Sweet dreams are made of these...

[Onyxnox]

... sigh ... growing up... it was bound to happen at some point wasn't it?

[kriSmith]

Hey! I'm the proud recipient of this beautiful pendant. I was searching for a metal stamping tutorial. And here is my necklace.

So I thought I would ask Onyxnox if you have any suggestions on what I would need to get started with some metal stamping. I want to make some stamped pendants for my Duck's Unlimited banquet. My kids bought me a couple little designs and an alphabet set. What metals would I start with? Any suggestions for where to get supplies? Any suggestions in general?

Thanks

[StringingFool]

Very pretty! How do you like working with brass? What gauge are you using?

[Onyxnox]

I use 22-26 gauge brass, prefering the thinner if I have to hand cut blanks.  I like working with brass - it is affordable, and easy to work with.  Same with copper.  KriSmith - do you have a nice heavy hammer - you may also want a nice firm surface to work on.  I did buy a steel bench block for myself, but maybe you don't want to spend the money on one.  Also, some people may use something under it to deaden the sound, but you may not get as clean of an image.  If you want to cup the metal, you may want a dapping block (and the wooden ones work, but not as well as the more expensive metal ones - unfortunately, I only had a wood one when I did yours). 

If you want to patina, you can go with using paint or a Sharpie, to darken the letters, and use something to seal it with.  There are commercial patinating chemicals too - but they can be pricey and not worth investing in, unless you do a lot of patinaing.  So when you stamp, you can highlight the letters by rubbing some paint or Sharpie into the letters and buffing off with a rag.  Then I do advise using some kind of finish to keep the metal from oxidizing further, or your colouring from being removed from wear.  I like using Renaissance Wax - you can rub it on, and gently buff for a very nice sheen, and I don't worry about things like flaking afterwards.  But you could also use things like commercial glazes or resin instead.

Soft metals like brass and copper will take the impression easier.  Also, some stamping dies state non-ferrous metals specifically.  I also found that some of my dies oxidized after use, so afterwards, I cleaned the rust off and started storing them after rubbing a bit of mineral oil on them to act as a barrier. 

I hope this helps.

This is a nice tutorial to take a look at that will help some more.

http://www.beaducation.com/vids/detail/20

[Onyxnox]

Oh yes - and I was looking for this technique sheet too that may help as well

http://www.beaducation.com/shop/images/designstamp_tips.pdf