Leathercraft Tool

----- Original Message -----

From: Bruce Johnson

To: flasah ; iilg-members@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 8:29 PM

Subject: [flasah] Stamping Bench [1 Attachment]

 

     I have made do with a broken headstone and a 10x20 inspection plate for a stamping surface since the start. They all sat on top of different benches and desks. They worked alright but had some bounce, not much surface area for big pieces, and no place to rest my elbow and rock the wrist. A few months ago I was given a left over piece of 1-1/4 granite countertop that was 20x26. Nice to rest my elbow, good surface area, but bouncy and loud with bigger stamps.

     That surface area got me serious about making a better place to stamp with an inlaid rock. We have visited several shops when we travel. It is nice to see what everyone uses. I have got some great advice from people on the lists and forums too. The biggest complaint is their benches are too small. It seemed like 28-30x30-36 is a real common size for a free standing stamping bench. I went with a 30" depth and 48" width to be able to stamp most of my stuff and not have much over the edge. The 30" depth is my reach to the back. My ergonomic guru advised a sit-or-stand height. That worked out to be 38" for me. I can have my elbow tucked in and at a 90 degree at impact with a stamp. I have a reclaimed chair that adjusts up high to be comfortable too.

     The rock is an 18x24 black granite surface plate from Grizzly. It weighs around 150#. Their price and shipping were way better than anyone else I checked with. It is braced underneath with 2x4s glued and screwed together and resting on  four 2x6s bolted through the legs. There is a a piece of 1/2 plywood and then the rock. The rock is resting on piece of scrap leather to make it sit up a bit above the surrounding top. I looked at several surfaces for the area around the rock. I ended up and went with wood. I had a bad deal with some nail hole filler, but salvaged that part of the finish job somewhat. Other than that, I am very happy with how it turned out. It is quiet to stamp and no bounce even with a 3# maul on a big geometric stamp.  

     My rack to hold the stamping tools is one I have had for quite a while. Stamps are sorted into green plastic containers with a small hole drilled in the bottom. They hang on pegboard hooks that have been bent up to hold the cups at an angle. The green is an easy color to see the stamps against. I use a small bock that goes on the bench and holds maybe 30 stamps in use. This rack is freestanding and portable so it can go in back or to either side of the bench.

 

Bruce Johnson
www.brucejohnsonleather.com
Malachi 4:2
"windshield's bigger than the mirror, somewhere west of Laramie..." - Dave Stamey

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