MINI-TUTORIAL: Home-made Stamp-Carving Tool

[WideEyedLife]

I can't believe you carve with an exacto, WideEyedLife - that is amazing - I suck at using the exacto to carve!  

Over in the hand-carved stamp swap gallery, there was some confusion about the tool I use to carve my stamps (example stamp carved using this tool can be found here).  So, here's the scoop:

I don't actually use an X-acto.  (That would be SO hard!)

I believe what's causing the confusion is the strange texture that is seen in the stamps I make, which doesn't look like the result of any carving tool most people have ever seen:



That's probably because, being the crazy person I am, I decided that though I have "proper" or "official" gouging carve tools, I don't like using them.  (Probably just because I don't have the patience to get to the skill level where I don't with an accidental slight twitch cut some vital part of my stamp off.)

So, I invented the following tool:


Close up.


Which is nothing more than a Bic pen with the pen part pulled out and replaced with a large (sharp) embroidery needle  (hot glued in place).


My most favorite tool ever!

I hold it at an angle and apply a steady pressure while pulling across the carving medium.  The fine sharp point acts as a very fine razor, and I repeat the process until the required depth is achieved.

Perhaps a little slow, but it gets those teeny fine lines so nicely because I can see the absolute point of the needle and therefore determine exactly where my cut will be.

Don't forget, if you decide to go all crazy and make this tool yourself, to cap the tool when not in use, and warn people it isn't a pen! It would suck to accidentally have a stabbing incident!  

One awesome sidenote about about this Bicneedle technique is that, combined with a nice white poly eraser, it makes this craft affordable to almost anyone (No $15.00 tool/$17.00 carving medium start-up cost)!

The number of available carving tools for these smaller stamps is probably endless once we stretch our minds outside the box...

[WideEyedLife]

So then Wulf responded:

Now, this looks promising! I find that the problem with carving with an X-acto blade isn't getting the cut precisely where I want it, but seeing where I've made that precise little cut so I can do the next one. As soon as you remove the blade, the rubber usually closes up so tightly the cut totally disappears. Does the needle help this by leaving the cut more visible? And I wonder if a triangular leather needle would work even better. Must investigate that.

Wulf

[WideEyedLife]

And this was my response to him:

Does the needle help this by leaving the cut more visible?

The first cut is the hardest to see.  But the deeper the cut gets, the more visible it becomes.  This is because the tool leaves micro-roughness on the inside edges of the cut that force the carving material to slightly separate.  Also, should you "lose" the line, the tool isn't going to slice the rubber all to hell as you re-find it.

The tool isn't so "powerful" on it's own; it's slicing ability comes entirely from the pressured pulling movement.  So there isn't the same worry as with the X-acto, because an accidental stab, or even *shudder* mis-slice, is (usually) almost imperceptible.

This micro-roughness is actually evidence of what the tool does: not a true slice, per say, but controlled tearing of the carving material.  This controlled micro-tearing is what leaves the grainy texture on the "mountainsides" of the stamp that is seen in the above photo.

If you look closely at the mouse's back (front right of photo, inside of the line) and whisker (back left, line farthest from the front of the photo), you will see another evidence of this micro-tearing tool's technique: a very tiny touch of roughness on the ink-stained mountain-peak surface of the stamp (it looks like very small bumps).

The final step when I use this tool is to lightly rub the non-sharp shaft of the needle back and forth against the "mountain peaks".  The simple friction of the movement knocks the slight burrs down and leaves a slightly rounded edge that makes what I consider a very satisfying imprint.

And I wonder if a triangular leather needle would work even better. Must investigate that.

As I reach back into a year ago memory, when I first started using a needle, I believe I tried one of those, but didn't like it.  But I'm certain that at that point in time I was using the needle sans Bic-pen shaft, not having come up with the way-to-hold-the-needle idea yet, and that the needle was old and not sharp enough.  I would be very interested in hearing what experience you have when using one, though.

[bunny1kenobi]

I am fascinated by this thread!!! I've been wanting to try my hand at stamp carving, and you have just given me the PERFECT way to get my feet wet!!  AWESOME!  THANK YOU!   

[Leslieshappyheart]

I too want to say THANK YOU for this great idea!  I have just started stamp carving, and I have the fancy tools, but I can see that this little homemade tool would really be useful, and I think I will make one!

[kmichele_craftyfae]

Thanks for making this tutorial! I've been looking at making a tool like this for finer details in my stamps for a few months now and just haven't found a simple one (this seems very simple to make). How did you sharpen the needle? Or did you use it straight out of it's original packaging?

[WideEyedLife]

Thanks for making this tutorial! I've been looking at making a tool like this for finer details in my stamps for a few months now and just haven't found a simple one (this seems very simple to make). How did you sharpen the needle? Or did you use it straight out of it's original packaging?

Use it straight out of the packaging; no need to sharpen.

The needle can be used without being made a Bicneedle, of course, but the pen handle adds control, and helps the needle not jab into your skin.