.

The matrix board looks like thick illustration board. It is made up of
layers of uncured plastic powder and some type of paper. It is the same
material that the hard plastic handles of pots and pans are made of. The
thing is "thermoplastic", meaning it will cure and take the shape of the
mold upon simultaneous introduction of HIGH heat and pressure.

Rubber to cure and retain a permanent shape needs to be vulcanized.
Vulcanization is the process of curing rubber with the introduction of

high
heat and pressure, so in a way, rubber is also thermoplastic, but this

time
the rubber is not as hard as the matrix board. Rubber sheets have the red
dye, sometimes black, or something else, but the most important ingredient
in a rubber sheet is the rubber, and sulphur, which causes the rubber to
cure. That's why rubber smells like sulphur.

So to make a rubber stamp impression that is readable or positive, you

make
a drawing or computer printout, which is a positive, then make a metal
engraving from it, which is a negative, then make a matrix board

impression
from the metal engraving, and then you make a rubber sheet (the rubber
stamp) which is a negative, so that the end users can make a positive

rubber
stamp printout.


1. Make a final sketch - black on white paper.... pen on paper or a
computer-designed printout
2. Bring the paper to a metal engraver - use the business yellow pages and
find one in your area... Have the metal engraver cut up the metal sheet

to
less than your platen area.
3. Place the matrix board on top of the metal engraving, wrap the pair

with
aluminum foil and place the pair on the platen.
4. Heat up the machine to the recommended temperature and wait 10-15

minutes
(whatever is recommended by the matrix board supplier, usually 375 degrees
Fahrenheit to 475 degrees, and the "temperament" of your machine.) FROM
THIS TIME ON USE YOUR GLOVES SO YOU DON'T GET BURNED.

ALWAYS WRAP USING ALUMINUM FOIL, OR ELSE, your matrix board or your rubber
sheet will stick to the machine and you'll have a hard time taking it off.
It's worse than gum stuck on hair.

5. bring up the bottom platen to the ceiling platen, and the matrix board
will sink into the metal engraving. Let the matrix cure.
6. Bring down the bottom platen and let the matrix and metal engraving

cool.
7. Once cool, take off the aluminum foil, bend the matrix board a little

and
the metal engraving will snap off.
8. Brush some talcum powder on the matrix board and place a sheet of
uncured rubber on it. Wrap this with aluminum foil.
9. Bring the pairing on the heated platen and bring the floor platen to

the
ceiling platen, and let the rubber "cook" or cure at the recommended
temperature and time.
10. Bring down the bottom platen and take out the pair. Let the thing
cool... Take off the aluminum foil.
11. your Rubber sheet is cured and can be trimmed and mounted on the

handle
using a really strong contact cemet.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------

THE CHEAPEST and QUICKEST WAY TO MAKE A HANDLE
--- is to make wood blocks that will finally look like stackable bricks
--- is to not bother finishing the wood blocks with a wood stain and

varnish
--- is to not bother mounting the handle (the part that looks like a

cabinet
knob)

Buy a 12" or higher table saw and a table saw guide so you can make
perpendicular cuts to make different sized squares and rectangles. If you
think you're saving money on the smaller hobbyists table saw, they will
SMOKE AND trip your fuse, and won't be able to handle the pine boards.
BUY THE fine toothed fine finish table saw blade. If you use the finest,
there will be no need to sand the edges.

AS A RULE, go to Home Depot or Craftsman, look at the table saw circular
blades... the size that has the finest tooth comb must have the matching
table saw size, and the power, buy the table saw model that can support
that. The coarser blade will require a lot of sanding and you have just
increased your time more than 4 times. You do not need sanding AT ALL

using
the finest blade, maybe just one swift pass over a sandpaper to make dull
the pointed corners.

DO NOT USE a portable circular saw... Your wood blocks would not have the

90
degree angle.

If you want grooves, use a router mounted on a table, but that could use

up
a lot of your time.



THE FASTEST WAY TO FINISH THE HANDLES
MIX THREE INGREDIENTS an oil-based wood filler, varnish and an oil-based
wood stain... If you want you can mix in an oil-based gold paint or

colored
paint. The gold paint will make the handle antique-like. You'll discover
the right amounts eventually.

Using an old t-shirt wrapped around your gloved finger, dip into the

mixture
and sweep over the wood, and let dry. That's it!

DO THIS IN OPEN AIR... don't do this inside the home. DO NOT SMOKE, keep
away from fire, the oil is flammable.



You can buy FOAM SHEETS at art stores, and paste the sheet on one side of
the pine plank.
Cut the wood and the foam sheet together to save time.
or
You can cut the wood, place contact cement on the cut wood blocks and the
foam sheets, and using a cutter (blade), cut around the wood blocks. Use

an
old table or cut over an old phone book, or if you have thick glass or
mirror or an old plexiglass sheet like an old cheap framed picture with an
acrylic plastic cover, you can use these.



