Imprinting on glass

[Bobby]

Brass Shim Stamps

The brass shim that I use is .229mm in thickness. It is thin enough to cut and bend and makes a very nice stamp for glass. You can find brass stock in most train/airplane hobby shops. They will have tubing, sheets and rods. I cut the brass with Fiskers and file the edges clean with a little sand paper.

I used a rod for the head on the butterfly, the rest is cut shim stock.
I start with a one inch strip and cut the pieces from that. 1/2 inch to embed into the Femo and 1/2 inch sticking out. I try my pattern out on a scrap piece of Femo and tweek it from there. When you push glass in at one place it is going to change in another place. Keep that in mind when making a pattern. You can tweek a finished stamp a little but not enough to loosen the brass from the Femo.

The Femo for the base hasn't burned yet from the hot glass. It doesn't stay that long or get that close to the real heat. I lay the glass on my marver and press into it with the stamp. I have made over 50 stamped beads from one of the stamps and so far it doesn't show any wear and tear. The brass soaks up a lot of the heat and the Femo has never gotten hot to the touch. So far it hasn't stuck to the glass and lets go real easy.

I know that everybody works different and I can only speak for myself as to the workings of the stamps that I make. Stamping in glass is not new but the making of your very own stamp is rewarding ! ! !

I roll out a cylinder of Femo 1 and 1/2inches tall and tape a piece of card stock thickness to the outside.......this helps when you push the brass into the Femo to keep it from pushing out of shape. Pound the Femo top and bottom with something flat to firm it up and make it compact. You need to keep it contained and solid while you add other pieces to the cylinder.

When you get all the pieces added that you want, you need to push in and around the brass to secure it and keep everything tight to the brass so it doesn't move. I then take the completed stamp and turn it brass down and push very carefully on all the brass pieces so they become even and level. Check everything before cutting the card stock away.

Remember to not push the brass in all the way......I have left 1/2 inch on the ones that I make.

Then you can cut the card stock away and trim close to the stamp if you want. I like trimming close because it helps me position the stamp on the hot glass easier. Remember to keep enough border around your stamp to keep the brass secure in the Femo.

I bake mine at 275* for almost an hour.....sometimes a little more..... I haven't burnt one up yet and it is thick enough that it needs good heat clear through.


First picture is of a card stock wrapped Femo that has not been completed.

47224

Next 3 pictures are different views of a finished stamp.

47227
47226
47225

A picture of the box top of the brass shim that I found in a cool little hardware store.

47228

The finished butterfly from the stamp. Needs a little more tweeking. Thanks Liz R.....Heather and Laura for your feed back on the butterfly.

47232
47233

A picture of my signature stamp on one of my clowns.

47229

Last but not least some hearts.

47230

47231

I have had a lot of fun making these stamps and have used them for some time. They have been road tested and I hope you have as much fun working with them. The designs and applications could be endless ! ! ! Also there is a little tweeking to be done even on this butterfly ! ! ! Sometimes they can't come out of the kiln fast enough to make changes. There is a lot of tweeking from the brass to the glass.............don't cha just love it ! ! !

Bobby

www.whitehotglassworks.com

[kimberly]

Bobby!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!! I have been searching fopr a way to make a stamp for a signature. This is perfect! You truly are the wonderwoman of tools!!!

[Tink]

Way and totally cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Parrotise]

I do just love it! And I agree with Kimberly...I think I love you too! Thank you for sharing this! My son has been after me to make him a bead with a celtic design, but my stringer control sucks! I'm off to the hobby store!

BTW, I love the butterfly!

Vicki

[Bobby]

Kimberly.....Thanks ! I think sometimes I have more fun making the tool then anything else. Norman still watches me closely so I won't take things from the house and his tool box.

Tink............wow. I just know you can take this farther since you have a love for tools also.

Vicki..........The hobby shops are my best place for gadgets. Have fun with this one.

Post pictures ! ! !

Bobby

[DreamMuse]

What a great idea!!! I love this! I can't wait to make some. Thank you so much for sharing!

