More prototyping toys: Schtomps

[tugrik]

So I think I've got the six different jar designs I want to etch based on friends' ideas. For those of you coming to FC I can give them to you there. I'll drop email to folks in the next week to let them know and find out shipping addresses if they're not attending.

Next up in the 'you benefit from my experimentation' department: custom rubber stamps!

I'm currently teaching the laser how to do proper, high-detail, long-lasting rubber stamps. It's a bit of a challenge as you have to have the right materials and do a good bit of design tweaking to make fine details show up without crumbling during use. So far the experiments go well.

I've ordered a 20-piece bag of these:



They're 3/4" round (about 19mm diameter) and made of plastic. The cap is a little ink pad. Once the die is carved out of polymer-rubber on the laser it gets glued to the holder and becomes a cute little stamp. (UPDATED) Here's a pic of a few that I've thrown together so far:



(Update #2:) Thanks to Astolpho and his lovely wife who dropped by the shop and left me with a few test ink-pads, I'm finally getting to see the results!



Even at tiny sizes I've been able to get some pretty good detail. The actual stamp-bodies aren't in yet (they don't arrive until the first week of the new year) so I can't test impressions yet. I suspect I have a good bit of tweaking yet to do.

My costs on these are pretty low, materials-wise. Once I get some practice with the art-modifications to make the dies, the labor cost should be pretty low too. My hope would be to sell these to artists for them to either use on their materials for sale (like a signature- or studio-stamp) or to be sold directly to their customers as a nifty toy.

So, any of my artist friends want to submit some designs? I'll make a handful of these for free just for the practice and give 'em to you at FC. Also, if you want custom stamps bigger than these .75" dies, no problem; I can make them up to index-card sized if you need, mounted on wood or acrylic blocks. Just drop me an email with your ideas.

Comments

[graveyardgreg.livejournal.com]

Very nice.

[ladyperegrine.livejournal.com]

Oh, my. Love, love, love that fox stamp. So sweet. :-)

[diadexxus.livejournal.com]

OMG those are cute! :D

-J

[gab.livejournal.com]

Oh man that's so cool! I would love to try something, though I'm not sure how the process works exactly. I also won't be at FC ;____; sob.

Man you do cool things. :D

[tugrik.livejournal.com]

I can mail stuff. :)

Just make sure the art is sharp, true b/w line art (no grays or halftoning). Make the image appear as it would when stamped on the paper; I handle the reversing and shelf-building parts for the actual die design.

Be sure you realize how small .75" when it comes to fine details. The fox and coon samples there are good for detail-levels. Text can be finer, but not a lot finer, as the little logo I did for myself shows.

[gab.livejournal.com]

Okay fab! I did a little bit of stamp carving back in jr high, but that was forever ago. I will attempt to recall these skills and work on something today! Thanks. :D

[ladyperegrine.livejournal.com]

Please keep us posted if the artists are selling them directly to customers as opposed to keeping them for personal use? Thx.

[astolpho.livejournal.com]

Regarding those two designs specifically, I made them with the intention of having merch to sell at FC, so yeah. :D

[ladyperegrine.livejournal.com]

How much were you thinking of charging, and would you sell them online? I won't be at FC...wait a minute, I have friends that will be. Nm; I'll check with them first. :-) Awesomely cute stamps!! (It'd still help to know what you're charging, now that I think of it.)

[astolpho.livejournal.com]

Oh those are rad! :D

[tugrik.livejournal.com]

If you're coming by the shop today, could you please stop at an office depot or something and get a really basic ink stamp pad? :) I'll flow you some cash when you show up. Then we can test these.

Hrrm. Doublesided stickytape would rock too...

[phar.livejournal.com]

Ooh, want!

[tugrik.livejournal.com]

Make zeebystamps! Send me designs! :)

[jamesb]

Have you got the normal or "non-odor" rubber for your stamps? I saw some stunning detail in some demo stamps at the Canadian distributor's offices.