DON'T CUT OFF YOUR HANDS OR GET BLINDED. Use goggles, and do not use your
hands on the table saw. Use WOOD STICKS to push and guide the wood you

are
cutting. DON'T GET LAZY AND FAIL TO INSTALL THE PROTECTIVE BLADE COVERS

AND
GUIDES. WASTE AS MUCH WOOD as you feel is the safe distance between your
fingers and the blade, just don't get your fingers too close to the blade.
You have been warned. EXPECT flying projectile pieces of wood as you cut
the shapes. Don't let kids or anyone else watch you cut, do not let

anyone
stand in the direction of the blade.

USE A DUST MASK, I actually wet an old but clean cotton scraps of t-shirt
and use a mask to keep it in place. Even with this precaution, you still
might inhale wood dust - which is STILL better than inhaling plastic

dust -
do not attempt to cut an acrylic plexiglass sheet this way.

In the long run, a decent sized rubber stamp that is for the mass market
will cost you just pennies.


TO SAVE TIME, EVEN FOR HOBBYISTS
To save time, your platen, 5" x 8" in my case, will have a square area of

40
square inches... compare this to a 4" x 6", which will have a square area

of
24, almost half of the 5 x 8. This means that you can "scrunch up" all

your
designs before you go to a metal photoengraver, arrange them to optimize

the
baking area, they don't have to be in the same upright direction, to fit

in
a 4.5" x 7.5" square area for the platen, with some allowance for the

edges.
It's the flexible rubber sheets that you'll be cutting with scissors and
setting on the handles.

DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE I DID, I BOUGHT A 4 X 6 SIZED MACHINE, AND IT

EASILY
TRIPLED MY PRODUCTION TIME AND DISCOURAGED ME FROM MAKING HUGE RUBBER
STAMPS..
Just imagine, if you have a 3" x 2" rubber stamp design, see how many you
can make on those 2 popular sized rubber stamp machine. The 4 x 6 will
accommodate a 3.5 x 5.5 total area of designs.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------



SUPPLIERS AND REPAIR

The machine has 2 important components - the 2 heating platens, and the
pressure is provided by a CAR JACK. The car jack needs to be replaced

once
in a while. The heating platens can be repaired by a local electrician.
The best way to find an acceptable electrician is to go to a tire shop and
ask the shop who they call to have their vulcanizing machines repaired.

The uncured rubber sheets can be purchased from the vulcanizing shop's
suppliers or you can see them online from the rubber stamp suppliers..

The matrix boards also have suppliers online. Just type the words -

matrix
board rubber stamp supply... they also supply rubber sheets and foam, but
the foams are usually over priced.

Foam sheets can be purchased cheap and locally using the BUSINESS yellow
pages under foam sheets or foam rubber sheets. This is usually used for
furniture repair. Or go to Michaels or any art supply store, and they

will
have multicolored, decorative foam sheets. Although you really do not

need
foam sheets and you can just paste the rubber to the handles, foam sheets
give the users a degree of familiarity, and contribute to the comfortable,
classic look.

To easily mount rubber on the wood or foam, you can use DOUBLE-SIDED
PERMANENT Carpet Tape, or adhesive. The strongest I've seen is the double
sided plastic sheets sold by the rubber stamp suppliers, but it also adds

up
the final cost of a stamp.


RUBBER SHEETS
Consider foam rubber
There are 2 types of foam rubber in the market... the open-cell and the
closed-cell. Foam has cells, and open-cell rubber foam is like

dishwashing
sponge, and allows for air to pass through each cell. Closed cell has

air,
but since the cells do not have holes, the closed cell is not pourous.

Rubber sheets, do not have cells, they're just flat sheets even after
vulcanization... this is the type used for patching tires and the same
material is used for the usual rubber stamps... If you want to save money,
buy rubber sheets where the tire repair shops buy theirs.. compare the
prices between them and the rubber stamp suppliers.

The self-inking stamps that do not have the pads, where users just brush

ink
over the impressions, use the open cell foam rubber.

So to make rubber stamps, you can use the open cell foam sheets or you can
use the plain rubber sheets. You only use the foam rubber sheets if you
have those ready-made plastic rubber stamp handles where the rubber just
recedes into the handle, and not invert to "kiss" the hidden inked pads

when
at rest. Foam rubber sheets also have a different set of temperature and
pressure, and is more expensive to produce.