[Rose Leslie]

WOW is all I can say. I would love to do this also. So neat. You have such tallent with the tools and glass. Way to go.

[Firebug]

Wow! How cool is this? I would have never thought of doing this in a hundred years! Thanks so much for sharing! Especially the box lid - now I know exactly what I need to buy! And I think I've got some old packages of Fimo I can use too!

Cheers
Kathy

[Lara]

Oh, I have been thinking about brass stamps on and off and NEVER would have though of the Fimo. Thank you. I too think I'm in love with you. Kim and I will have to fight it out.

[Megan]

So darn cool.. So many possibilities. Such an easy way to make a signature stamp..

[Heather/Ericaceae]

Wow, Bobby! Thanks for the pictures! I was imaging it completely differently before I saw them. What a clever idea, and the result is excellent. I really like how the butterflies turned out on those dark transparents! Thanks so much for explaining your process! Cheers - Heather

[Holly]

Sweet!

H

[Anne Ricketts]

Thanks Bobby! Glad to see ya back too!! Are you going to go back on Ebay? I really love your clowns!!

[justK]

Those stamps are way cool! Long ago I made some beads using a brass stamp made for sealing wax, kind of fun...

Another use for this sheet brass is to replace your exacto blade with it. You can cut the tip to any shape you like, and it won't discolor rubino and other sensitive colors. If it gets bent you can either hammer it or just cut a new one, the stuff is so cheap.

Love the signature stamps!
Kim

[mary1_$]

Thanks much for sharing this will sure come in handy. Mary M

[barb]

Very neat indeed! Thank you. Barb

[Firelilly]

...Just finding this now. Fabulous! =D> Thank you so much for sharing it!

Lil

[beachbeads]

Great tut again Bobbi!! Nice to see you back, Sheila

[Bobby]

Thanks everyone for the comments and checking out the tutorial. Lets see some pictures...............

Keep thinking that I need to get back to e-bay but just haven't put in the time yet.

Norman is on contract in Salem, Or. and since we are kinda on hold, I'm trying out things that I have always wanted to do more of. Pottery....handbuilding and the wheel.......cold connections and silversmithing. Let me tell you I am finding the soldering curve a big one. I will get
it yet ! ! !

One of my most favorite loves is the making of tools and jigs to make a job fun. I sometimes spend more hours on the tool than the making of the piece.

So enjoy and post pictures of your stamps.......

Bobby

www.whitehotglassworks.com

[Ro]

brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i just made some tools for impressing too. i used sanding bits set in leftover helicopter bearings and inserted them into wooden handles so it rolls easily on the glass for making human hair and lizzard skin. the original idea was from a tool i saw steve selchow use at agi. thanks steve! this idea of stamps is wonderful thanks so much for sharing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ro

[Robin Green Eye]

Oh now this is brilliant! I will SO be doing this, thank you!

[Feldt's Glass]

Thanks

[Sharon Abood]

The brass tubing works for simple shapes too.

[Bobby]

Ro..........It took me a little while to wrap my mind
around a picture of the tool you made.
Clever idea ! ! !
I checked out the helicopter bearings....what a great idea.
That one would have come in handy when I was trying
to put designs around terra cotta pots.

Thanks again each and everyone of you for the
feedback and checking out the tutorials.
What would we do without them.

Bobby

[Kalera]

Utterly ingenious! Thanks for sharing your brilliant idea!

[FourTailsLampwork]

That is brilliant!! However, a quick question: WHAT is Fimo / Femo and where does one get it??? Any tips for using it?

[Anne Ricketts]

Fimo is polymer clay that you can get at Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Fun to work with!

[!ngridh]

THis is Wonderful!!!!!!!!! thank you very very very much~

[Emily]

Fimo is polymer clay that you can get at Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Fun to work with!

