My Cart
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Age of Aquarius
SKILL LEVEL : Advanced
Aquarius hand stampers create lighthearted and airy designs (much like their element). With an imagination big enough to create pieces that encapsulate the dreamer in all of us, no two are the same! As natural-born humanitarians, they find creating pieces for charitable initiatives in their nature. If you’re looking to begin your metal stamping journey just call on your Aquarius friend to help you think out of the box!
9 Tools
YOU WILL ALSO NEED
Leather or Suede Cord
Charms or Tassels
Polishing Cloth, Paper Towel, or Clean Rag
Step 1
Place a round square blank on stamping block. Position Zodiac Ultra Detail Design Stamp in the center of the blank. Use the Tilt & Tap technique to stamp 6mm and larger stamps, or stamps with more details. While applying pressure to the stamp, strike once with medium force. Then without lifting stamp, continue to strike while very slightly tilting the stamp in a circular motion to catch all sides of the design. Set blank aside.
TIP: If the stamp has an ImpressArt logo, make sure it is facing you so that the impression is stamped in the correct direction.
TIP: Use stamp tape to secure the blank to the stamping block so it doesn’t move while stamping.
Note: Harder metals and stamps with more detail require a harder strike than softer metals and stamps with less detail.
Step 2
Position second round square stamping blank on stamping block. Secure a straight stamp guide on blank. Use the guide marks to evenly space out letters and align stamp impressions.
TIP: Write desired message directly onto the stamp guide and utilize the guideline marks for spacing.
Step 3
Place stamp on blank, above the corresponding mark on the stamp guide. Lightly drag stamp towards the guide until the stamp catches the edge of the guide. Hold stamp flat and firmly in place by anchoring the side of your hand on workspace. Then strike stamp once with medium force using Metal Stamping Hammer. Repeat to complete desired word.
TIP: Slightly tilt the stamp towards you while dragging the stamp towards the guide. Make sure you hold the stamp flat and firmly in place before striking the stamp.
Step 4
Position blank, stamped side up, inside dapping cavity of dapping block. Hold punch in the center of blank and tap the punch with the Metal Stamping Hammer until blank is evenly domed into a concave shape. Set blank aside. Repeat dapping technique on remaining blank.
TIP: To dap blank into a Convex dome that curves outwards, place blank stamped side down in dapping cavity. To dap blank into a Concave dome that curves inwards, place blank stamped side up in dapping cavity.
Step 5
Highlight impressions with Stamp Enamel. Wait 3-5 minutes and then dab the excess enamel into the impressions with a paper towel before lightly wiping it away from the surface of the blanks.
Step 6
Buff stamped blanks to a brilliant, high-shine finish using High Polish Finish Blocks. Use fine grit to quickly clean and polish blanks. Hold buffing block in the palm of the hand and move the block in even, back and forth strokes to remove dirt and dried enamel left on the raised surfaces. Use extra fine grit for buffing to a high shine. Hold buffing block in the palm of hand and buff in tiny, back and forth strokes with light pressure to get a mirror-like shine.
Step 7
Use the tips of two chain nose pliers to grasp the sides of a jump ring, with the opening of the jump ring facing up between the two pliers. Laterally twist each side of the jump ring in opposite directions to open the ring. Slide blank onto jump ring. Laterally twist the jump ring back with tension to close. Repeat with remaining blank
Step 8
Cut a piece of leather or suede cord to desired length. Then slide stamped blanks and any charms or tassels onto the cording.
