rockstar.esq Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 I'm considering making my first touch mark however I have absolutely no engraving experience. As I understand the process you cut the impression /depression you want into a block of steel then you pound a hot bar into the engraving to make a stamp. I was wondering if there are any other ways to do this. I'm curious if I could accomplish this with a lost wax casting since I'm fairly confident that I could make it look right in wax. Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurlyGeorge Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 What is the wax going to do when you touch it with a hot piece of metal to copy the mark? :/ I don't understand how that could work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBower Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Unless you have the capacity to do lost-wax casting in steel, I don't think your casting is going to end up hard enough to use as a stamp, or even as a die for forming a stamp. You can carve simple designs directly on the end of a stamp blank (e.g., annealed spring steel or the like) with files, a rotary tool, etc. You could also look into electro-etching. It has a lot of advantages, though it's probably more suitable for finely finished pieces like blades than for general blacksmithing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
781 Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 If you are only using letters you can get backwards stamps from MSC ect and stamp the annealed steel then grind a profile in the stamp that leaves a depression you like in the hot work with raided initials Robb Gunter uses an alen wrench and a cap screw head welded in a plate to index the stamp. He heats only the end of an allen wrench pounds it into the relief 3 quick times. Takes it apart and grinds the allen so it fits through the hole, bolts everything back together and reheats the end of the allen. It takes 3 or 4 times to get the depression deep enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 EDM would work a treat and only be a couple of times more expensive than getting one made by a pro... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcraigl Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 I've been thinking about having the waterjet shop cut something for me into a large planer blade I've got and using it as the negative. Wouldn't work for many shapes, but I think it will work fine for what I've got in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip in china Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 To make a touchmark that is anything other than a very crude symbol- a cross or a rough star would be a job for an absolute expert with a lot of tooling. It would take a huge amount of time as well. There are plenty of experts out there who make such things. I got mine from Ironworks forged iron steel custom blacksmith blacksmithing supplies It is very good and was not expensive. My friend Sean also got one from there and he seems happy with his. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar.esq Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 Curly George, I was thinking of lost wax casting a metal form to which I'd pound a bar of steel to form the touchmark. Mattbower, that's what I was afraid of. I don't think I can cast anything but aluminum or lead but then again I've never tried. I was thinking it may be possible to case harden the mold if it I could cast in mild steel. It would seem that a case hardened base would hold up long enough to allow a high carbon touch mark to take the impression but I've never tried it. 781, I'm thinking of a shield with my initials overlaid. Although pre-made type sets would definitely work, I was hoping for a more custom looking lettering. If possible I'm hoping that the shield would end up curving outward with my initials slightly proud of the surface. Phillip, those folks look like they're doing an amazing job! Still I'm sort of bitten by the bug to do this myself. Now that I've seen truly awesome work, I'll have to try especially hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 (edited) i recently made my first touchmarks (got busy and havent completed though), just my initials, MC. one was a simple MC, the other was an artistic MC. Was pretty fun and not as hard as i was expecting, came out very nicely... filed it freehand right into a block of tool steel... what I used was an assortment of very small files, D shape, triangle shape, round, etc. Drew what I wanted in fine tip sharpie right on the steel (considering the entire time how to approach with the file, and that ended up dictating a lot of what I drew), then carefully went to work. It was a lot easier than I expected, and with more practice I think it would get easier and easier. Felt like a big mark of pride to be making my own touchmark. Edited October 23, 2009 by MarkC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar.esq Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 MarkC, I can see why you'd be proud to make your own touch mark. Thanks for the encouragement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downsfish Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 I'm working on one also, and at first I thought it would be very difficult. I started looking at it as smaller individual shapes instead of the whole and it made it very doable. My first try doesn't look good enough to use but I think the next one will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBower Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 OK, I apologize: I should be more careful about joking with new guys. Cast steel of any sort, mild or otherwise, is not a realistic option here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 "Even a blind squirrrel finds a nut once in a while"? BUT, does he find them often enough to avoid starving to death? Just wondering.:p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 EDM would work a treat and only be a couple of times more expensive than getting one made by a pro... EDM IS the way the "pros" do it. I should know, I make lots of touchmarks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 Okay, let's simplify this. The old touchmarks did not have letters or a design that cut into the metal, but were raised out of it. That makes it easier for you. Make a punch. Punch small chisels into the end while hot to make your design and then cut/grind the outside shape to what you want. Then heat treat. Attached is the results of that type of touchmark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 While I can make far more "accurate" touchmarks (CAD,CNC, EDM) I really like yours and would encourage anyone to do the same. Good job Randy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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