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Stamps

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PlainName:
I need to make some quite small (15mm across) stamps. I can do that in PLA no problem, but PLA is a bit rigid and what I really need is the rubbery kind of stuff that real stamps are made from. Is there a filament for this?

CatalinaWOW:
The softest I have used is TPU, and it would at best be marginal for stamps.  There is a little give to it so depending on how you want to use your stamps it might work.   If your printer uses a Bowden tube printing with rubbery materials is very challenging. 

PlainName:
It's kind of direct drive so I don't think feed would be a problem.

What I'm actually trying to do is brand woodwork. Making a brass brand would be rather tricky since it would require a tiny bit. Chemical branding (which is what the stamp is for) might work but experiments suggest the transfer from pad to wood is very suboptimal. The only other way I can think of doing it is with a laser, but that's expensive, reasonably dangerous and would require plumbing for debris extraction (it would be one of the 5W galvo jobs).

Thought about making a PCB with enough vias to get a hot plate on the back heating the tracks, but don't think there would be the thermal capacity and the FR4 would probably get too hot as well.

Ian.M:
Print a mold, then cast them in a reasonably hard rubber.  You'll probably need to very lightly wax the mold to get them to release cleanly. a spritz of furniture polish brushed around the mold and let dry should do the job.

If you are careful to choose the right rubber sealant to cast with, you can adhesive bond it to a 3D printed backing plate or stamp body when you mold it.

As an alternative, what about a stencil and spray paint?  You can easily print the stencil then tape it to a cutout in a larger sheet of plastic to shield from overspray.  Its probably worth experimenting with wood stain applied with an air brush to get better fine detail than spray paint in a can can offer.

PlainName:
There's a great idea, thanks! Maybe I should print a former to make the mold in silicone, then the rubber should could out a bit easier. Either way, should be simple enough to try  :-+

Thought about a stencil but the detail might be too fine to be able to create one. Also, charred wood is the desired end result rather than paint or stain.

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