Since I have made this video, I found another way to sand the sides of the tool before tempering the metal. PUT the sand paper on the table and rub the metal on the sides of the tool. You can do all four sides much faster that way. After reading this. you can probably skip through the long side-sanding section and get on to the tempering with the torch.Thanks for watching!
Excellent video. Great for a newbie, mentioning all the points and what to look out for. You even illustrated a mistake at the end with the loss of hardening. Thank you very much.
great tutorial video!! covers a lot of ground and tips. I'm a newbie and learning all I can. I appreciate the time and effort to make and share this video! Thank you.
Thanks for this video, it's very descriptive & informative. I've been wanting to make some metal stamps, gravers & chasing tools. Now I can with confidence.
I buy my tool steel at Metalliferous in Manhattan. They sell it as 'water or oil hardening tool steel' It's the only tool steel I have ever used. Thanks for watching.
Thanks, I have considered that but haven't found a metal sealing container yet. I don't do this that often and have been lucky so far. If I were making larger punches I would definitely use a metal bowl or something. Thanks for watching.
Cool video, but I've got a few questions/comments. What kind of tool steel do you purchase? You said that it can be quenched in either oil or water, but there are still a great many alloys that share those working characteristics. H13, 1095, and 4140 are all classified as "tool steel", but each has different properties based on the mixture of chemical elements. As far as tempering goes, there is no need to shine all of the bar if you've only hardened the working end unless the stock came to you hard. Since you filed it earlier, it wasn't. Likewise, you don't need to heat the entire bar to draw the temper. Start an inch or two back from the hardened area and make light passes with the torch. An alternative way to temper is to heat the steel in your oven or on the heating element of a stovetop range. Heating in the oven is nice because you can temper a multitude of pieces at once with more precise temperature control. Plus, the steel is tempered to the same hardness all the way through the hardened section, which means that you won't have to re-temper if the tool breaks at the tip. Tempering on the element is very similar to the torch, just place the tool on the element and watch the colors run, and gives a gradual temper rather than a consistent one.
Thank you for all the information. I am showing the way I was taught and the way it works for jewelers rather than Blacksmiths. I have a great deal of admiration for blacksmiths, knife makers and the work they do. I am aware that there are a great number of steel alloys, I have no idea what this one is, it is the steel sold at Metalliferous in NY. It hasn't been important for me to know what alloy since that's all that is immediately available and it works well for my purposes. I should, and will, ask but I suspect that the material on the shelves is subject to change from time to time as availability from the store's suppliers changes. I'd like to know a little more about the different properties of the tool steel(s) because I like the idea of a 'permanent' tool but as my goldsmith mentor says these tools are good for about 100 hours, a time that is difficult to reach when you are using a number of tools to make individual designs. These tools are a little like a painter's brush, you need so many to make different marks, that I find myself making more tools to reach, draw or texture each design. I'll try the tempering as you described. Thanks again for watching and your comments.
in reality good tool steel doesnt need any tempering ... hot rolled steel you need to go through the whole process ... cold rolled is a different story ....but if you dont know the carbon % and all that its basically try try again till u get it where u want ... and lets not forget (YOUR STAMPING SOME OF THE SOFTEST METALS THERE ARE! LOL) so dont stress it
Thank you for the very informative video. I have read about this and have seen photos but witnessing it as it happens is way clear. I did notice that one had been over heated and that # 2 & # 4 were bang on and # 3 was over done. Thanks again.
charles vereschagin If you know anty local blacksmiths , it would be good to talk to them they know more about iron/steel than I can imagine. You can also order the tool steel that I use from Metalliferous on 46th street, NYC. They have a web site and will answer a telephone. Good luck.
No smiths around . No, I may be wrong. Just thought of a fellow that makes ornamental gates. He may know. If it does not work out I will definite try those folks in NYC. Thanks for the info. *****
The tool steel was for oil and/or water hardening, I'm not sure of the physics/chemistry but I think that oil cools the metal more slowly than water allowing the metal to get harder. I used water for tempering because I had to stop the heat traveling down to the tip very fast to maintain the hardness at the tip.
Great work! You might consider using a metal container for the oil. I've had too many glass things shatter on me due to heat and slight taps from super hard metals & ceramics...
Robert, It depends on the thickness of your tool. Smaller tools could be hardened this way but larger stock, 3/16", 1/4" would be difficult to heat to the non magnetic state with a small kitchen torch. try and see...
Excellent video. I think it told me much of what I need to know to get started. I appreciate your additional comment with the type and source of steel -- that's important to know!
Thanks for watching, Have fun and make some nice stamps. I find that the small stamps are more useful and you can make interesting patterns and borders, simple shapes, lines or dotted lines or arches will be used all the time.
@@Ceropegia I'm excited. I ordered 8 steel rods from Metalliferous yesterday -- 4 square and 4 round, each in 4 different thicknesses. I've got a friend who can quickly and easily cut them into 3 or 4 inch lengths. How long do you cut them? Curious to know what length you prefer.