I wouldn't think that you'd need to get Fimo brand for this, and actually I'd recommend against it. Fimo tends to be really stiff unless you work it a lot to condition it and soften it up. (Or run it through a food processor, or sit on it, or carry it around in your bra for a while, or all of the above -- nope, I'm not kidding.) For some uses, that stiffness is good, but it wouldn't be necessary for this. The other brands are all much more user-friendly for this purpose. (I haven't done much with polymer since I got seduced by glass, and I know there has been at least one new brand since my polymer days, so if anyone knows a reason that this statement is wrong, please jump in and correct me.)

[msritaa]

Thanks for this tute! Now I know what to do with those left-over thingamabobs from my polyclay days. So much glassy fun, so little time.

[Bobby]

Thanks Anne for the heads up.

Hi Kalera.....when did you work for Bullseye ?

Mincot.....Femo was just what I had around the studio when the muse struck. I just play with it like clay and it seems to really take the heat of the oven.

msritaa......I like the mee mee........that is the name the twins call my sister. My Mom was born in Arkansas.

Bobby

[Janus]

Hello Bobby! Thank you for your tut.
But..................I am a fuser and are thinking about using this technique.
Do you think this will work ?
You are describing the making of.... but, how do you place the printing on the glass and how do you go further?
Sorry for the bad English, but I am living in Holland, so....
Thank in advance for your help,
Janus

[nnicolini]

Somebody on one of the Dutch beadmaking forums described the tool you made and asked where to buy the brass.

I follow a course for jewelry making and there we have brass plates of 1mm thick. So i cut a strip of brass, rolled it until it was 0.4mm and cut it to a nice straight strip. I cut out (with a saw) pieces of the strip to form the figure. These are my bead stamps:

48948

This is a picture of beads made by me (i am only a beginner), the purple bead is made with one of the stamps (the other one is a gift, so i did not use it).

48949

Excuse me for mistakes i will make in the English language, i am a Dutch girl.

[Bobby]

nnicolini...........those are just too cool ! ! !
Thanks for posting a picture of your stamps.
I love seeing things like this.They are fun to make.
I love your beads and the stamped one is great.
There are so many things you can do with them.
WOW ! ! !

Janus.......the stamps need to be pressed into the soft glass while it is still molten. I do know that you can move hot glass while it is in a kiln but have never done it myself. The one I saw was a top loader and they lifted the lid and drew a design and closed it again. Not sure of the rampings or anything else. I know that there is a wealth of info on LE and there is "Fusing" under the melting pot section. Let me know what you find out.

Bobby

[nnicolini]

Hi Bobby,

thank you for your compliments, i am blushing right now :-) . I am pleased with the stamped bead, but not with the others..al ivory has black in it. I know, to hot.....

i will make a stamp for Janus which he can use for stamping fused glass. I will solder his stamp on a brass plate (Fimo can't stand the heat in the oven) and i wil solder a long rod of brass at the other end of the plate. So he will be able to stamp at a distance :lol:

[Bobby]

Hi nnicolini

What a cool friend you are! ! ! I would love to see the finished stamp. Ideas are flowing..........Someday I am going to learn to braze and solder..........and then the sky will be the limit.

Ivory is one of my favorite colors to work with. Also silver leaf. I even cook the daylights out of ivory sometimes to get it to boil and then it really changes things.

More stamps ! ! ! After the holidays I want to make a few more.......

Off to the airport to pick up my sister and John. They are bringing the twins........hooray for me ! ! !


Bobby

[danelady]

The butterfly is AWESOME thanks for the info!!! I want to try this toO!\\:D/

[Jiley]

Isn't Bobby just the BEST!!! - Norm ain't so bad either ;)
:waving:

[Bobby]

Finally got everyone home from the hoiday.......my sister had to stay behind since she got the flu. It was a pleasure taking care of her. The house is too quiet at the moment.
I loved having the twins.....they are 7 and I got to be 7 also.........WHAT FUN WE HAD.

Thanks Lynnie...........the butterflys are what started it all.
Do post a picture of yours.

Jiley..............YOU DO BRING ON THE SMILE IN ME ! ! !

