My prototype design of a survey disk stamping jig that I finished yesterday. I am sure someone like Dave Ingram can really make a nice one. A lot of the remonumentation projects I do get special stamps disks, so this will help make everything look uniform. The stamp holder can move anywhere on the disk or remain in one location while the disk is rotated. The stamp holder can also rotate for beveled edges. I think I can make lines around the edge once I figure out proper spacing and rotate the disk each time a certain distance. This jig is made for 3.5" disks.
Jerry,
I love it! Great idea!
Dave
> My prototype design of a survey disk stamping jig that I finished yesterday.
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I think I'd want the disc resting on endgrain and on a block with more mass. A large-diameter section of hardwood log would be perfect. That way, it's geared up for harder materials like brass and bronze, too.
Looks good to me. Don't know that I would have done any better.
Very nice, do you take it to the field?
Most of my caps are stamped onsite and I have a block of iron with a hole to set the cap in, or a turned up fence post driver, no where as precise at your jig.;-)
Nice work! It's great to have a tool that brings precision to a repetitive little job.
The index lines could be CAD generated, plotted on paper, and transferred to the wood with a prick punch.
“I think I'd want the disc resting on endgrain and on a block with more mass. A large-diameter section of hardwood log would be perfect. That way, it's geared up for harder materials like brass and bronze, too.”
Have you ever complimented one on their ingeniousness rather than suggest a better methodology for accomplishing the same result according to your “specifications”?
no disrespect, just asking. in a polite way;-)
> Have you ever complimented one on their ingeniousness rather than suggest a better methodology for accomplishing the same result according to your “specifications”?
Well, it's a prototype, right? Any improvement would be intended to make the thing work better. The problem with using a southern yellow pine block in that orientation is that it tends (a) to absorb some of the energy of the blow and (b) to compress over time. Been there and done it.
The other thing to shoot for would be to simplify the mechanism. The positions of the die don't need to be infinitely adjustable since there really are just two or three rings on the disc within which the stampings would normally fall. So if you have a massive block, you can make a sort of "bridge" to hold the die that plugs into holes in the block, with different sets locating the die on different rings of stamping.
I'd think there are other variations that are simpler yet.
"Well, it's a prototype, right?"
I believe so as indicated in the first sentence of the post.
The question was do you ever compliment anyone for a cool invention.
B-)
end of discussion on my part 🙂
> The question was do you ever compliment anyone for a cool invention.
I didn't get the idea that Jerry was presenting this as an invention, but as a form of jig for stamping discs. I do think that refining the thing for simplicity, durability, and utility is a great goal and understood this as the first iteration of the design that was to be simplified, made more durable, and more functional. My comments were in that spirit.
Looking forward to Kent's new and improved final production version!
> Looking forward to Kent's new and improved final production version!
I think you probably could make it out of just two or three pieces of wood and it would be simpler to fabricate and to use. All the die holder is doing is supporting a die in a more or less fixed position and angle with respect to the piece being stamped.
The die does need to be adjustable to not only go around the outer ring(s), but also horizontally across the middle such as placing section numbers in the four quadrants.
Can't you get around the edges by spinning the monument?
That's quite a creation, J.P., looks like it will do everything you need it to...just don't miss when you shower down with the hammer.
BTW - I Googled "stamping jig" just to see if there was anything remotely similar. Here's what a Google Search turned up:
:pinch:
> The die does need to be adjustable to not only go around the outer ring(s), but also horizontally across the middle such as placing section numbers in the four quadrants.
I'd think that would translate into several pairs of index holes in the base to register the jig in.
That would be perfect for our commemorative paper weight disks that we present to retirees. We cut the stem off a bronze cap and put their name a dates of service, then polish and laquor it.
For production I would want a larger hole to handle the cap for rebar, and a quick release system to allow you to remove the cap and insert a new one easly.
Have you considered one that will do multiple characters with one blow from the hammer? All of our monuments have a place to stamp the year so right now, we are stamping 2015 on many monuments. We don't have them pre stamped because someone would grab one of the left overs and use it plus caps are not cheap and we try not to waste any.
> Have you considered one that will do multiple characters with one blow from the hammer?
For something that would stamp an entire cap in one go, I'd think you'd want to use a hydraulic jack to apply the force instead of a hammer.
Even better, if you mounted an old IBM Selectric typewriter, you could just type the letters and numbers.
> Even better, if you mounted an old IBM Selectric typewriter, you could just type the letters and numbers.
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A variation on that would use a lever arm to apply the stamping force and a rotary wheel with the letters fixed to it. You'd have to experiment to see how long an arm was needed and you'd probably discover it was more of a shop-type setup than something for the field.