METAL ENGRAVINGS VERSUS PHOTOPOLYMER...
These two types of printing press sheets are normally used by printing
presses which do not use the offset type of printing. You might be asked

if
you want photopolymer instead of metal, and you might be tempted to get
it... Photopolymer is like the actual rubber sheet, except that it is made
of clear plastic. The sheet is plastic, not rubber, and ink does not

stick
on plastic. You'll notice the impression it makes is not a rubber stamp
impression. It only works with printing press ink. You can go as far as
cutting these flexible sheets with scissors and mounting them on the
handles, but your customers will know they did not get a rubber stamp.

The engraver will also ask you how DEEP you want the engraving to be...

tell
them you need them to make rubber stamps and no deeper.

The metal (or photopolymer) sheets are photosensitive sheets. They are
exposed to light in a process you and I don't need to understand too much.
After the sheet is exposed, they are placed in an acid bath, and some

parts
of the flat surface remain and some parts corrode. The deeper engravings
spend more time in the corrosion process, and it is not advisable for

making
the matrix molds, because "caves" and not indents will be produced on the
metal sheet, which will permanently lock together the matrix mold and the
metal engraving. You will never be able to use the metal sheet at all.

You
just need the depth to be deep enough to "indent" the matrix board.



MAKING PHOTOGRAPHS INTO RUBBER STAMPS
The sheet makers have a process to convert pictures into the dots. I
usually call and spell it "velox", but there's a more accurate term. Look
at the newspapers and you will notice that the black and white pictures

are
made of dots. Ask for your metal engraving shop to convert your pictures

to
that, and they will understand what you want. If you do this using
photoshop and print it out of your machine, and bring this printout to

your
engraver, you will get a bad engraving. Let them do their job... they can
even convert a huge or even colored picture into your specified size.

----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------

MAKING OFFICE RUBBER STAMPS THE TRADITIONAL WAY

YOU WILL NEED:
Metal types
Metal Type Tray
Lead Quoins / inserts / spacers
Type cabinet
brayer
printing ink
paper
all of this can be purchased from a type foundry.

additional - sharpie permanent ink markers

Metal types are used by the traditional type printing presses and hot foil
stamping machines.
You purchase metal types in sets... you choose a typeface, and the set

will
have like 4 capital Q's, 4 small q's, 10 A's, 25 e's, etc. The more

popular
the letter, the more there will be in a set.

The type cabinet is like a set of drawers with small compartments. The
traditional trays have a designation, so the A's go to a compartment, the
a's go to another compartment, the B's go to another, b's go to another,

and
so on, including punctuation marks. Each typeface and type size goes to

one
drawer.

BEFORE I UNPACK AND UNRAVEL AND SCATTER ABOUT A TYPE SET, I GET A

PERMANENT
MARKER, A GREEN MARKER, RED MARKER, BLUE, AND BLACK for example, and I run
the marker on the exposed edge AND COLOR CODE THE SET, so that if a letter
mixes in with another type set, I easily spot it.

You compose the metal types on a metal tray, and since the letters are
mirror image, you need a good eye, a good spelling skill and a mirror to
check your composition. You need spacers between words, which are

included
in the typeface set, hence having the same height as the letter set, and

you
need line spacers in between the lines.

You "lock" your composition on the metal tray using additional spacers and
quoins.

spread ink on a brayer, and run the brayer over the composition. Top the
composition with bond paper, and run the brayer over the paper to make a
positive ink impression. Use this as a PROOF to check your spelling and

if
you missed any lines.

All this is metal, you place this tray composition on the platen, and heat
it for 15 minutes. When you are sure the metal is hot, you press the

matrix
board on the tray, to make the letters indent onto the matrix board.

IF YOU GET IMPATIENT, and you press the matrix board on cold type, you

will
flatten and destroy your type. If you indent even one or two letters, or

if
you remix flattened letters with the rest of your set, you will produce
UNEVEN letters. This is also why you need to proof your composition with
ink, and see if you are getting a level impression.

Wait another 10 to 15 minutes to cure the matrix board.

When cool, the matrix board can just snap off using a regular old butter
dull butter knife to pry the board from an exposed edge.

UNCOMPOSE the tray and put the type back to the type tray. Make sure the
tray is cool. Uncomposing will take as much time as the time you compose
the tray.

As you slowly make money, buy more metal typefaces so you can offer more
styles and sizes to the customers. A traditional type cabinet will have

10
to 18 or more trays, and the top is inclined with locking edges so a

worker
can compose with the tray on top of the table and the worker can sit
comfortably on a high stool.

Metal type used for foil stamping is more expensive but is made of harder
material.

