Almost Free Clear Blocks for Unmounted Stamps

Acrylic or Polymer unmounted stamps are cheaper than traditional wood-mounted rubber stamps and take up less storage space. But stampers need an assortment of different sized transparent acrylic blocks for mounting them on, an added expense. I have made my own successfully and for free, using clear Lexan from my local glass shop.

Step 1 Supplies

You need:
permanent marker
cutting tool (I have used a scroll saw and a mitre saw and found the mitre saw better for making straight cuts of small material)
sandpaper
straightedge
piece of clear Lexan, about 1/2" thick or thicker

Clear Lexan: I got mine at my local autoglass shop. I just asked for a scrap of the thickest clear Lexan they had in stock. They haven't ever charged me for it - but I would expect it to be just a few dollars if they did bill me. And I get 6 or more blocks from one scrap, depending on the sizes I want.

Comments

[riggita]

Very cool information. Knowing what you can find for free or cheap is awesome. I've got piles of free chipboard, heavy book board, corrugated cardboard, etc. Creative craft shopping / scrounging is fun! Thanks.

[All Damsel, No Distress]

Where are you getting your unmounted stamps?

[fehrlycertain]

They are pretty widely available in the scrapbooking world now. The stamp pictured is from Close to My Heart.

[fehrlycertain]

Yes, I've just asked for any scrap pieces they have - the thickest possible, which is usually 1/2" or 5/8" - this is a little thinner than the acrylic blocks you buy but doesn't affect their functionality. I couldn't tell you what a fair price would be - I've asked for scrap on two occasions and haven't paid for it yet. It's usually an odd-shaped piece and I have to adjust my cuts to make the most frugal use of the Lexan.

[jsoroko]

Are you using the glass shop's scrap Lexan? And - if your local glass shop was't so inclined, what's a fair price/good source? I don't collect stamps - but think this could be adapted to many wonderful things .... great instructable. J.

[canida]

What do you use to affix the stamp?

[fehrlycertain]

Unmounted acrylic stamps are repositionable - like those window cling stickers. So you have an assortment of different blocks to fit the unmounted stamps. After stamping, the stamp is cleaned and removed for storage.