I buy most of my supplies from Metalliferous on 46th street in Manhattan. They have mail order and a website. It might be better to telephone them (Google the info) and order some tool steel if you can't find a local supplier. They sell it in 1 foot lengths. It might be worth looking into suppliers of metal to blacksmiths and ask them, because there are many kinds of steel/iron to choose from. Good luck, thanks for watching and subscribing.
Hi Sage ! Thanks for sharing your experience ! I've eard about tempering steal for jewelry tools, and I was wondering how to ... So I'm glad to discover your vid. Can you please tell me if this method is hard enough to chase copper jewels . Thanks in advance from FRANCE ;)
These tools are for copper and silver. Please read the comment below. Baldwin knows more about the metals for tools than I do. I am showing how I was taught and it's the method I stick to for the metal available to me. Thanks for watching!
Very informative, thanks! Was wondering how to get an exact 90 degree flat end to start with? I've watched other vids on making stamps, but they skip over that part. I tried to do it free hand and failed. I don't have access to a lathe. Thanks for any help.
If you are making a stamping tool and need it perfectly flat at 90 degrees you shuold get a hold of a JIG VISE MITER TUBE CUTTER FILING BLOCK JEWELERS TOOL, Sorry for the all caps, I copied the name from an item on eBay. That vise will let you saw and file a perfect end to your stock. The range in price from about $55 to $300, I got one on eBay and it works well, it will take a little time getting to use it effectively. (It also will dull your files a little). Hope this helps, Another note: most tools are slightly rounded, totally flat decorative tools are very hard to strike and will often make incomplete impressions.
This is one of the best educational videos on the TH-cam. I certainly learned a lot from you on this video. I also subscribed to learn more from you. I have one question rolling in my head What store sells this metal? I am in Minnesota, US. Thank you very much.
Fire Bricks are very expensive on-line, however, Ace Hardware has Fire Bricks, the ones used inside a fireplace, at 6 for under $20, but they are not that white color. Can these be used, if so, do they need any additional treatment so they can be used for soldering? Would love your help on this.
+Gloria Borrero The fire bricks I use are from Metalliferous and cost around $12, they are fairly light weight and are like the soft, friable bricks found inside a kiln. I haven't seen the bricks at Ace, I will look but I suspect that those are ceramic and architectural strength. If that is the case, they would not be suitable for soldering jewelry as they have a hard surface and will probably reflect too much heat. Aside from that, they will not allow you to stick prongs or soldering supports into them and may also be difficult in a situation where the flux sticks your work to the brick. Softer firebricks can also be shaped or cut to specific purposes. I'll look in at Ace, Thanks for watching!
By far the best video I have seen on making decorative steel stamps. Thanks a million for posting this very informative video. I never even thought of Metalliferous, whom I order from all the time. Awesome to know they carry tool steel. I admire these small sizes but if I were to make a stamp with, say, a 1 3/4" border using rectangular steel, is it hardened and tempered in the same manner? I have a Smith Little Torch oxy/propane but also the small torch you used to temper the smaller diameter metal. Terrific tutorial!!!
+Jennifer Stumpf 1 3/4" is a huge stamp. I would have a professional die making company produce and harden the stamp for me(from my artwork), you will also need a press to use it on metal. It will be very hard to get an even impression without a press, let alone the amount of pressure needed. Borders like that are usually made up of smaller stamps struck in sequence. The smaller stamps will prove more useful over time as you will be able to adjust /change the pattern to suit your needs for a variety of projects. Thanks for watching!
I see. I have been looking (and just purchased) some Navajo-made edge stamps that are this super large size-- couldn't find anywhere near that size to try it myself. Maybe starting small is the answer for now. Lol. Thanks for the reply. Appreciate it so much!
Thanks also for the Metalliferous tip. I went to several metal shops today and no one had a clue what I was talking about. Maybe they did and knew they just weren't going to make a haul out of helping out a small time silversmith. One other thing-- the tool steel on Metalliferous all says W1, essentially. I didn't see any that said oil and/or water. And if I were to use masonry nails from the hardware store and heated it up, left it to air cool, and then carved my design, I have seen on one tutorial that when it's heated the second time, it is only the carved tip that is heated, not moving it along the length of the nail. I understand that it is because the nail other than the tip was already tempered in manufacture, but my question is how hot to temper the tip? Heat it til it is a straw color, the entire tip, and then quench it in water? Hope that makes sense.
Hi Sage, Love the video and want to make my own stamps, where do you buy the steel to make the stamps? I am from the Netherlands and i have no idea for what kind of steel i have to ask for when i go to a company who sells metals.Do i have to ask for non hardened steel, is there anything else i could use from a hardware store maybe? Thanks in advance
You ask for tool steel; water hardening or oil hardening types are available here in NY. I buy mine at Mettalliferous on 46th street. You should be able to find suitable stock in the Netherlands too. Tool steel should be supplied in a workable state so that you can shape before it is hardened. My mentor has said 'You can chase with a nail ' which you can, the tool just won't last very long and may change as you work with it. Let me know what you find, good luck.