[tugrik.livejournal.com]

more 'low order' than 'non-odor', but yes -- it's many times nicer to work with than actual rubber. But wow, does it make a mess.

The detail is better than I thought it would be, hai!

[pen-umbra.livejournal.com]

OH COOL. Do want! Maybe I can noodle something up for a signature stamp.

[digitalis.livejournal.com]

Those look super nifty!

[jillfennec.livejournal.com]

super cool!!

i owe you an email anyways, so let me see what i've got ...

[likeshine.livejournal.com]

these are so cool :D

[klandagi.livejournal.com]

TOTALLY interested in getting a stamp made, just gotta' pick which design to use. SO COOL <3

[abirritate.livejournal.com]

Yes. Yes, I want these. I will send you some designs. <3. Yes.

[tugrik.livejournal.com]

I just updated the post with some sample output. :)

[zrath.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, those are cool!
I want one and I know which design to use. :)
Check your Mac mail. :)

[theassassinnox.livejournal.com]

Very cool! I'd love to have a small one with my design. *nods* I can send you a file if you like. What format do you like?

So cool!!!

[tugrik.livejournal.com]

If it's bitmap, about anything will do. If it's vector, .svg, .pdf, .cdw or .ai. :)

[theassassinnox.livejournal.com]

As I'm not sure what bitmap or vector is, what would you like? *blushes* I made it as a jpg in Photoshop.

[tugrik.livejournal.com]

Perfect! :) tugrik@gmail.com

[jenwolf.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I'd love a custom stamp of my business logo. I tried hand carving a stamp for myself once, at about that size, but it didn't turn out that great. Let me know what format you need the image, and I'll send it out to you. I won't be at FC to pick it up, though.

jenwolfstudio at gmail dot com

[tugrik.livejournal.com]

about any bitmap format will work, but if it's vector, .svg, .pdf, .cdw or .ai are the preferred ones!

[jenwolf.livejournal.com]

JPEG sent! Thanks!

[synchra.livejournal.com]

Dude, those are so cute!! I love 'em!!! X3 I just wouldn't know what to put on one!

[tikaani.livejournal.com]

Where's the one that makes nickles? :D

[midwestcougar.livejournal.com]

I'd love to have one made. I just don't know what I would make a design of. :)

[tabbiewolf.livejournal.com]

When're you gonna be able to make stamps for wax seals? That'd be pretty awesome...

Shot a design your way. Hopefully it's not too complicated, but even if it is...hey, practice!

[tugrik.livejournal.com]

I'd have to see what it takes to make wax seals; I know nothing about them! But those page-embossers? Those are delrin. THOSE I can make. :)

[albus-draconis.livejournal.com]

Oooh? Delrin? Izzat the same "delrin" as in "delrin rod"? *has been trying to find someone who sells the stuff in rod form- needs it for fursuit tails, wings and such*

These wee stamps are adorable. I can throw some arts your way for one of these. Indeed I can! I'll be at FC, too- heck, who cares if I even get a stamp, I'd still love to meet you. :)

Dang, mister, yer gonna do well, selling these kinds of things. >^__^

[albus-draconis.livejournal.com]

Sent one piece of art to ya! Hope it isn't too detailed... I have trouble with that... *chuckles*

In any case, I'd so buy some of these things from you, if you should ever choose to offer them.

black-ink footed ferret

[mejeep.livejournal.com]

MEEP-YAY for the stamper concept! Ever since Stampa-Barbera and the stamper specialty stores went out of business, I've felt a void for furry stampers. Some furry artists did stamper designs long ago (I found them by accident at a balloon festival). I look forward to them at any size!

If you offer just the plates, folks like me can put them onto wood blocks or even retrofit them into self inking stampers.

Re: black-ink footed ferret

[tugrik.livejournal.com]

Oh, sure, I'd gladly sell just the dies! I can cut them to any size/shape you want up to a full 8.5x11 page even. :) All I'd need is your design. Tell me what approx sizes you're looking at and I'll start trying to figure out pricing on it...