Difference between revisions of "Make Polymer Clay Stamps"

Make your own clear rubber stamps (polymer actually) to use on clay, polymer clay, fabric, paper, or anything else you can think of. This is an easy process that allows you to make stamps out of practically any black and white image you can come up with, and you can make them whatever size you like. They are also much less expensive than the commercial rubber stamps that you buy.

Make your own clear rubber stamps (polymer actually) to use on clay, polymer clay, fabric, paper, or anything else you can think of. This is an easy process that allows you to make stamps out of practically any black and white image you can come up with, and you can make them whatever size you like. They are also much less expensive than the commercial rubber stamps that you buy.

== Steps ==

== Steps ==

#'''The process of making a Polymer Stamp''' is a fairly easy once you learn the basics. There are two pieces of equipment that you will need to make to expose your rubber stamps, although both are very simple to make. The first is the UV exposure light. If you think you might be doing a lot of rubber stamp making I would invest in a fluorescent light fixture with UV (black light) bulbs to fit. You will need to attach two 6" x 6" wood boards to the side of the light to raise it 4" off of the table surface. Some light fixtures will need to have a cord attached, which can easily be done by cutting a 6' extension cords female end off and direct wiring to the fixture. To make the light fixture easy to use a on/off switch may be wired to the light as well to make turning off the light between exposures easier. Another solution for those who don't want to wire their light fixture is to simply purchase a clamp light and hang it {{convert|4|in|cm|1}} from the tabletop. They come with cords attached and a turn of button on the top of the fixture. You can purchase a flood style black light bulb to fit the fixture.The second piece of equipment is the glass exposure plates. These are simply two matching sheets of 8" x 8" single pain clear glass , with the edges wrapped in electrical tape to keep your hands clear of sharp edges. Along two parallel edges of the taped plates lay magnetic tape on both sides. This will hold the plates together and keep them from shifting during the exposure process.

#'''The process of making a Polymer Stamp''' is a fairly easy once you learn the basics. There are two pieces of equipment that you will need to make to expose your rubber stamps, although both are very simple to make. The first is the UV exposure light. If you think you might be doing a lot of rubber stamp making I would invest in a fluorescent light fixture with UV (black light) bulbs to fit. You will need to attach two 6" x 6" wood boards to the side of the light to raise it 4" off of the table surface. Some light fixtures will need to have a cord attached, which can easily be done by cutting a 6' extension cords female end off and direct wiring to the fixture. To make the light fixture easy to use a on/off switch may be wired to the light as well to make turning off the light between exposures easier. Another solution for those who don't want to wire their light fixture is to simply purchase a clamp light and hang it {{convert|4|in|cm|1}} from the tabletop. They come with cords attached and a turn of button on the top of the fixture. You can purchase a flood style black light bulb to fit the fixture.The second piece of equipment is the glass exposure plates. These are simply two matching sheets of 8" x 8" single pain clear glass , with the edges wrapped in electrical tape to keep your hands clear of sharp edges. Along two parallel edges of the taped plates lay magnetic tape on both sides. This will hold the plates together and keep them from shifting during the exposure process.