If you've ever been to the local art gallery and admired the fine art rubber stamping images that they display you may have been wondering if they were actually made out of rubber or if they were made out of steel. When most people think of rubber stamping they think of the early 19th century and their popular rubber stamp called a "stamp." But if you're anything like me and have done any research into the history of rubber stamping you'll know that these early stamps were, in fact, made out of steel. Not just used for rubber stamping but in architectural design, engineering, art, and design and even in the military. Here's why I say it's steel and not rubber:


The Early Days: Early rubber stamping images were made out of iron or steel. It's hard to imagine now, but when I first looked at an early rubber stamp, there was no color or design present, no lines, no angles, no blending or cropping, nothing. It just was black rubber stamping. Most likely it was made from iron or steel that had been bent or formed into the shape of some sort of geometric pattern. Of course, as time progressed and new technologies were developed rubber stamping images started to take on their colorful, intricate look and these first image stamps truly were works of art.


Steel As a Manufacturing Material: In the early days, if you wanted to make a rubber stamping image you would need either a hand crank machine or a pressurized cylinder filled with sand (or brass). The hand crank machine was more often used in the beginning because it had the power to press heavy materials into an accurate and professional looking image. However, because the piston needed to be maintained while running and the amount of power required was considerable it was often used for only decorative stamped objects, like the first image we discussed above.


Pressurized Cylinder: In order to stamp an image using a hand crank or a pressurized cylinder filled with sand (or brass) you would need an overhead crane to lift the cylinder and place it correctly on the bed of the machine. Once the image was set, it could be easily inverted, rotated and transferred to a new sheet of rubber. This new sheet of rubber could then be pressed into place, hardened and pressed into place again. This entire operation took several hours or even days and it was quite expensive to do.


Hand Crank Machined Machines: These machines are the most commonly found machines today and are generally referred to as "stamp grinders". They are typically electric and have a wooden crank that is used to turn a horizontal belt that spins a vertical belt on a horizontal spindle. This type of rubber stamping machine can stamp an image quickly and accurately and is commonly used for rubber stamping products such as rubber stamps, and embossing.


Cylinder Stamps: Cylinder stamps are used by stamping presses to cut out various shapes. These are also commonly called "stamp rolls" and can be cut out and mounted onto a rubber drum. A die head is mounted onto the drum. A rotary screw moves a die from side to side when the screw is turned. The rubber stamp is then pressed or spun into place on the drum.


Punch: This type of stamp is a tool that is used to create raised patterns from rubber. Unlike the previous three types of stamp machines, these tools utilize dies to transfer an image directly to rubber. The tools operate much like a lathe and are similar to the staplers used for woodcarving. When stamps are punched they can be any thickness, but must be uniform throughout the piece that the image will be applied to.


Stamp Makers: These machines are commonly used in rubber manufacturer's shops. They stamp parts of rubber using a machine press. There is no dye involved with using this type of machine. Instead, it uses heat to transfer an image to rubber. Once the rubber is cool, it is trimmed to the needed shape and color. If you have any concerns with regards to in which and how to use web page, you can contact us at our own website. The stamp manufacturer will use different chemicals to color the rubber once it has been formed.