AND THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE RUBBER STAMPS
That's why rubber stamp making is a business... even if everyone knows

this,
not everyone can afford the necessary machine, and not everyone will have
the space, time and energy to do this just for the heck.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------


BIGGER PLATEN AREAS

Bigger than 5 x 8 machines are available, but you will still the 5 x 8 for
smaller orders... The bigger ones will also need bigger car jacks / pumps,
which might not be available in your area. They also tend to be
geometrically more expensive. Bigger machines are not for the mom and pop
operation. If you want to be the rubber stamp center that consolidates

all
the rubber stamp orders from all the rubber stamp / office supply stores

in
the whole city, then buy a bigger machine. You must assure yourself a

huge
customer base, because orders for office stamps, for example have a
turnaround time. You cannot tell your customers to come back next month

for
their orders because you're still consolidating orders for rubber stamps.

Your uncured rubber will displace to the edges of the matrix board as you
vulcanize and bake the rubber into the mold. A bigger platen area will

put
in more pressure on the rubber sheet, you will end up with a thinner

rubber
stamp, which may work, but will be ugly.


STREET FAIRS

I made $800 bucks in 2 days selling rubber stamps for a dollar each. I
remember getting the costs down. I ended up with stamps that just cost me
under a quarter each to make. Of course you also have to consider the
traffic.
Since they were just a dollar, I let the customers try the stamps and they
didn't care if the stamps they bought were still wet with ink or get

dirty.
They're just happy getting a lot of stamps for a buck each. Hobbyists

also
know that the stamps naturally get dirty when used.

You can also try selling online!



And forgive the grammatical errors and disorganization.

If you want to know more, just email me.



----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------


THE POPULAR FIRST NAMES....

I BOUGHT BABY NAME BOOKS...
I used a computer to list all the names, and eliminated the ones I thought
was not popular at all.
I calculated the cost of metal sheets that I can afford to pay the

engraver
and narrowed down the names some more.

I made sure I spelled and capitalized the names in different ways... for
example, I had Elizabeth and Elisabeth, JoAnn, Joanne and Joan.

then i composed them on the computer and separated them in groups and made
sure they have ample line spaces. The names did not have to have word
spaces between names, because I will be cutting and separating them with
scissors.

Each group of names fit my 5 x 8 platen... alphabetically from a to z...

then i made the rubber sheets with a RED COLOR

then I used wide permanent double sided carpet tape on the back of the
sheets, without removing the paper on the remaining exposed side,

then i passed a brayer with black printing ink on the impression side.

ONLY THEN DID I cut them individually.

Then I used wide transparent tape, and stuck the pieces on the tape
ALPHABETICALLY, with AMPLE SPACE between the names
and TAPED THE TAPE with the pieces protected from falling onto CARDSTOCK
PAPER I bought from Kinko's.

I bought a mirror so I can easily AND QUICKLY search through the mirror

FOR
A NAME.

THIS WAY I DID NOT HAVE TO MOUNT ALL THE NAMES, AND WILL ONLY MOUNT UPON
DEMAND. TO SAVE SPACE and ease the load... Just because you have a

thousand
names, you don't have to carry a thousand rubber stamps, you can just

carry
200 handles, and mount on demand.

I went to the street fairs... KIDS AND PARENTS come over, and I go I bet I
have your name, and they go, no you don't it's not spelled in the popular
way, or it's something like Lakesha... I go through my stamps, I see it,
they feel what they got is a find. I made the money, they get a rare name
stamp. Stamps like those are incredible because the square area of rubber

I
needed for a small name, that is 1/4" in height is really smaller than a

3"
x 3" heart stamp.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------




"Jim" wrote in message
om...
Looking for a little bit of information on making stamps.

I have been all over the web and back looking for different
proccesses. It seems to me that they all boil down to a few
components:

Photopoly Resin
Printed negative
UV Light
and some glass.

Is there anyone who has made their own exposure unit? Is it do-able?





  #4  
Old November 28th 04, 01:28 PM
Nintendo DS 4 Sale
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default



I FORGOT TO ADD
THE MATRIX MOLDS ARE REUSABLE.
Depending on their durability, and the quality of the matrix boards you
bought, and how you baked them, unless they start forming bubbles, which can
happen, you can keep reusing the molds.




"Nintendo DS 4 Sale" wrote in message
. com...
BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE, I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND METAL SHEETS
WITH ENGRAVINGS.

I'm selling my 5" x 8" platen size rubber stamp machine, $400 OR BEST
OFFER... Together with the machine, are the metal engravings I used to

make
Art Deco and Victorian Monograms, and sheets of MORE THAN 200 POPULAR

FIRST
NAMES FOR BOYS AND GIRLS (and adults), which alone cost me A TOTAL OF more
than $700 to get engraved.


HOW TO MAKE RUBBER STAMPS FOR RESALE

You need a rubber stamp machine... what it is is a vulcanizing machine

with
a up and down pair of thick heating plates that heat up to the right
temperature, which is regulated by a dial and a thermostat...

