Roma Buchanan's guide to stamping silver and copper

Tips and tricks of metal stamping from the Romazone

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The tools you will need to stamp silver are a steel block or horn anvil and a light ball peen hammer (4oz.) and a plastic mallet. Be sure and get a good quality ball peen hammer. The really cheap ones oft time have the head fly off during hammering...not good!! Some sort of design stamp or hard object like a slot head screw driver or a bolt used on its side etc. Most of these tips will be for deign stamps. It is best to have the silver you are stamping at dead soft. I teach intensive one day classes in Dallas Texas in wire and metal arts.

Hold the stamp firmly on the location you are going to stamp and brace with your pinky on the steel block or anvil. You will have more control of the design stamp this way using your pink as a fulcrum. Be sure to hold the stamp as vertical as possible to get a full clean impression. Take several practice swings like a golfer before firmly striking the stamp with the hammer. 

Determining the alignment of a stamp

Think of the face of a stamp as a clock and the 12 position as the top. Using a Sharpie place a single dot on the rod of the stamp end at the 12 position and 2 dots stacked at the 6.

Is the object you are stamping sliding off of the steel block?

I use tacky finger used for quick page turning or money counting. Put a little on the item you are stamping face down and it will stay put better. If your steel block is really slick you might sand it lightly for better grip.

Is the silver curling as you stamp?

As you stamp silver you are changing it's shape too. If you do several stamps on or near the same area the silver will bowl or curl. In order to continue to properly stamp you will need to smooth the silver by fliping it over and tapping smooth with a plastic mallet on the steel block.

If you are stamping words or names

1st you make a line where you want the words to be with a Sharpie pen. That gives you a guide to work with. You can easily remove the line with fine steel wool that is avaiable in the paint department at the hardware store.

Are you getting double images ( ghosting) when you stamp?

The steel block might be bouncing if this  happens. To dampen the bounce affect get a few sheets of news paper and fold in a quarter and place under the steel block. Also be sure to press firmly with the stamp when stamping.

Practice stamping on leather.

Most craft stores sell bulk bags of leather. they come in handy at the silver workers bench. They also offer a low cost method of practicing stamping.