A while back the touch mark that I had mad crumbled. Pretty sure that 1 I heat treated incorrectly and 2 I shouldn't have bothered heat treating at all.This is what I had and what I need to recreate. The first one was a two part mark because I could get a file into the trouble area reliably. My question is does anyone think that I might have better luck trying to cut it with a hot chisel and or has anyone ever hot chiseled their touch mark? Should I attempt it? I know that it would probably be more difficult, possibly be more tedious with the reheating and putting in the vise and redused work window, or probably be risking more burns on my hands. I know it would mean making another tool but I can already see a use for the chisel in the future. I would appreciate advise from someone who have tried something similar and either has a " it works your on the right track" or " your an idiot, do not try that you will be wasting your time and you will hurt yourself". 

Thanks in advance, Pancho

try this 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoPCP7AtP94&feature=player_embedded

That looks to easy to actually work...hum...going to have to try it.

Most of it is easy it's just that one angle that I had trouble doing

6 hours ago, wpearson said:

try this 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoPCP7AtP94&feature=player_embedded

I had thought about that and forgotten to actually try I think that will probably work the best. Thank you for the idea and reminder 

You probably will want to heat treat your touch mark, especially if you will be signing work pieces at a lower temperature, which is what I typically do. My guess on why it crumbled is because you over heated it. How hot was it when you hardened it?

                                                                                                      Littleblacksmith

I can't remember now, it was when I first started out and didn't write anything down. 

I thought that if I ever made a touchmark I might just try to get a cheap Harbor freight letter and number stamp set,  and grind the sides down on two of them so it places the letters closer together, and stagger them so they are offset from each other slightly. I would then tack weld them together I guess. Maybe I would just use my initials or something. Maybe it might be something to try if the other thing doesn't work out. Or maybe this is just a stupid idea, I don't know but I might try it. Seems simple.

 

Something like this only it wouldn't be cursive letters most likely.

 

 

 

 

Or this maybe

This of course is the cheap letter stamp set I was referring to

 

 

That video looks a very smart and simple way to make a touch mark! You could even get very artistic with a dremel tool or similar and make a very complex design doing it that way.

Just goes to show, do it smart, and do it simple! You could even keep the "mould" so that if you lost the one you made, wore it out etc, 2 minute job to replace it.