Steps to make a rubber stamp

Part 1
Make a handle, you can be creative and cut your own using woodworking
machines, or buy stuff like cabinet door knobs.

Part 2
Make the rubber impression...

You need a rubber stamp vulcanizing machine, matrix board and uncured

rubber
sheets...
Secondary accessories you also need are Aluminum foil, talcum powder and a
pair of gloves that can insulate you from heat.

The machine would have what is called a "platen"... it is the square area
that is available to make the rubber impression... Your design should not

be
greater than the area of the platen. The "hobby size" is usually 4" x 6",
but for a more serious business, 5" x 8" or more is much more durable and
not a time-waster.

If you want to get technical, you need to learn 2 terms - Thermoplastic

and
Vulcanization.

The matrix board looks like thick illustration board. It is made up of
layers of uncured plastic powder and some type of paper. It is the same
material that the hard plastic handles of pots and pans are made of. The
thing is "thermoplastic", meaning it will cure and take the shape of the
mold upon simultaneous introduction of HIGH heat and pressure.

Rubber to cure and retain a permanent shape needs to be vulcanized.
Vulcanization is the process of curing rubber with the introduction of

high
heat and pressure, so in a way, rubber is also thermoplastic, but this

time
the rubber is not as hard as the matrix board. Rubber sheets have the red
dye, sometimes black, or something else, but the most important ingredient
in a rubber sheet is the rubber, and sulphur, which causes the rubber to
cure. That's why rubber smells like sulphur.

So to make a rubber stamp impression that is readable or positive, you

make
a drawing or computer printout, which is a positive, then make a metal
engraving from it, which is a negative, then make a matrix board

impression
from the metal engraving, and then you make a rubber sheet (the rubber
stamp) which is a negative, so that the end users can make a positive

rubber
stamp printout.


1. Make a final sketch - black on white paper.... pen on paper or a
computer-designed printout
2. Bring the paper to a metal engraver - use the business yellow pages and
find one in your area... Have the metal engraver cut up the metal sheet

to
less than your platen area.
3. Place the matrix board on top of the metal engraving, wrap the pair

with
aluminum foil and place the pair on the platen.
4. Heat up the machine to the recommended temperature and wait 10-15

minutes
(whatever is recommended by the matrix board supplier, usually 375 degrees
Fahrenheit to 475 degrees, and the "temperament" of your machine.) FROM
THIS TIME ON USE YOUR GLOVES SO YOU DON'T GET BURNED.

ALWAYS WRAP USING ALUMINUM FOIL, OR ELSE, your matrix board or your rubber
sheet will stick to the machine and you'll have a hard time taking it off.
It's worse than gum stuck on hair.

5. bring up the bottom platen to the ceiling platen, and the matrix board
will sink into the metal engraving. Let the matrix cure.
6. Bring down the bottom platen and let the matrix and metal engraving

cool.
7. Once cool, take off the aluminum foil, bend the matrix board a little

and
the metal engraving will snap off.
8. Brush some talcum powder on the matrix board and place a sheet of
uncured rubber on it. Wrap this with aluminum foil.
9. Bring the pairing on the heated platen and bring the floor platen to

the
ceiling platen, and let the rubber "cook" or cure at the recommended
temperature and time.
10. Bring down the bottom platen and take out the pair. Let the thing
cool... Take off the aluminum foil.
11. your Rubber sheet is cured and can be trimmed and mounted on the

handle
using a really strong contact cemet.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------

THE CHEAPEST and QUICKEST WAY TO MAKE A HANDLE
--- is to make wood blocks that will finally look like stackable bricks
--- is to not bother finishing the wood blocks with a wood stain and

varnish
--- is to not bother mounting the handle (the part that looks like a

cabinet
knob)

Buy a 12" or higher table saw and a table saw guide so you can make
perpendicular cuts to make different sized squares and rectangles. If you
think you're saving money on the smaller hobbyists table saw, they will
SMOKE AND trip your fuse, and won't be able to handle the pine boards.
BUY THE fine toothed fine finish table saw blade. If you use the finest,
there will be no need to sand the edges.

AS A RULE, go to Home Depot or Craftsman, look at the table saw circular
blades... the size that has the finest tooth comb must have the matching
table saw size, and the power, buy the table saw model that can support
that. The coarser blade will require a lot of sanding and you have just
increased your time more than 4 times. You do not need sanding AT ALL

using
the finest blade, maybe just one swift pass over a sandpaper to make dull
the pointed corners.

DO NOT USE a portable circular saw... Your wood blocks would not have the

90
degree angle.

If you want grooves, use a router mounted on a table, but that could use

up
a lot of your time.