You can find, and use, all kinds of old, junky tools, such as old screwdrivers, chisels, nail-sets, punches, etc! Shop at "garage sales", thrift shops, or classified ads in local newspapers.
Thanks for posting this tutorial. I am a visual learner and have never felt confident to try hardening/tempering my own punches. Have you ever made pattern punches by etching with PnP resist and Ferric chloride? (I am wanting to make a maker's mark punch without paying $120 for the service.) If you have, did you anneal the steel first? Thanks for all your fantastic videos. I've learned bunches from you! :)
I haven't tried the PnP resist and ferric chloride, but if I did, I would certainly use annealed steel. About your maker's mark, I had one made for my work,I gave the guys black and white artwork. The stamp I got is perfect. It is also made so well and of an incredibly hard steel. You should make the investment, most of the tools we make are not as durable as the one they made for me and I doubt that, if there are any fine details in your mark, you will be successful in making a tool that will leave a clear impression time after time after time. Your makers mark is really your face on the piece and it should be as pristine as it can be.
After watching some salt water etching, I'm sure that the etching process will not be effective for tool making. ( it would be great for decorative etched textures and designs on finished goods. Have to try that on copper and silver.) A good tool should be a half to a mm deep. You might be able to get that with etching but I think that the etching may undercut the design and you will have a tool that will deteriorate or blur after a few hammer strikes. As for the SANDING, I made this video before I found out that if you lay the sand paper on the edge of a table and rub the steel on it, it comes clean very fast, I should probably make a new video with that method because in this one it is painfully long. Having the sand paper on the table is much more effective. Thanks for watching.
I have never seen one, you might have to look for Korean book binding tools or gold stamping fonts. If you need one you might look into stamp makers who make stamps from your art work/font, but that could get to be very expensive. The letters look quite complicated, to have a complete set will be a large endeavor, I made a set of brass hand tools and it took me a several months to make the Roman alphabet and set of numbers for stamping in leather on books. Good luck with your search and thank you for watching.
You can get tool steel at very good prices from onlinemetals.com they have a great selection of the different types, especially in the sizes needed for these types of tools.
Seriously no disrespect and I understand the satisfaction of hand tooling something with a file but they do make bench grinders they could do the same thing in a matter of seconds. Getting good with a bench grinder is an art in itself
This was made early on in my tool making, I know the sanding here is boring. Since then I now put the sand paper on the bench and rub the tool on it, it cleans up in almost no time that way. I probably should make an updated video but have no time right now. Thanks for watching and for the comment.
To pass on miss information in the form of an instructional video is a dis-service to those that want to gain the proper skills for any trade. I hope you take the fallowing as constructive criticism not destructive. I have no reason to put you down my only intend here is help you become a better trades person. I'm about to retire after 50 years work in mostly non-ferrous metals. Ninety percent of my work was in gold and silver. I made that choice early in life after realizing that people would gladly pay XX an hour for something made in a precious metal but quote them the same price for that same item in copper or brass and your ripping them off! It takes virtually the same labor for both. Here is a few errors that I noted in your production and would like to share with you. You called a bastard cut file a wood rasp to start. The only metals that a wood rasp will work on are those similar to lead. You kept stating that the shoulder needed to be square to the shank of your tools but they were clearly not that in the shot that I saw. You use a #2 cut file to clean up your striking surface, it was clear from the sound of that file that it was too dull to be a working file and perhaps would have been better used to make those tools. By using brand new Olive Oil to quench your item you have displayed a clear disdain for the environment, thusly pissing off a good portion of your viewers these days. If you clamp your working end closer to the vise you will have far better control of your end product, do a better job. On that note you took the time to run some 400G paper over your working surface but the rest of the tool was as it came from the mill. I suggest to you that if you truly have a passion for this trade you should consider that these tools you make should last you for close to your carrier. Why not take another five min. and make a tool that you can be proud off? A tool that is well made and taken care of says, to your clients that see you working, that you truly are a professional. On that taking care of note, when you were done with your file at one point you placed it down on top of a bunch of other file. That is one of the quickest ways to dullen up a file. The last thing i watched before I quit was you demonstrating that the new tool was hardened properly by trying to cut it with that #2 file. I wasn't actually watching at the time but my ear told there was something wrong, the file had a sound like it was dull, but when I looked closer you were stroking your new tool in the wrong direction. That sound and slipperiness will tell you any piece of steel is hard if you go in the wrong direction. I wish you all the best in your trade and hope you have as much fun with it as I did. Bill
Thank you for your comments. I have come late to this endeavor with metal. This video was made as I was learning and my methods since then have changed, but not that much. The methods are still effective. I bought the wood rasp as a 'rasp' and have used it on silver castings, copper and tool steel when I needed to remove a lot of metal from the piece, something that I know now that I should not do. I would work more in gold and silver if I had the clientele to support me in that material. You have had a different life and are fortunate to have a wealthy clientele. ( I do clamp my work higher when I don't have a camera and large files to consider.) Olive oil was introduced to me by a craftsman, like you, with a lifetime of experience, as an alternative to motor oil which I think does more harm to the environment. The oil I used has been in that jar for nearly ten years now, I can't imagine how that would piss off anyone. As for the testing for hardness, I ran the file correct direction first and dragged it back and forth lightly, I was not trying to cut it, only listen. Two tools were properly hardened and the third one had to be redone. The sides of the tools had already been sanded to the white metal before hardening, and there is no need to finish them further other than to keep them clean. Most chasing tools are made for a specific project or two and then the next image needs yet more tools to be made. This video is meant to bring people along as I learn, kind of a diary, it is more than three years old now. Many people have found it to be useful, I could probably make another video to update this one. Thank you for watching and your kind wishes. I hope you enjoy your retirement, I have retired from my career as a bookbinder and now that I am working with metal, I find I have almost no time anymore. Metal work requires so much more of me and I am enjoying it.