Bobby

[dhare09]

SUPER, SUPER, SUPER COOL!.
Question though...: You speak about 250 degrees. Do you NOT jsut throw the stamped bead into the kiln for full annealing session?

[jknapp]

Thanks Bobby,
The ideas are swirling, now all I need is the time!

[Crazy Woman]

Hey, Jill ~ Thompson's Hobby will have what you are looking for :waving::biggrin:

[Flame Crazy]

Wow, what a great idea. That's why I love it here. Everyone is always willing to share their ideas.
Thanks!

[Jaterwunky]

Bobby,
I LOVE YOU TOO!!!! thank you so much for sharing. What a great idea. I never would have thought of it.
Deb

[vichall]

Wonderful idea! Thanks for sharing. I have all the materials just sitting here waiting for your bright idea to hit. :shock:

I will use these to mark PMC, too!

Vickie

[theglasszone]

Hi everyone...

I've been eyeballing this thread for a long, long time...glad to see it's back in the loop!!! I love the whole idea, but after doing some trolling on eBay, I'm still a bit perplexed on where I can buy a sensible amount of that .229mm brass shim stock. We have very few options here in my area (I'm in the San Gabriel area of So. Cal.)...any suggestions? Does anyone have a "quantity" they'd consider selling me a bit of? If so, please PM me...

Thanks all,
DeAnne in CA

EDIT: Just checked eBay...not sure how to convert .229mm to ? Any suggestions on what size/gauge to buy? Thx again!

[Crazy Woman]

Got a hobby store near you ~ one that sells planes and trains? They will have it. I also think that Hobby Lobby and Michael's would have it as well.

[Listenup]

EDIT: Just checked eBay...not sure how to convert .229mm to ? Any suggestions on what size/gauge to buy? Thx again!

Well, the box in the picture says .009 guage. I just got some on the bay and with shipping, it was about $20. The shipping was actually more than the brass. Here is the auction (http://cgi.ebay.com/Spirol-Brass-Shim-Stock-One-Roll-Pick-a-Size_W0QQitemZ140197566112QQihZ004QQcategoryZ633QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem).

[Bobby]

Glad to see this bumped up. Thank you for that. Haven't been able to play with glass or brass for awhile. We have been redoing a house that we bought and were to move into but.............................we had to redo almost everything . Norm and I are doing the work oursleves ! ! ! What an experience this has been and we are not finished yet. One more year should get us to the finish line. Sooooooooooooooo no glass and no brass, but that is changing. I get to play a little. I'm working on a foot print at the moment.......I know........not original but making it out of brass to stamp in glass is fun. I will work up a few pictures and have a little show and tell when I get the color and print that I can photo for you. You just need a few hand tools to do this one.

So hoping to get back in the swing of things that I love best.

Take care
Bobby

[Geneva]

Any Machine shop is going to have shim stock. Anywhere you run precision machinery or a company that make it will have shims for thier lathes and mills. I've bought 36 gauge from Pearls for about 20.00 a roll. I will try to find the clay foot prints I used to make the custom track tiles for floors. They wouldn't stand up to the shock of the heat but they could be pressed into a tile and fired, then the brass reticulated over the to of it.
Geneva

[Bobby]

Here's a few more pictures of stamps.

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37622

Bobby

[Teri.p]

SUPER, SUPER, SUPER COOL!.
Question though...: You speak about 250 degrees. Do you NOT jsut throw the stamped bead into the kiln for full annealing session?

That's the approximate temperature to cure the polymer clay

[Mark Parkinson]

I have a quantity of brass shim stock that I will send to those who wish to try this ... the shim stock I have is 0.3mm thick and 16mm wide I will cut 10 pieces 8" long and put them in a padded mailer for $5 plus actual shipping (approx $4-5 any where in USA) I will know the shipping costs better when I get back from PO this afternoon and will edit to show costs.$4.00 to lower 48 If you are intrested please PM me.

for other imprinting stamps leather working stamps work great try this site for 100's of differant stamps

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/Stamps-Craftool.asp

[Listenup]

for other imprinting stamps leather working stamps work great

Absolutely! That's what I used on many of the beads for my Tea Staining Alternatives Chart (http://www.listen-up.org/kitty/beads/tea/tea.htm). I would make one tiny suggestion about this though. Make sure that the stamps are brass. I had one small alphabet set and one of the stamps (the I) was made out of aluminum and it melted.

