Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
On the Hero Arts blog today there is a video showing how a Hero Arts wood mounted stamp is made. I've not ever seen the process before so I found it really interesting.
Thanks for posting. That was neat to watch. I had no idea they trimmed by hand or that they were a family type business. Gives me a new found respect for them.
That is a cool video. It seems like such a small operation. I figured it was a much bigger all automated type process. And I am amazed they hand trim all their stamps!! I would hate to have that job. But that lady just buzzed through it like it was nothing. Thanks for sharing the link.
__________________ Martha
"When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life." Jean Shinoda Bolen
Wow....Now I understand why stamps are so expensive. What a time consuming process! I don't see how they make any money on them with as many people that run the process. It is nice to see how their operation runs. I also have a new found respect for the company.
(was anyone else cringing when the woman was cutting thru the rubber with what looked like just a pair of junk drawer scissors???!!! I was suprised to see how well they seemed to work though!)
That was awesome! I've never seen a vulcanizer before! WOW! I couldn't believe it when he said that one dated from WWII!!! And, I've never seen that portion of the process!
The very initial stages of these processes is really cool, too! At A Muse, we work very closely with a select group of artists/illustrators to produce original artwork. Ideas and concepts are generated during live brain-storming sessions, and from there the artists begin sketching and drawing.
It is AMAZING to see these artist's interpretations of these ideas! These illustrations then go through another set of processes before they are sent off to be plated (shown at the beginning of Aaron's video).
Anyway, seeing the people and hand-processes that go on, from idea to finished stamp, really does give a whole new perspective and deeper appreciation into what it takes to produce these *gems* we love so much!
Forget diamonds, baby--Rubbah is where it's at! ;)
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
__________________ God grant me the space to put away the things I buy, The money to buy the things I want,
And the wisdom to know when to get rid of something, so I can get something else.
////*////*
Wow, that is quite amazing. I thought they just punched em out, a machine slapped the sticker on and then they went to the store. For this company, at least, that not the way it works!
Those poor scissor and labeling ladies!
__________________ He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
Wow, that is quite amazing. I thought they just punched em out, a machine slapped the sticker on and then they went to the store. For this company, at least, that not the way it works!
Those poor scissor and labeling ladies!
Stamps can be die-cut, however, the machinery and customized dies specifically designed for each image or set of images is very costly.
It is cool to know that by not mechanizing that aspect of production, a real person is kept employed!
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
Wow! Im like everybody else, poor scissor girl! My thumb and middle finger are so sore right now cant cut the rest out! lol! Thanks for sharing this link, I have always wondered about the process too.
Friends are like the walls of a house. Sometimes they hold you up, sometimes you lean on them. But sometimes, it's enough to know they're just standing by.
DRS Designs, www.drsdesigns.com does the same thing...they make their stamps right here in the States (CT), family owned and operated...stamps are cut by hand, labels are put on by hand...they make them right in their flagship store...very cool stuff!! If you're in the area, check them out!
Thats exactly how we do it at High Hopes Rubber Stamps....only our vulcanizer is like 1/8 the size of theirs...(*grin*). We only have a 9x13 platen size.
We also hand cut out each image once or twice depending. If its mounted on cling foam we use Kai scissors the first time to get nice and close to the image, then a scroll saw to cut through the foam without undercutting.
Also, we hand index the wood, instead of using a plastic label. We chose that because I have several stamps in my personal collection where the label does not want to stick, or got a huge wrinkle down the middle and looks awful. Still... the labels are so pretty on the colored Penny Black stamps.... we may decide to go that route after we grow some, and do a customer servey to see what they prefer....
Thanks for sharing that cool video! Its awesome to see how its done on a bigger scale, and comforting to see that their workbenches are cluttered too!! :-)
It was interesting to hear them call stamping a "Green" craft. We are avid recyclers, and like to be earth friendly, and I have always wanted to get some fb on how our processing of the rubber impacts the earth. I would imagine that going unmounted and not using wooden blocks is probably more earth friendly... but I wonder which is better, all natural red rubber, or synthetic rubber or photopolymer?? It would be interesting to know....
That is how we do it at Unity, except we have 10 people cutting rubber on scroll saws with jeweler blades. We also have a PAD PRINTER to put the images on the wood. That is what we are working on TODAY! Lot's of fun!
__________________ Angela - owner Unity Stamp Company
How stamps are made - interesting Hero Arts video