I have enjoyed watching Sage Reynolds instructive and informative videos. This is you tube dude and these vids are generously shared with us for free. Sending belittling comments like this in a private message would be advised. By the way, I found several grammatical and spelling errors in your critical comments. For example: "Dullen" as in "..dullen up a file" is not a word.
Vera Foley some people have to show off...I believe him when he said it was just constructive criticism. having been in upper level art classes it wasn't brutal by any means. I once had to take a beginning class was was obviously not a Newby so the instructor used my price to demonstrate constructive criticism and I had about 30 people come up to me and try to comfort me. I kept having to explain it wasn't a personal attack and the instructor kept telling them it was just opinions and suggestions to try to help the creative process...it really was a hoot and thr instructor knew I would help these guys learn. really it was like pitting a master against a kindergartens work....and thry were terrified they would commit suicide when their work was critiqued....they learned...and i really wish more people would learn this skill....it really helps your fellow artists and makes an artist grow. ...something most can't do...they are so self absorbed.. ..Tho i did find out the dishes i threw and made were all STOLEN BY THE DAMN PROFESSOR. ..I'VE HAD THAT PROBLEM MY WHOLE LIFE. RATHER THAN ASK ME TO MAKE THEM SOMETHING PERSONAL...and back thrn I would if done it for free.. PEOPLE STEAL MY STUFF. STILL HAPPENS ALL THE FRIGGIN TIME...THO TAUGHT ME THAT POSSESSIONS BOG U DOWN. I MAKE SOME PRETTY EXQUISITE JEWELRY AND NOW I DON'T WEAR ANY....LOL...GETS IN THE WAY..and for me the fun is creating and learning new techniques.....even if I never use them. as I'm old as the hills I've seen and done it all...except a few things...I really would love to find someone suing ancient paper pattern transfer techniques used in thr late 1700s. I've read ancient manuscripts on how they did it but thr all leave out important "trade" secrets....and often...or always.. included things designed to make imitators fail....alas...no one is alive who did it. another thing I would love to see is the production line of what is essentially large amounts of archiectural embossed cardboard done up till thr late 1800s...
This was an early video, I sand the metal much faster now as I put the paper on the table and rub the metal tool on it. I believed, then, that the work should be shown in real time, there was no effort to stretch the video. Often I feel that skipping through parts of the work leads to a misconception of the effort necessary to accomplish something. Thanks for watching, sorry to have put you to sleep.
thanks for your replay. I went through 9 of your videos with the cup and the bowl. I think they were unnecessarily long as well. I did learn a lot, watching your videos, though, and thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. I am sure there are a few who just love watching every stroke of a hammer or a file. I personally like to see 1 or 2 stoke and the rest at the speed of X 100. I appreciate it when I see a video in that fast pace mode.
Since I have made this video, I found another way to sand the sides of the tool before tempering the metal. PUT the sand paper on the table and rub the metal on the sides of the tool. You can do all four sides much faster that way. After reading this. you can probably skip through the long side-sanding section and get on to the tempering with the torch.Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much Sage for another great video showing your techniques! Very helpful.
Excellent video. Great for a newbie, mentioning all the points and what to look out for. You even illustrated a mistake at the end with the loss of hardening. Thank you very much.
Excellent video!! Just what i needed, thanks for sharing!
Very useful and comprehensive video, thank you.
thanks for watching.
Thanks Sage, as always a great tutorial. This is especially nice for the tempering process. You presented it in a very clear manner. Kudos dude!
Thanks for watching.
great tutorial video!! covers a lot of ground and tips. I'm a newbie and learning all I can. I appreciate the time and effort to make and share this video! Thank you.
Wow!!! Thank you so much. I learned a lot. I will be checking out more of your videos. There are extremely informative!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for this video, it's very descriptive & informative. I've been wanting to make some metal stamps, gravers & chasing tools. Now I can with confidence.
