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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 commercial rubber stamps. About 25 cents a square inch.
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Signing UpStep 1Gather all your equipment and supplies
The process of making a polymer stamp is a fairly straightforward, once you know the basics. Simply put, Photopolymer is a liquid polymer that is reactive to UV light and will harden when exposed. Knowing this, a negative can be made that allows the UV light to show through only where the stamp image is to be. The negative and polymer is exposed and the excess polymer washed away, leaving your custom rubber stamp.
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 4 inches 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.
Materials
Light Fixture and UV Bulb
Developer Plates
Digital Timer (must measure seconds)
Photopolymer
Washout Solution
Substrate Film
Damming tape
Transparency Film
Two containers to hold liquid
Gentle scrub or tooth brush
Baby powder, Cornstarch, or talc
Optional
Clear acrylic or Plexiglass for mounting stamps
Pink erasor
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 4 inches 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.
Materials
Light Fixture and UV Bulb
Developer Plates
Digital Timer (must measure seconds)
Photopolymer
Washout Solution
Substrate Film
Damming tape
Transparency Film
Two containers to hold liquid
Gentle scrub or tooth brush
Baby powder, Cornstarch, or talc
Optional
Clear acrylic or Plexiglass for mounting stamps
Pink erasor
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Cheers :-)
This technique is what is used in screen printing, which is also based on negative images used in conjunction with photosensitive materials.
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Wait til dark, turn on that 60's party light and begin the hunt. Be ruthless! Look behind and under all furniture, inside closets and down heating vents, search way up high on doors and walls. On ceilings! Other things will glow (greasy smears from old Chinese-take out for instance) but not like this - greenish-yellow spatters and oh god, boggy pools you've been sloshing around in bare feet while bemoaning your nasty foot B.O. and thinking you'll never wear sandals again, or run barefoot in the grass or any other public place. Of course, if you're Peter Jackson, don't worry. You're excused.
But once tracked down, does it really matter since nothing seems to do a dang bit of good anyway? I spent gobs on Nature's Miracle, Pet Potty Pure, Enzyme-R-Us, etc. In desperation one day I grabbed the closest thing with a nozzle - and it worked! And it's not supposed to! According to Federal Law, they'll come and get you if it's not 'used as directed', which is to aim high and lightly spray to 'glycol-ize' cooking and ciggie-butt odors AND THAT'S IT. It's Ozium Air Sanitizer (Medco Industries). I aim low and drench and it's for cat-butt odor. So sue me.
So, once drenched (lightly) I cover the wet spot with a towel and a plastic garbage bag so nothing leaks. It's bad if the kitties lick it off their little feet (although there have been times...). After a few hours I walk on the towel - sometimes two or three - until it's blotted up. It's been about a month and so far so good.
It's an Honest-to-God Miracle, I tell ya. With 9 cats we were dying - literally - but no longer. We now invite guests over without fearing remorse and/or ugly gossip. It's always fun to see their amazed expressions (the ones who actually show up) once we convince them they can remove their surgical masks.
Being frugal, I was concerned I'd have little use for my Pee-Flee Light once the stink search became redundant (well, we can always throw 60's parties). But now, I get to use it to make stamps for my polymer clay obsession! Yay!
Love,
BarbaraCat
p.s. Gee, maybe the 'Animals' section should get a copy of this. Ya think? But shhh! Only us Indestructables - it's only fair. First, we buy lotsa stock and THEN tell all our other forums. The World will make a bum rush for Ozium Air Sanitizer and who'd blame them? We'll be rich!! Oh yeah, it works on those other odors too.