Sponiebr Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Apparently I don't have enough to do and am OBVIOUSLY bored and possibly losing my mind. I know right? "Possibly losing" my mind? Well, I say that because I KNOW BETTER, and I can't otherwise explain the unspeakably graphic display of gross stupidity that I spent my evening creating. So while this project isn't exactly related to soap or candle making it IS somewhat related to both and also mixes in mold making, and it's "crafty" to boot. SO I post this HERE. I want a soap stamp. No, no, no, no... not just ANY soap stamp my friends... No a Sponie Executor of Bad Ideas and Sundry Services ORIGINAL MASTERPIECE soap stamp WITH original dies and molds to make MORE stamps!!! These are the minimum requirements... Oh, and it must be FLAWLESS. (a guy's gotta have some standards.) Over the last several weeks I finalized a pencil drawing and then scanned it and got a digital image to work with. I then polished the hell out of the digital image using GIMP and got THAT finalized. I converted the stamp to various formats and made a few depth maps so I could hand it over to my dad who does CNC milling. Well, dad ain't going to be able to get around to that for a while, so I decided to do it the old fashioned way, by carving a relief and casting the stamp. I've actually spent several weeks developing and puttering around with this soap stamp. BUT TONIGHT!!!! I was going to get it DONE. So, this evening, and for most of this morning, I was working on carving the wax to make the positive relief of the stamp so I could make the silicone or plaster molds to cast the final stamp. (Think soap stamp made out of wax) I'll fast forward through the drudgery of it all: I cast the high temp wax billets, cut the image out, glued (yes glued with Elmer's white glue) the image onto a billet, traced, carved, brushed, and burnished the relief. Total time for carving: 4 hours and damn did I do a nice job! Something was bugging me, and I couldn't figure it out. I finally convinced myself that it was the air relief vent that I would need to create so that some of the sealed areas would actually stamp at the same depth as the rest of the stamp. Man I was IMPRESSED with MYSELF!!! OH TOUCH ME! DON'T I FEEL GOOD? I was RADIANT with SOME KINDA SPECIAL. I wanted to see what this bad-Larry was going to look like as an ink stamp, so I inked it up and splat. Hmmm... yeah I gotta fix that sealed middle part... It just isn't co-operating. It needs an air vent. Something else though seems... off... what is... OH F&^H NO!!!!!!!!!! (I'm stunned) NO FREAKING WAY!!!! (I'm in shock, and might need an ambulance, good thing I'm by myself in the middle of nowhere in the moonlit swamp.) (pause: I've made castings before of Scottish clan badges, and sealing wax seals... This isn't my first rodeo, nor my 5th for that matter. resume) I've, um failed to reverse the image. Yep! I carved a backwards stamp. I've got to start over again. I have NO explanation.. I just totally forgot to flip the image. The GOOD NEWS IS: Apparently you can't die from frustration. Wax 1 / Sponie 0 Sponiebr (Suspended: Executor of anything pending outcome of internal investigation) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonstar Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 I can truly say I have no idea what your talking about but you sure put a smile on my face ( Ok you get me laughing + scratching my head thinking WTH LOL?) Thanks for starting my morning off with a laugh that I so desperatley need lol ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponiebr Posted November 17, 2016 Author Share Posted November 17, 2016 47 minutes ago, Moonstar said: I can truly say I have no idea what your talking about but you sure put a smile on my face ( Ok you get me laughing + scratching my head thinking WTH LOL?) Thanks for starting my morning off with a laugh that I so desperatley need lol ! Glad I got someone's morning off to a good start. LOL! This thing is basically just like a rubber ink stamp but made of hard material and used to squish a design that would otherwise be printed on a label into a soft bar of freshly made and cut uncured soap. Ya;'know : "(squish...) Viola! My company name and logo. Wrap some cellophane around it and seal the back with an ingredients sticker. Done. NEXT!!!!!!!" Soap stamp example (Why the HELL am I not buying THIS!!!!?) <------ The sane personality..ytilanosrep enas ton ehT------------> Sponie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 air vents, not needed so much. A friend of mine carved her model into an old bar of soap, then used craft store epoxy to make the positive. http://duhbe.com/blog/2011/04/diy-custom-soap-stamp/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trappeur Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 ok....Sponie......well you made me read your very detailed post of what you were designing and although I hadn't a "hair" of a clue what in heck you were talking about I read it all the way to the end and thought to myself, "wow, this guy has created something amazing" and when I get to the end I couldn't wait to see the picture of your creation.....and zippo! Nothing! So where is your picture? We all want to see..... Trappeur 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trappeur Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 23 hours