I buy my tool steel at Metalliferous in Manhattan. They sell it as 'water or oil hardening tool steel' It's the only tool steel I have ever used.
Thanks for watching.
Thanks, I have considered that but haven't found a metal sealing container yet. I don't do this that often and have been lucky so far. If I were making larger punches I would definitely use a metal bowl or something.
Thanks for watching.
Cool video, but I've got a few questions/comments.
What kind of tool steel do you purchase? You said that it can be quenched in either oil or water, but there are still a great many alloys that share those working characteristics. H13, 1095, and 4140 are all classified as "tool steel", but each has different properties based on the mixture of chemical elements.
As far as tempering goes, there is no need to shine all of the bar if you've only hardened the working end unless the stock came to you hard. Since you filed it earlier, it wasn't. Likewise, you don't need to heat the entire bar to draw the temper. Start an inch or two back from the hardened area and make light passes with the torch.
An alternative way to temper is to heat the steel in your oven or on the heating element of a stovetop range. Heating in the oven is nice because you can temper a multitude of pieces at once with more precise temperature control. Plus, the steel is tempered to the same hardness all the way through the hardened section, which means that you won't have to re-temper if the tool breaks at the tip. Tempering on the element is very similar to the torch, just place the tool on the element and watch the colors run, and gives a gradual temper rather than a consistent one.
Thank you for all the information. I am showing the way I was taught and the way it works for jewelers rather than Blacksmiths. I have a great deal of admiration for blacksmiths, knife makers and the work they do. I am aware that there are a great number of steel alloys, I have no idea what this one is, it is the steel sold at Metalliferous in NY. It hasn't been important for me to know what alloy since that's all that is immediately available and it works well for my purposes. I should, and will, ask but I suspect that the material on the shelves is subject to change from time to time as availability from the store's suppliers changes. I'd like to know a little more about the different properties of the tool steel(s) because I like the idea of a 'permanent' tool but as my goldsmith mentor says these tools are good for about 100 hours, a time that is difficult to reach when you are using a number of tools to make individual designs. These tools are a little like a painter's brush, you need so many to make different marks, that I find myself making more tools to reach, draw or texture each design. I'll try the tempering as you described. Thanks again for watching and your comments.
in reality good tool steel doesnt need any tempering ... hot rolled steel you need to go through the whole process ... cold rolled is a different story ....but if you dont know the carbon % and all that its basically try try again till u get it where u want ... and lets not forget (YOUR STAMPING SOME OF THE SOFTEST METALS THERE ARE! LOL) so dont stress it
Thank you so much! I appreciate your quick and educational response.
Thank you for the very informative video. I have read about this and have seen photos but witnessing it as it happens is way clear. I did notice that one had been over heated and that # 2 & # 4 were bang on and # 3 was over done. Thanks again.
Thanks for watching, I get better at this every time I do it, I'm sure you will make good tools.
***** I find it difficult to obtain tool steel so I am using pieces of broken truck leaf springs found on the roadway.
charles vereschagin
If you know anty local blacksmiths , it would be good to talk to them they know more about iron/steel than I can imagine. You can also order the tool steel that I use from Metalliferous on 46th street, NYC. They have a web site and will answer a telephone. Good luck.
No smiths around . No, I may be wrong. Just thought of a fellow that makes ornamental gates. He may know. If it does not work out I will definite try those folks in NYC. Thanks for the info.
*****
I use water/oil hardening tool steel. Purchased at Metalliferous in Manhattan.
Great informative video. You wonderfully explain things while doing it!
The tool steel was for oil and/or water hardening, I'm not sure of the physics/chemistry but I think that oil cools the metal more slowly than water allowing the metal to get harder. I used water for tempering because I had to stop the heat traveling down to the tip very fast to maintain the hardness at the tip.
Great work! You might consider using a metal container for the oil. I've had too many glass things shatter on me due to heat and slight taps from super hard metals & ceramics...
Great work. Very instructive.
Robert,
It depends on the thickness of your tool. Smaller tools could be hardened this way but larger stock, 3/16", 1/4" would be difficult to heat to the non magnetic state with a small kitchen torch. try and see...
Very nice video. thank you Sage!!
Thanks for watching!
I am wearing glasses. Thanks for watching.
Excellent video. I think it told me much of what I need to know to get started. I appreciate your additional comment with the type and source of steel -- that's important to know!
Thanks for watching, Have fun and make some nice stamps. I find that the small stamps are more useful and you can make interesting patterns and borders, simple shapes, lines or dotted lines or arches will be used all the time.
@@Ceropegia I'm excited. I ordered 8 steel rods from Metalliferous yesterday -- 4 square and 4 round, each in 4 different thicknesses. I've got a friend who can quickly and easily cut them into 3 or 4 inch lengths. How long do you cut them? Curious to know what length you prefer.
Great tutorial.