THE FASTEST WAY TO FINISH THE HANDLES
MIX THREE INGREDIENTS an oil-based wood filler, varnish and an oil-based
wood stain... If you want you can mix in an oil-based gold paint or

colored
paint. The gold paint will make the handle antique-like. You'll discover
the right amounts eventually.

Using an old t-shirt wrapped around your gloved finger, dip into the

mixture
and sweep over the wood, and let dry. That's it!

DO THIS IN OPEN AIR... don't do this inside the home. DO NOT SMOKE, keep
away from fire, the oil is flammable.



You can buy FOAM SHEETS at art stores, and paste the sheet on one side of
the pine plank.
Cut the wood and the foam sheet together to save time.
or
You can cut the wood, place contact cement on the cut wood blocks and the
foam sheets, and using a cutter (blade), cut around the wood blocks. Use

an
old table or cut over an old phone book, or if you have thick glass or
mirror or an old plexiglass sheet like an old cheap framed picture with an
acrylic plastic cover, you can use these.



DON'T CUT OFF YOUR HANDS OR GET BLINDED. Use goggles, and do not use your
hands on the table saw. Use WOOD STICKS to push and guide the wood you

are
cutting. DON'T GET LAZY AND FAIL TO INSTALL THE PROTECTIVE BLADE COVERS

AND
GUIDES. WASTE AS MUCH WOOD as you feel is the safe distance between your
fingers and the blade, just don't get your fingers too close to the blade.
You have been warned. EXPECT flying projectile pieces of wood as you cut
the shapes. Don't let kids or anyone else watch you cut, do not let

anyone
stand in the direction of the blade.

USE A DUST MASK, I actually wet an old but clean cotton scraps of t-shirt
and use a mask to keep it in place. Even with this precaution, you still
might inhale wood dust - which is STILL better than inhaling plastic

dust -
do not attempt to cut an acrylic plexiglass sheet this way.

In the long run, a decent sized rubber stamp that is for the mass market
will cost you just pennies.


TO SAVE TIME, EVEN FOR HOBBYISTS
To save time, your platen, 5" x 8" in my case, will have a square area of

40
square inches... compare this to a 4" x 6", which will have a square area

of
24, almost half of the 5 x 8. This means that you can "scrunch up" all

your
designs before you go to a metal photoengraver, arrange them to optimize

the
baking area, they don't have to be in the same upright direction, to fit

in
a 4.5" x 7.5" square area for the platen, with some allowance for the

edges.
It's the flexible rubber sheets that you'll be cutting with scissors and
setting on the handles.

DO NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE I DID, I BOUGHT A 4 X 6 SIZED MACHINE, AND IT

EASILY
TRIPLED MY PRODUCTION TIME AND DISCOURAGED ME FROM MAKING HUGE RUBBER
STAMPS..
Just imagine, if you have a 3" x 2" rubber stamp design, see how many you
can make on those 2 popular sized rubber stamp machine. The 4 x 6 will
accommodate a 3.5 x 5.5 total area of designs.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------



SUPPLIERS AND REPAIR

The machine has 2 important components - the 2 heating platens, and the
pressure is provided by a CAR JACK. The car jack needs to be replaced

once
in a while. The heating platens can be repaired by a local electrician.
The best way to find an acceptable electrician is to go to a tire shop and
ask the shop who they call to have their vulcanizing machines repaired.

The uncured rubber sheets can be purchased from the vulcanizing shop's
suppliers or you can see them online from the rubber stamp suppliers..

The matrix boards also have suppliers online. Just type the words -

matrix
board rubber stamp supply... they also supply rubber sheets and foam, but
the foams are usually over priced.

Foam sheets can be purchased cheap and locally using the BUSINESS yellow
pages under foam sheets or foam rubber sheets. This is usually used for
furniture repair. Or go to Michaels or any art supply store, and they

will
have multicolored, decorative foam sheets. Although you really do not

need
foam sheets and you can just paste the rubber to the handles, foam sheets
give the users a degree of familiarity, and contribute to the comfortable,
classic look.

To easily mount rubber on the wood or foam, you can use DOUBLE-SIDED
PERMANENT Carpet Tape, or adhesive. The strongest I've seen is the double
sided plastic sheets sold by the rubber stamp suppliers, but it also adds

up
the final cost of a stamp.


RUBBER SHEETS
Consider foam rubber
There are 2 types of foam rubber in the market... the open-cell and the
closed-cell. Foam has cells, and open-cell rubber foam is like

dishwashing
sponge, and allows for air to pass through each cell. Closed cell has

air,
but since the cells do not have holes, the closed cell is not pourous.

Rubber sheets, do not have cells, they're just flat sheets even after
vulcanization... this is the type used for patching tires and the same
material is used for the usual rubber stamps... If you want to save money,
buy rubber sheets where the tire repair shops buy theirs.. compare the
prices between them and the rubber stamp suppliers.