ago, TallTayl said: air vents, not needed so much. A friend of mine carved her model into an old bar of soap, then used craft store epoxy to make the positive. http://duhbe.com/blog/2011/04/diy-custom-soap-stamp/ Great great site TallTayle! Love it and love those stamps!!!!! Trappeur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trappeur Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 On 11/17/2016 at 6:21 AM, Moonstar said: I can truly say I have no idea what your talking about but you sure put a smile on my face ( Ok you get me laughing + scratching my head thinking WTH LOL?) Thanks for starting my morning off with a laugh that I so desperatley need lol ! Ditto too!!!! Matter of fact I always scratch my head when I read Sponiers posts......lol,....cause I never understand a thing he says! But it's all good Sponier......it really is! lol Trappeur 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trappeur Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 On 11/17/2016 at 7:30 AM, Sponiebr said: Glad I got someone's morning off to a good start. LOL! This thing is basically just like a rubber ink stamp but made of hard material and used to squish a design that would otherwise be printed on a label into a soft bar of freshly made and cut uncured soap. Ya;'know : "(squish...) Viola! My company name and logo. Wrap some cellophane around it and seal the back with an ingredients sticker. Done. NEXT!!!!!!!" Soap stamp example (Why the HELL am I not buying THIS!!!!?) <------ The sane personality..ytilanosrep enas ton ehT------------> Sponie Sponie, here is my suggestion.....why don't you give your design to this company and have them make up the stamp mold? Sounds like a pretty good idea to me, don't you think? That site is really beautiful. Trappeur 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponiebr Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 12 hours ago, Trappeur said: Sponie, here is my suggestion.....why don't you give your design to this company and have them make up the stamp mold? Sounds like a pretty good idea to me, don't you think? That site is really beautiful. Trappeur I don't think I am physically capable of doing something sane or reasonable or having something sane or reasonable happen to me... I mean it might happen by accident, but it couldn't happen on purpose. Actually, I've been considering ordering one, even with the whole customs and shipping time from Hungary, meh... I thought it was at least worth a few tries to do it myself. My dad COULD make this, but he doesn't want to make what I want. He want's to make it his way with his improvements. (e.g.: I have to redesign it so that all spaces have at least one area open to the outside to keep from forming air pockets, and it will be made of nothing else other than aluminum.) To get it from China takes forever and is basically a crap shoot at best. Then if I want to fork out the money $35-$180 I could get one done in the U.S. and have it in a couple of weeks... It boils down to time=money, and my time is worth nothing. One of my friends posted on faceplant something to the effect of "When mediocrity becomes the ideal for a society, quality and the pursuit of excellence have died." Having been overseas and seen the long term effects that particular sentiment has had on people I can tell you it truly is an insipid cancer that destroys the very foundation of a nation and removes all sense of worth, pride, personal motivation, and severely erodes national identity. After seeing the impending doom that will become my life due to complete and utter carelessness by people making $200 an hour because they are the best in the business, I have some really sincere reservations as to exactly what my time is actually worth. I mean, people that send out 4 documents to one person and all 4 documents have glaring mistakes and omissions and can't be used? These mistakes are going to cause a legal war! But, hell they still get $200/hr. and their assistant gets $75/hour, and I get to pay both. One person makes mistakes -it happens, one company may also make mistakes that can happen too.., but when it's the industry standard? Who the hell am I to complain about whittling a block of wax? Sponiebr the unwilling and unwitting grand prize winner on this week's installment of "REALITY CHECK NIGHTMARES" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trappeur Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 lol, omg......here I thought was going to be a conversation about a friggin stamp and now I'm reading about the world that is doomed and someone making 200.00 an hour. What does this have to do with a stamp mold? omg.....Make me understand.....maybe you could talk in English words so that I could follow your conversation..... Trappeur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trappeur Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 How old are you anyways Sponie? lol I'm not making fun of you, mind you...I was just wondering. I can't wait for this answer. lol Trappeur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponiebr Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 15 hours ago, Trappeur said: ok....Sponie......well you made me read your very detailed post of what you were designing and although I hadn't a "hair" of a clue what in heck you were talking about I read it all the way to the end and thought to myself, "wow, this guy has created something amazing" and when I get to the end I couldn't wait to see the picture of your creation.....and zippo! Nothing! So where is your picture? We all want to see..... Trappeur I'm SO sorry about that! Actually I took this last night before I melted it down to make new wax billets (the new ones I colored with a little charcoal). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trappeur Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 Hey Sponie, No problem! Oh great a picture!... What is that drawing of? And you want this to be a stamp mold for soap? Trappeur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponiebr Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 4 minutes ago, Trappeur said: lol, omg......here I thought was going to be a conversation about a friggin stamp and now I'm reading about the world that is doomed and someone making 200.00 an hour. What does this have to do with a stamp mold? omg.....Make me understand.....maybe you could talk in English words so that I could follow your conversation..... Trappeur You want to understand insanity? I don't recommend it... My point in the above, besides being a not so thinly veiled rant, is that getting one of these stamps seems like it's either going to take a LONG time and a small amount of money or a short time and a LOT of money. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground there. 2 minutes ago, Trappeur said: How old are you anyways Sponie? lol I'm not making fun of you, mind you...I was just wondering. I can't wait for this answer. lol Trappeur I look like I'm late 50's, I think like I'm over 90, and biologically I'm 41. I think my biological age is all an elaborate hoax. I mean really... All I have as proof of my age are anecdotes and a piece of paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponiebr Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 6 minutes ago, Trappeur said: Hey Sponie, No problem! Oh great a picture!... What is that drawing of? And you want this to be a stamp mold for soap? Trappeur Yeah... I want that as my stamp. This is a label: I mean if the Artist Formerly known as Prince can do this: Certainly the Executor of Bad Ideas should be able to get away with this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trappeur Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 Oh ok.....I see......so you look 60 (that's pretty close to late 50's) when your 41.....hmmmmlol.. well I can see you are truly a very special highly educated man who's mind never stops. Geesh that would age any one! Ok, back to the stamp mold....geesh that company is from Hungary? Dang! Surely you can find a company here in this country that could make a mold for you with no problem. Geesh that company that TallTayle put up the link to makes awesome molds from their website. How bout checking with that company? Trappeur Oh, just wanted to say your a good sport! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 The link I posted was a simple DIY using whatever is on hand to carve the master, then 2 part epoxy for the business end of the stamp. Way easier than making that positive... One thing I have done to make stamps for pottery clay is get a custom rubber stamp made. Stamp that into polymer clay for a nice impression. Then use the epoxy, polymer, or clay, etc to make the stamp master. Fast and cheap. You do do not need vent holes on a soap stamp, sponiebr. Never in all of my years of stamping and viewing stamps have I ever seen any with vents. It all just mushes where it needs to go. A vent is one more place to get soap stuck in the stamp and ruin the soap. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponiebr Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 2 hours ago, TallTayl said: The link I posted was a simple DIY using whatever is on hand to carve the master, then 2 part epoxy for the business end of the stamp. Way easier than making that positive... Tell me about it! Especially since that positive ended up in the pot... One thing I have done to make stamps for pottery clay is get a custom rubber stamp made. Stamp that into polymer clay for a nice impression. Then use the epoxy, polymer, or clay, etc to make the stamp master. Fast and cheap. I LIKE it! I was really considering getting some Sculpy and just making one quick and dirty out of a rolled up worm of the polymer. I've done many impressions of Scottish Clan Badges with Sculpy before. Neat stuff that PVC clay. You do do not need vent holes on a soap stamp, sponiebr. Never in all of my years of stamping and viewing stamps have I ever seen any with vents. It all just mushes where it needs to go. A vent is one more place to get soap stuck in the stamp and ruin the soap. Come to think of it, I can't ever remember seeing vents in stamps either... (not rubber, not soap, not any stamp) I would have really preferred a negative because that could be fed into the CNC mill and POP! Negative mold! TA-DA!!! It would have been really nice to do that also because I could have had it done with a sharp center ridge through the center line of the design that broadened out to what I wanted the finished width to be at depth. But that requires the CNC milling machine, which ain't mine, and if I want it CNC'd I have to do it his way. And life goes on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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