I buy most of my supplies from Metalliferous on 46th street in Manhattan. They have mail order and a website. It might be better to telephone them (Google the info) and order some tool steel if you can't find a local supplier. They sell it in 1 foot lengths. It might be worth looking into suppliers of metal to blacksmiths and ask them, because there are many kinds of steel/iron to choose from.
Good luck, thanks for watching and subscribing.
The large torch is an acetylene torch that mixes air with the acetylene in the torch handle.
Thanks for watching.
Great video. Quick question -- can you harden these using a kitchen torch, or is the larger torch a necessity?
Hi Sage !
Thanks for sharing your experience ! I've eard about tempering steal for jewelry tools, and I was wondering how to ...
So I'm glad to discover your vid.
Can you please tell me if this method is hard enough to chase copper jewels .
Thanks in advance from FRANCE ;)
These tools are for copper and silver. Please read the comment below. Baldwin knows more about the metals for tools than I do. I am showing how I was taught and it's the method I stick to for the metal available to me.
Thanks for watching!
Great video. Thanks
Merci beaucoup la démonstration est parfaite it is perfect thanks for sharing
Very informative, thanks! Was wondering how to get an exact 90 degree flat end to start with? I've watched other vids on making stamps, but they skip over that part. I tried to do it free hand and failed. I don't have access to a lathe. Thanks for any help.
If you are making a stamping tool and need it perfectly flat at 90 degrees you shuold get a hold of a JIG VISE MITER TUBE CUTTER FILING BLOCK JEWELERS TOOL, Sorry for the all caps, I copied the name from an item on eBay. That vise will let you saw and file a perfect end to your stock. The range in price from about $55 to $300, I got one on eBay and it works well, it will take a little time getting to use it effectively. (It also will dull your files a little).
Hope this helps, Another note: most tools are slightly rounded, totally flat decorative tools are very hard to strike and will often make incomplete impressions.
This is one of the best educational videos on the TH-cam. I certainly learned a lot from you on this video. I also subscribed to learn more from you. I have one question rolling in my head What store sells this metal? I am in Minnesota, US. Thank you very much.
Thanks for watching!
Fire Bricks are very expensive on-line, however, Ace Hardware has Fire Bricks, the ones used inside a fireplace, at 6 for under $20, but they are not that white color. Can these be used, if so, do they need any additional treatment so they can be used for soldering?
Would love your help on this.
+Gloria Borrero The fire bricks I use are from Metalliferous and cost around $12, they are fairly light weight and are like the soft, friable bricks found inside a kiln. I haven't seen the bricks at Ace, I will look but I suspect that those are ceramic and architectural strength. If that is the case, they would not be suitable for soldering jewelry as they have a hard surface and will probably reflect too much heat. Aside from that, they will not allow you to stick prongs or soldering supports into them and may also be difficult in a situation where the flux sticks your work to the brick. Softer firebricks can also be shaped or cut to specific purposes.
I'll look in at Ace, Thanks for watching!
Great video.. What kind of torch/gas did you use to harden the metal?
Good demo
Could you tell / how you make the different patterns in punches for stamping? (in another video maybe?)
By far the best video I have seen on making decorative steel stamps. Thanks a million for posting this very informative video. I never even thought of Metalliferous, whom I order from all the time. Awesome to know they carry tool steel. I admire these small sizes but if I were to make a stamp with, say, a 1 3/4" border using rectangular steel, is it hardened and tempered in the same manner? I have a Smith Little Torch oxy/propane but also the small torch you used to temper the smaller diameter metal. Terrific tutorial!!!
+Jennifer Stumpf 1 3/4" is a huge stamp. I would have a professional die making company produce and harden the stamp for me(from my artwork), you will also need a press to use it on metal. It will be very hard to get an even impression without a press, let alone the amount of pressure needed. Borders like that are usually made up of smaller stamps struck in sequence. The smaller stamps will prove more useful over time as you will be able to adjust /change the pattern to suit your needs for a variety of projects. Thanks for watching!
I see. I have been looking (and just purchased) some Navajo-made edge stamps that are this super large size-- couldn't find anywhere near that size to try it myself. Maybe starting small is the answer for now. Lol. Thanks for the reply. Appreciate it so much!
Thanks also for the Metalliferous tip. I went to several metal shops today and no one had a clue what I was talking about. Maybe they did and knew they just weren't going to make a haul out of helping out a small time silversmith. One other thing-- the tool steel on Metalliferous all says W1, essentially. I didn't see any that said oil and/or water. And if I were to use masonry nails from the hardware store and heated it up, left it to air cool, and then carved my design, I have seen on one tutorial that when it's heated the second time, it is only the carved tip that is heated, not moving it along the length of the nail. I understand that it is because the nail other than the tip was already tempered in manufacture, but my question is how hot to temper the tip? Heat it til it is a straw color, the entire tip, and then quench it in water? Hope that makes sense.
I'm guessing because the oil has a high boiling point than water, so it stays cooler as the hot tools are dropped into the container.
thanks for your video...
