wanting to make my own tooling stamps

[cowboy316]

ive made one small beveler and was wondering if there was any body that had video or ideas on how to make them

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I usually use bolts and start grinding. When you have a rough shape, file it to the basic shape and then put the details on with swiss files, center punch, thread files, etc. Basically use anything that will make the stamp what you want. Here are some of the more odd-looking ones of mine. I don't know of any videos or books on this. Let your imagination run.

[T.C. Grant]

I have looked around for ideas on making your own stamping tools and I haven't found much in the way of a tutorial.  I think you just need to experiment with a dremel & files.  On a leathercraft forum one guy made a bunch out of 16d coated nails and I thought that was a cheap way to try some things out.  On some he left the pattern on the heads (the grid so the hammer doesn't slip off) and on others he had smoothed it out.  Good luck...let us know what you come up with. 

[cowboy316]

thank you guys that helps to see a few pics of other hand made tools ill see what i can do with what i got  and take pics of my own and post them

[Ace Lungger]

MW.,
The third stamp down is AWESOME, you realy did a very nice job on that stamp! I realy like making my own stamps, they make you feel like you realy have done something when you make your own! There just isn't enough good days where I live, that I feel like getting out of bed to go to a cold shop and work.
Thanks for sharing those with us, and you know I will have to try and copy that last one>
Later
ACE

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Thanks for the compliment, Ace. By all means, make a copy of that one. It's only 1/4" across but you could make a larger one and it would work fine. I made it a number of years ago for accenting a cross-cut background. For the center, I used a dull center punch. Post a picture when you get one done.

[T.C. Grant]

Marshal Will--
Next time you get a hankering to make a stamp maybe you could do a tutorial for us?
I would love to see how you go about making something as intricate as that last stamp.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

A tutotial wouldn't show much. You just make a blank, rough it in and start in filing with the swiss files. If it gets screwed up. You grind it off and start over. It takes very good eyes. Any more, I need serious magnification to do something like that. In the case of the one on the right, I started with the punch mark and worked around that. When you get it close, test it on leather. File a little then test again. Quit when it looks right.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Great idea, Marshal Will.

Slim

[cowboy316]

thanks for the ideas fellas most helpful id like to know where to get these swiss files the mashel is talking bout
                         thanks Cowboy

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Thanks, pards. Those swiss files are available at any good tool supply. I've seen them at Harbor Freight if you don't mind imports.

[cowboy316]

thats what i thought marshel and thank you for your ideas greatly needed
cant do much but sit around tooling leather after tearing up my knee a few months ago lol

[RollingThunder]

I think the files are actually similar to the ones available at tandy's site, too. I saw the link to the files from when I asked the same question, and they look exactly like the ones I picked up to sharpen my punches.

[T.C. Grant]

I picked a set up at harbor freight right after Christmas for $3.99. 

On another note...here is a link to a british knife making forum that has some good info on making tools.  Basically what was hashed out here but may lend some more insight.