Has anyone tried to hear a metal stamp and burn wood with it? I know you can buy stamps for branding irons but I am making a chess board and want to mark the numbers and letters.
You need an insulated handle or some locking pliers for safety, though.
If you want to try, just pick up some random old stamp from an antique store or Ebay. Just be sure to avoid toxic metals and those with low melting temperatures.
I'm sure you can find new stamps for next to nothing out there, so long as you just want one to practice with. It's going to have to get really hot, though.
There is all sorts of sets of steel number and letter stamp sets on Amazon, cheap too. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M26FDKD/?tag=atomicindus08-20 That one has a punctuation set with it but they have a cheaper set thats just the wooden box with letters and numbers
HF has a 3/8" stamp set that will work.
Stick to the black oxide stamps, and stay away from the plated ones. And remember, you don't need to heat it to the point that it glows.
Do a little practice first. With metal stamps, the depth is quite limited, and if you over do it, you may just end up with a blackened circle.
I second rlitman.
Practice a few times first before trying it, otherwise it won't have the right look and there's not much you can do once you go too far
I have one of those custom made branding irons for wood. I heat it with a propane torch. I've been using it on all my projects for a couple of years. It can produce a great looking 'brand'. It can also produce a mess.heres what I've learned about using it:
Definitely practice with it first. Mistakes are hard to erase in wood. I've gotten to the point where I can judge the temp of the iron by looking at it, and that helps. Wood species have varying hardness, and moisture content can vary widely from piece to piece. I always try to practice on wood scraps from the project. Once I get a good burn on my practice piece, I immediately reaheat the iron and brand the finished project.