Hi Sage,
Love the video and want to make my own stamps, where do you buy the steel to make the stamps? I am from the Netherlands and i have no idea for what kind of steel i have to ask for when i go to a company who sells metals.Do i have to ask for non hardened steel, is there anything else i could use from a hardware store maybe? Thanks in advance
You ask for tool steel; water hardening or oil hardening types are available here in NY. I buy mine at Mettalliferous on 46th street. You should be able to find suitable stock in the Netherlands too. Tool steel should be supplied in a workable state so that you can shape before it is hardened. My mentor has said 'You can chase with a nail ' which you can, the tool just won't last very long and may change as you work with it.
Let me know what you find, good luck.
You can find, and use, all kinds of old, junky tools, such as old screwdrivers, chisels, nail-sets, punches, etc! Shop at "garage sales", thrift shops, or classified ads in local newspapers.
Great vid.
Can you pickle the steel instead of sanding it?
Thanks for posting this tutorial. I am a visual learner and have never felt confident to try hardening/tempering my own punches.
Have you ever made pattern punches by etching with PnP resist and Ferric chloride? (I am wanting to make a maker's mark punch without paying $120 for the service.) If you have, did you anneal the steel first? Thanks for all your fantastic videos. I've learned bunches from you! :)
I haven't tried the PnP resist and ferric chloride, but if I did, I would certainly use annealed steel.
About your maker's mark, I had one made for my work,I gave the guys black and white artwork. The stamp I got is perfect. It is also made so well and of an incredibly hard steel. You should make the investment, most of the tools we make are not as durable as the one they made for me and I doubt that, if there are any fine details in your mark, you will be successful in making a tool that will leave a clear impression time after time after time. Your makers mark is really your face on the piece and it should be as pristine as it can be.
Thank you!
what steel do you use? Great vid
Why do you use oil instead of water?
are you wearing protective glasses?
what is use for hardening? water?
Would saltwater etching etch deep enough to make a usable pattern?
After watching some salt water etching, I'm sure that the etching process will not be effective for tool making. ( it would be great for decorative etched textures and designs on finished goods. Have to try that on copper and silver.) A good tool should be a half to a mm deep. You might be able to get that with etching but I think that the etching may undercut the design and you will have a tool that will deteriorate or blur after a few hammer strikes.
As for the SANDING, I made this video before I found out that if you lay the sand paper on the edge of a table and rub the steel on it, it comes clean very fast, I should probably make a new video with that method because in this one it is painfully long. Having the sand paper on the table is much more effective. Thanks for watching.
Do you know if there is such a punch for the Hangul alphabet?
I have never seen one, you might have to look for Korean book binding tools or gold stamping fonts. If you need one you might look into stamp makers who make stamps from your art work/font, but that could get to be very expensive. The letters look quite complicated, to have a complete set will be a large endeavor, I made a set of brass hand tools and it took me a several months to make the Roman alphabet and set of numbers for stamping in leather on books. Good luck with your search and thank you for watching.
@@Ceropegia Thank you for responding 💕
what kind of oil was used? I didn't understand.
Olive oil. It's more environmentally friendly than the typical motor oil. Thanks for watching!
You can get tool steel at very good prices from onlinemetals.com they have a great selection of the different types, especially in the sizes needed for these types of tools.
Thank you!
Seriously no disrespect and I understand the satisfaction of hand tooling something with a file but they do make bench grinders they could do the same thing in a matter of seconds. Getting good with a bench grinder is an art in itself
This was made early on in my tool making, I know the sanding here is boring. Since then I now put the sand paper on the bench and rub the tool on it, it cleans up in almost no time that way. I probably should make an updated video but have no time right now. Thanks for watching and for the comment.
To pass on miss information in the form of an instructional video is a dis-service to those that want to gain the proper skills for any trade. I hope you take the fallowing as constructive criticism not destructive. I have no reason to put you down my only intend here is help you become a better trades person. I'm about to retire after 50 years work in mostly non-ferrous metals. Ninety percent of my work was in gold and silver. I made that choice early in life after realizing that people would gladly pay XX an hour for something made in a precious metal but quote them the same price for that same item in copper or brass and your ripping them off! It takes virtually the same labor for both.
Here is a few errors that I noted in your production and would like to share with you. You called a bastard cut file a wood rasp to start. The only metals that a wood rasp will work on are those similar to lead. You kept stating that the shoulder needed to be square to the shank of your tools but they were clearly not that in the shot that I saw. You use a #2 cut file to clean up your striking surface, it was clear from the sound of that file that it was too dull to be a working file and perhaps would have been better used to make those tools. By using brand new Olive Oil to quench your item you have displayed a clear disdain for the environment, thusly pissing off a good portion of your viewers these days. If you clamp your working end closer to the vise you will have far better control of your end product, do a better job. On that note you took the time to run some 400G paper over your working surface but the rest of the tool was as it came from the mill. I suggest to you that if you truly have a passion for this trade you should consider that these tools you make should last you for close to your carrier. Why not take another five min. and make a tool that you can be proud off? A tool that is well made and taken care of says, to your clients that see you working, that you truly are a professional. On that taking care of note, when you were done with your file at one point you placed it down on top of a bunch of other file. That is one of the quickest ways to dullen up a file.