The self-inking stamps that do not have the pads, where users just brush

ink
over the impressions, use the open cell foam rubber.

So to make rubber stamps, you can use the open cell foam sheets or you can
use the plain rubber sheets. You only use the foam rubber sheets if you
have those ready-made plastic rubber stamp handles where the rubber just
recedes into the handle, and not invert to "kiss" the hidden inked pads

when
at rest. Foam rubber sheets also have a different set of temperature and
pressure, and is more expensive to produce.



METAL ENGRAVINGS VERSUS PHOTOPOLYMER...
These two types of printing press sheets are normally used by printing
presses which do not use the offset type of printing. You might be asked

if
you want photopolymer instead of metal, and you might be tempted to get
it... Photopolymer is like the actual rubber sheet, except that it is made
of clear plastic. The sheet is plastic, not rubber, and ink does not

stick
on plastic. You'll notice the impression it makes is not a rubber stamp
impression. It only works with printing press ink. You can go as far as
cutting these flexible sheets with scissors and mounting them on the
handles, but your customers will know they did not get a rubber stamp.

The engraver will also ask you how DEEP you want the engraving to be...

tell
them you need them to make rubber stamps and no deeper.

The metal (or photopolymer) sheets are photosensitive sheets. They are
exposed to light in a process you and I don't need to understand too much.
After the sheet is exposed, they are placed in an acid bath, and some

parts
of the flat surface remain and some parts corrode. The deeper engravings
spend more time in the corrosion process, and it is not advisable for

making
the matrix molds, because "caves" and not indents will be produced on the
metal sheet, which will permanently lock together the matrix mold and the
metal engraving. You will never be able to use the metal sheet at all.

You
just need the depth to be deep enough to "indent" the matrix board.



MAKING PHOTOGRAPHS INTO RUBBER STAMPS
The sheet makers have a process to convert pictures into the dots. I
usually call and spell it "velox", but there's a more accurate term. Look
at the newspapers and you will notice that the black and white pictures

are
made of dots. Ask for your metal engraving shop to convert your pictures

to
that, and they will understand what you want. If you do this using
photoshop and print it out of your machine, and bring this printout to

your
engraver, you will get a bad engraving. Let them do their job... they can
even convert a huge or even colored picture into your specified size.

----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------

MAKING OFFICE RUBBER STAMPS THE TRADITIONAL WAY

YOU WILL NEED:
Metal types
Metal Type Tray
Lead Quoins / inserts / spacers
Type cabinet
brayer
printing ink
paper
all of this can be purchased from a type foundry.

additional - sharpie permanent ink markers

Metal types are used by the traditional type printing presses and hot foil
stamping machines.
You purchase metal types in sets... you choose a typeface, and the set

will
have like 4 capital Q's, 4 small q's, 10 A's, 25 e's, etc. The more

popular
the letter, the more there will be in a set.

The type cabinet is like a set of drawers with small compartments. The
traditional trays have a designation, so the A's go to a compartment, the
a's go to another compartment, the B's go to another, b's go to another,

and
so on, including punctuation marks. Each typeface and type size goes to

one
drawer.

BEFORE I UNPACK AND UNRAVEL AND SCATTER ABOUT A TYPE SET, I GET A

PERMANENT
MARKER, A GREEN MARKER, RED MARKER, BLUE, AND BLACK for example, and I run
the marker on the exposed edge AND COLOR CODE THE SET, so that if a letter
mixes in with another type set, I easily spot it.

You compose the metal types on a metal tray, and since the letters are
mirror image, you need a good eye, a good spelling skill and a mirror to
check your composition. You need spacers between words, which are

included
in the typeface set, hence having the same height as the letter set, and

you
need line spacers in between the lines.

You "lock" your composition on the metal tray using additional spacers and
quoins.

spread ink on a brayer, and run the brayer over the composition. Top the
composition with bond paper, and run the brayer over the paper to make a
positive ink impression. Use this as a PROOF to check your spelling and

if
you missed any lines.

All this is metal, you place this tray composition on the platen, and heat
it for 15 minutes. When you are sure the metal is hot, you press the

matrix
board on the tray, to make the letters indent onto the matrix board.

IF YOU GET IMPATIENT, and you press the matrix board on cold type, you

will
flatten and destroy your type. If you indent even one or two letters, or

if
you remix flattened letters with the rest of your set, you will produce
UNEVEN letters. This is also why you need to proof your composition with
ink, and see if you are getting a level impression.

Wait another 10 to 15 minutes to cure the matrix board.

When cool, the matrix board can just snap off using a regular old butter
dull butter knife to pry the board from an exposed edge.