[Whimsey]

As I sit here shuffling my feet and saying, why can't I be talented like Bobby and make the butterfly and a rose stamp. This is a please will somebody question.....

Is there any one who is willing to make the butterfly (Like Bobbies) and a rose stamp and maybe a few more designs? I have no idea of what the costs would be, but I find them very intriguing and would love to incorporate it into my beadmaking.

If its too cost prohibitive, I will understand as I don't have that much extra monies to play wit at this time. but I thought it was worth a shot to see if any one would make up some.

[beachglass]

wow great tutorial bobby, thanks! for a cool spacey effect you can ram your stamp into the hot glass, then fume it with silver and/or gold. fill in the indented stamp pattern with clear and burn the remaining fume off. gives cool ghostly looking designs

gonna have to stop by the local hobby store now and spend some more cash i shouldn't :)

[Candy]

Bobby has been so wonderful about sharing her techniques for these stamps I wanted to contribute a couple that I've done. Once you start making them it's hard to stop! For these stamps I used brass tube and stock in different shapes. When I use brass sheet it's the .010 thickness.

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=55556&stc=1&d=1202255691 http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=55557&stc=1&d=1202255691

[Candy]

oops, sorry for the dupes!

[theglasszone]

AWESOME, Candy!!!!

[theglasszone]

...Is there any one who is willing to make the butterfly (Like Bobbies) and a rose stamp and maybe a few more designs? I have no idea of what the costs would be, but I find them very intriguing and would love to incorporate it into my beadmaking.

Come on Wilma, give it a try!!! We know you can do it... :)

DeAnne in CA

[Whimsey]

Come on Wilma, give it a try!!! We know you can do it... :)

DeAnne in CA

LOL De Anne, there are some things I can do and other s that I can't do. This is one of them...I wish i could, but. well I tried and failed thats why I asked if someone could build me a few. Its ok, just a great idea I wanted to expand on.Its beautiful Bobby,and really looks wonderful in the glass. Please show us more of your work.

[theglasszone]

LOL De Anne, there are some things I can do and other s that I can't do. This is one of them...I wish i could, but. well I tried and failed thats why I asked if someone could build me a few. Its ok, just a great idea I wanted to expand on.Its beautiful Bobby,and really looks wonderful in the glass. Please show us more of your work.

Aw, sweetie - sorry! At least you gave it a go! Hope someone can help you out...They are wonderful, aren't they? I was gifted some shim stock and will have to try this myself...just not sure what design to start with... :)

I'm thinking a good way to go is to do a simple "line drawing" and use this as a pattern guide...yeah?


DeAnne in CA

[Candy]

Hi DeAnne – thank you!

[Whimsey]

Aw, sweetie - sorry! At least you gave it a go! Hope someone can help you out...They are wonderful, aren't they? I was gifted some shim stock and will have to try this myself...just not sure what design to start with... :)

I'm thinking a good way to go is to do a simple "line drawing" and use this as a pattern guide...yeah?


DeAnne in CA

Yeah that sounds good, except I like feminine things, like the roses and even swirly or heart shaped things. Can't wait to see what you come up with! Have fun playing...

[greenglasscafe]

Really neat idea!! What a cool spin on an old favorite!

[Troll Lover]

Excellent tut, very nice way to make a signature stamp!

[Listenup]

there are some things I can do and other s that I can't do. This is one of them...I wish i could, but. well I tried and failed

Did you ever get anyone to try this for you?

[neagle]

Wow, thanks! I have lots of old fimo!! Just need a quick trip to the hardware store. I didn't want to make a signature cane, so this is awesome!

[jconsidine11]

Thank you!

This will definitely be added to the "to do" list.

Joan