Model Forum / General / Models / November 2007

You should be able to set up a simple jig to hold the punches above a
milling machine table or lathe cross slide, on which the labels are
fixed. A little experimentation will show you how much to move the table
between each letter.

David

To get letter or figure spacing even and the impression of the stam
fairly constant needs a simple jig constructing.

There should be a drawing with this post to give you a (very) roug
idea of how it works.

Make a slot the width and depth of the stamp in a piece of material t
act as a stamp guide.

Mount the material on a piece of angle iron so that the slot i
vertical to whatever you use as an anvil and there is clearance for th
job to slide under the stamp guide.

Screw the angle iron down onto the anvil.

Either make a clip to keep the stamp in place or even use a cable tie
just ensure that the stamp slides freely.

Bring the item to be stamped under the stamp holder, using the angl
iron as a guide. Hit the stamp. Change stamp and position the item yo
are stamping so that the spacing is correct and hit the stamp.........

Using the angle iron as a guide will ensure your stamps stay in line.

Good luck.

Joh

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jlh4

Take 1" diameter bar and drill hole thru it equal to the A/F size of
the stamps about 1/2 from one end.

Tap end and fit grub screw to just trap punch, this will make sure all
punches are square to one another.

Put bar in lathe chuck and lock spindle, make sure punch is vertical.

Position plate on a block on the cross slide with double sided tape,
clamps etc.

Use saddle to position plate, hit punch, change punch, move plate to
nearest thou whack next punch.

Check spelling.....................

Make a George Thomas universal pillar tool (kit from Hemingway).

I have dim memories of a guy at a market offering a labeling
service, and I'm sure he had letter punches and
some kind of simple jig.

Details (I'm sorry) escape me, although I recall
being quite impressed at its simplicity and elegance.

  BugBear

It's a simple question, but it's not a simple answer.

You need to determine two things and then devise a way to do them.

Because we deal with them every day, the arrangement of letters (lik
faces) is very closely analysed by the eye. This means that anythin
out of line or uneven spacing sticks out like a sore thumb.

First of all you need you need to ensure a succession of characters i
all on the same line. I would second the suggestion of making
George-Thomas-type punch holder, because that gives you at least on
fixed reference point. Next you need to butt the work piece up agains
a straight edge (eg, a clamped steel rule). Now you can move the wor
piece left or right under the punch and all characters will b
vertically aligned.

Next, you need to get the inter-character spacing right. This is no
easy (big understatement). In this context there are two kinds o
fonts: proportional and fixed pitch fonts. A fixed pitch font use
exactly the same amount of space for each character, whether its an 'M
or 'I', a proportional font varies the width according to the character
Proportional are generally more pleasing and 'designed', fixed are mor
utilitarian. Most fonts are proportional, but a common exception i
'Courier', where you will notice that the serifs on normally thinne
characters are designed to add width. Courier was designed fo
typewriters and teleprinters to give a fixed spacing to enable layou
to be straightforward. In my limited experience, most punch fonts ar
'semi-fixed'. ie most characters are the same width - except the lette
'I'. You could use off cuts of steel to move the workpiece to the left
regular amount, again referenced to (another) clamped steel rule.

You can see why DTP software became popular!

Hope this helps

Mat

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Myford Mat