UNCOMPOSE the tray and put the type back to the type tray. Make sure the
tray is cool. Uncomposing will take as much time as the time you compose
the tray.

As you slowly make money, buy more metal typefaces so you can offer more
styles and sizes to the customers. A traditional type cabinet will have

10
to 18 or more trays, and the top is inclined with locking edges so a

worker
can compose with the tray on top of the table and the worker can sit
comfortably on a high stool.

Metal type used for foil stamping is more expensive but is made of harder
material.

AND THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE RUBBER STAMPS
That's why rubber stamp making is a business... even if everyone knows

this,
not everyone can afford the necessary machine, and not everyone will have
the space, time and energy to do this just for the heck.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------


BIGGER PLATEN AREAS

Bigger than 5 x 8 machines are available, but you will still the 5 x 8 for
smaller orders... The bigger ones will also need bigger car jacks / pumps,
which might not be available in your area. They also tend to be
geometrically more expensive. Bigger machines are not for the mom and pop
operation. If you want to be the rubber stamp center that consolidates

all
the rubber stamp orders from all the rubber stamp / office supply stores

in
the whole city, then buy a bigger machine. You must assure yourself a

huge
customer base, because orders for office stamps, for example have a
turnaround time. You cannot tell your customers to come back next month

for
their orders because you're still consolidating orders for rubber stamps.

Your uncured rubber will displace to the edges of the matrix board as you
vulcanize and bake the rubber into the mold. A bigger platen area will

put
in more pressure on the rubber sheet, you will end up with a thinner

rubber
stamp, which may work, but will be ugly.


STREET FAIRS

I made $800 bucks in 2 days selling rubber stamps for a dollar each. I
remember getting the costs down. I ended up with stamps that just cost me
under a quarter each to make. Of course you also have to consider the
traffic.
Since they were just a dollar, I let the customers try the stamps and they
didn't care if the stamps they bought were still wet with ink or get

dirty.
They're just happy getting a lot of stamps for a buck each. Hobbyists

also
know that the stamps naturally get dirty when used.

You can also try selling online!



And forgive the grammatical errors and disorganization.

If you want to know more, just email me.



----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------


THE POPULAR FIRST NAMES....

I BOUGHT BABY NAME BOOKS...
I used a computer to list all the names, and eliminated the ones I thought
was not popular at all.
I calculated the cost of metal sheets that I can afford to pay the

engraver
and narrowed down the names some more.

I made sure I spelled and capitalized the names in different ways... for
example, I had Elizabeth and Elisabeth, JoAnn, Joanne and Joan.

then i composed them on the computer and separated them in groups and made
sure they have ample line spaces. The names did not have to have word
spaces between names, because I will be cutting and separating them with
scissors.

Each group of names fit my 5 x 8 platen... alphabetically from a to z...

then i made the rubber sheets with a RED COLOR

then I used wide permanent double sided carpet tape on the back of the
sheets, without removing the paper on the remaining exposed side,

then i passed a brayer with black printing ink on the impression side.

ONLY THEN DID I cut them individually.

Then I used wide transparent tape, and stuck the pieces on the tape
ALPHABETICALLY, with AMPLE SPACE between the names
and TAPED THE TAPE with the pieces protected from falling onto CARDSTOCK
PAPER I bought from Kinko's.

I bought a mirror so I can easily AND QUICKLY search through the mirror

FOR
A NAME.

THIS WAY I DID NOT HAVE TO MOUNT ALL THE NAMES, AND WILL ONLY MOUNT UPON
DEMAND. TO SAVE SPACE and ease the load... Just because you have a

thousand
names, you don't have to carry a thousand rubber stamps, you can just

carry
200 handles, and mount on demand.

I went to the street fairs... KIDS AND PARENTS come over, and I go I bet I
have your name, and they go, no you don't it's not spelled in the popular
way, or it's something like Lakesha... I go through my stamps, I see it,
they feel what they got is a find. I made the money, they get a rare name
stamp. Stamps like those are incredible because the square area of rubber

I
needed for a small name, that is 1/4" in height is really smaller than a

3"
x 3" heart stamp.


----------------------------
Advertisement ----- ONCE AGAIN I'M SELLING MY RUBBER STAMP MACHINE AND THE
METAL ENGRAVINGS for $400 OR BEST OFFER, and you pay for the shipping. I
will need more than that for shipping costs, and then I'll send you a
moneyorder for the difference in shipping costs.
----------------------------




"Jim" wrote in message
om...
Looking for a little bit of information on making stamps.

I have been all over the web and back looking for different
proccesses. It seems to me that they all boil down to a few
components:

Photopoly Resin
Printed negative
UV Light
and some glass.

Is there anyone who has made their own exposure unit? Is it do-able?





 




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