The last thing i watched before I quit was you demonstrating that the new tool was hardened properly by trying to cut it with that #2 file. I wasn't actually watching at the time but my ear told there was something wrong, the file had a sound like it was dull, but when I looked closer you were stroking your new tool in the wrong direction. That sound and slipperiness will tell you any piece of steel is hard if you go in the wrong direction. I wish you all the best in your trade and hope you have as much fun with it as I did. Bill
Thank you for your comments. I have come late to this endeavor with metal. This video was made as I was learning and my methods since then have changed, but not that much. The methods are still effective. I bought the wood rasp as a 'rasp' and have used it on silver castings, copper and tool steel when I needed to remove a lot of metal from the piece, something that I know now that I should not do. I would work more in gold and silver if I had the clientele to support me in that material. You have had a different life and are fortunate to have a wealthy clientele. ( I do clamp my work higher when I don't have a camera and large files to consider.) Olive oil was introduced to me by a craftsman, like you, with a lifetime of experience, as an alternative to motor oil which I think does more harm to the environment. The oil I used has been in that jar for nearly ten years now, I can't imagine how that would piss off anyone. As for the testing for hardness, I ran the file correct direction first and dragged it back and forth lightly, I was not trying to cut it, only listen. Two tools were properly hardened and the third one had to be redone. The sides of the tools had already been sanded to the white metal before hardening, and there is no need to finish them further other than to keep them clean. Most chasing tools are made for a specific project or two and then the next image needs yet more tools to be made.
This video is meant to bring people along as I learn, kind of a diary, it is more than three years old now. Many people have found it to be useful, I could probably make another video to update this one.
Thank you for watching and your kind wishes. I hope you enjoy your retirement, I have retired from my career as a bookbinder and now that I am working with metal, I find I have almost no time anymore. Metal work requires so much more of me and I am enjoying it.
I have enjoyed watching Sage Reynolds instructive and informative videos. This is you tube dude and these vids are generously shared with us for free. Sending belittling comments like this in a private message would be advised. By the way, I found several grammatical and spelling errors in your critical comments. For example: "Dullen" as in "..dullen up a file" is not a word.
Vera Foley some people have to show off...I believe him when he said it was just constructive criticism. having been in upper level art classes it wasn't brutal by any means. I once had to take a beginning class was was obviously not a Newby so the instructor used my price to demonstrate constructive criticism and I had about 30 people come up to me and try to comfort me. I kept having to explain it wasn't a personal attack and the instructor kept telling them it was just opinions and suggestions to try to help the creative process...it really was a hoot and thr instructor knew I would help these guys learn. really it was like pitting a master against a kindergartens work....and thry were terrified they would commit suicide when their work was critiqued....they learned...and i really wish more people would learn this skill....it really helps your fellow artists and makes an artist grow. ...something most can't do...they are so self absorbed.. ..Tho i did find out the dishes i threw and made were all STOLEN BY THE DAMN PROFESSOR. ..I'VE HAD THAT PROBLEM MY WHOLE LIFE. RATHER THAN ASK ME TO MAKE THEM SOMETHING PERSONAL...and back thrn I would if done it for free.. PEOPLE STEAL MY STUFF. STILL HAPPENS ALL THE FRIGGIN TIME...THO TAUGHT ME THAT POSSESSIONS BOG U DOWN. I MAKE SOME PRETTY EXQUISITE JEWELRY AND NOW I DON'T WEAR ANY....LOL...GETS IN THE WAY..and for me the fun is creating and learning new techniques.....even if I never use them. as I'm old as the hills I've seen and done it all...except a few things...I really would love to find someone suing ancient paper pattern transfer techniques used in thr late 1700s. I've read ancient manuscripts on how they did it but thr all leave out important "trade" secrets....and often...or always.. included things designed to make imitators fail....alas...no one is alive who did it. another thing I would love to see is the production line of what is essentially large amounts of archiectural embossed cardboard done up till thr late 1800s...
We do not need to see every stroke of the sandpaper. Goes on forever.
why do you stretch the videos for no reason. you should only dedicate 5 sec to filling. you put me to sleep.
This was an early video, I sand the metal much faster now as I put the paper on the table and rub the metal tool on it. I believed, then, that the work should be shown in real time, there was no effort to stretch the video. Often I feel that skipping through parts of the work leads to a misconception of the effort necessary to accomplish something.
Thanks for watching, sorry to have put you to sleep.
thanks for your replay. I went through 9 of your videos with the cup and the bowl. I think they were unnecessarily long as well. I did learn a lot, watching your videos, though, and thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. I am sure there are a few who just love watching every stroke of a hammer or a file. I personally like to see 1 or 2 stoke and the rest at the speed of X 100. I appreciate it when I see a video in that fast pace mode.