Show us your wax seals

[ZeissIkon]

If you happen to be able to get material for Chinese seals [stamps actually], you'll save yourself the trouble of using power tools. The rock is very soft and is carved using the corner of a small chisel like tool.

 

One stone that would work well for this is alabaster -- it's a form of gypsum, soft enough that small alabaster jars and pots are turned with wood turning type tools on treadle or spring pole lathes (and have been for at least a couple thousand years in the Middle East). Any rock shop should have alabaster samples available. Alabaster also takes a good polish without excessive effort and is pretty, which is why it's been used for small jars and pots for the last couple millennia.

 

Okay, alabaster actually refers also to calcite (commonly called Egyptian Alabaster or Oriental Alabaster), aka marble or limestone, specifically a banded type deposited by water, which is harder but still workable with woodworking tools (and patience). It's mechanically tougher, but more susceptible to chemical decomposition by acids; common alabaster, found in England and various place in North America, is probably a better choice for making your own sealing stamp; it's easier to work, less likely to deteriorate from skin acids, and the surface can be hardened with various treatments ranging from lacquer to metallic deposition (the same methods used to plate chrome on plastics should work to put copper, nickel, or even gold on alabaster, assuming it doesn't crumble in the vacuum chamber at the first vapor deposition step).

[Vulcan1066]

I will be trying to get my scanner cleaned off so I can send samples but here is what I have:

 

fleur de lis- purchased at Michaels in the wedding section

 

letter K- gift but I am assuming its a Van Court

 

Makers Mark- gift from a Makers Mark ambassador

 

quill and pen- gift from an ex. Most likey purchased at Barnes and Noble...the only store she shooped at

 

skull and cross bones- Jas Townsend and sons re-enactment suppliers

 

Imperial seal from Star Wars - custom made

see my avatar to see what it looks like

Edited September 7, 2009 by Vulcan1066

[turban1]

if one searches for cufflinks on ebay, firms in thailand offer seals and similar cut from lapis and harder gemstones. the prices are $100-200 or so and the work looks good -- complex coats of arms, etc. i do not know if they supply the handles, but they cannot be hard to find - it is the seal cutter who is rare today, and pricey when found in the West. it might be worth a gander.

[Anglofil]

I must be doing something wrong, because I'm afraid that I can't find any of those firms. Could you please give the link to one? Or the search-pattern?

[His Nibs]

Ah, I have that same ring. (We should use the secret handshake).

 

What I use for my seals though is a signet ring made of my 'His Nibs' character. He's adorned thousands and thousands of customer notes after 10 or 12 years of use (every order goes out with a handwritten note and is sealed). I use faux wax with a glue gun, which has a chance of making it through the postal system on the occasions I use a seal on the outside of an envelope. This rather old picture is from my faux wax page:

 

http://www.hisnibs.com/images/Hot%20Stiks/Assorted%20seals.jpg

 

I. too have just started to use wax ....don't have a seal yet, so I just use my ring, which fortunately has a symmetrical pattern. But it's a bit small. I was going to try a pic, but my digicam appears just to have died

The wax is a bit dull, but very flexible!

Lazarus Minolta has arisen! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/rogerb40uk/RedSeal.jpg

 

[froldt]

I made it a point yesterday to finish my search for some suitable materials for seal making. I ended up with three stones, which I will try and Dremel into seal-like shapes, following these instructions from instructables.com. Perhaps this weekend I'll have a chance to get some more done on this project.

 

If you happen to be able to get material for Chinese seals [stamps actually], you'll save yourself the trouble of using power tools. The rock is very soft and is carved using the corner of a small chisel like tool.

 

I've already got the stones from the *ahem* landscaping, and the Dremel, so I'm not too concerned about it. I figure that the time spent getting one made right will be worth it, since I don't think I'll be able to wear it out any time soon. (Having said that, if it does get to be more of a hassle than I feel like going through, I will definitely keep this bit of info in mind.)

[Rena]

I'm enjoying this thread very much. Neil, your box of seals is awesome! Froldt, how goes the stone cutting?

 

[foxtail1]

My recent seal from Dexter Rings and Seal Engraving (and I'm planning another):

 

 

 

 

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j111/kiavonne/Pens/Dexter%20Desk%20Seal/355.jpg

 

 

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j111/kiavonne/Pens/Dexter%20Desk%20Seal/396.jpg

 

That is spectacular. I'm heading to their website. (FPN is a terrible place for impulse buyers! I get enabled for things I never thought I needed!)

 

Kristi

[Rena]

I noticed my photos disappeared in the FPN software upgrade so I'm putting them back in this thread.

 

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k313/Cankapopa/WaxSealsOpen.jpg

 

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k313/Cankapopa/Snail-Seals.jpg

 

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k313/Cankapopa/Snail-SealingWax.jpg

 

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k313/Cankapopa/AG-WaxImpression.jpg

[froldt]

Froldt, how goes the stone cutting?

I finally made the time to dremel out my stamp last week. I flattened it a couple of weeks ago (and realized that 3 of the 4 stones I had collected won't work) but had not progressed further. The most recent assignment in my 3-d art studio involved "found objects". It occured to me that I could combine some desired projects for this assignment, and kill 3 birds with one stone.

 

My project is the construction of a hand-made journal (the prototype has already been done, and this will be a more serious attempt), the creation of my stamp, and the completion of the assignment. Materials have been gathered for the journal, the stamp has been completed, and the project is in-progress.

I'm not quite thrilled with the stamp, I was unable to get as fine of details as I hoped for with the dremel bits available to me. However, it is an acceptable beginning, and I know that the idea is sound. I will keep my eyes out for more suitable material and tools so that 2.0 will be improved. I'll try and get pictures soon.

[Rena]

Very exciting to hear about your projects, Froldt. In fact, I am now closer to making an attempt at carving a stamp myself ("closer" but not ready). Besides my seals and my one chop, I have an uncarved, soapstone chop that has been sitting in a box in a closet for years. I do not have a dremel; however, I do have a small set of woodcarving tools that I've wondered about. It's possible they may be able to cut through the soapstone, but I think I'd have to pound the ends, as with a chisel, rather than carve. The design would have to be quite simple, and I think angular. I'm just in the thinking stage, but your post encourages me. If I did this, I'm sure I would not be thrilled with a first attempt either, but the thrill of trying is intriguing.

 

p.s. Now I see my photos in the original post have returned. My apologies for posting again. Very strange.

[ZeissIkon]

Besides my seals and my one chop, I have an uncarved, soapstone chop that has been sitting in a box in a closet for years. I do not have a dremel; however, I do have a small set of woodcarving tools that I've wondered about. It's possible they may be able to cut through the soapstone, but I think I'd have to pound the ends, as with a chisel, rather than carve.

 

If you don't take too much of a bite at once, you won't need to pound on those chisels to cut soapstone; further, they don't even need to be particularly sharp. Cutting soapstone requires more of a scraping than carving action, and steel is so much harder than talc (the alternate name for soapstone) that you could probably do all but the fine details with a plain framing nail. You can probably mark the block with a fingernail, come to that, though actually trying to carve with your fingernails would be slow...

[Rena]

Besides my seals and my one chop, I have an uncarved, soapstone chop that has been sitting in a box in a closet for years. I do not have a dremel; however, I do have a small set of woodcarving tools that I've wondered about. It's possible they may be able to cut through the soapstone, but I think I'd have to pound the ends, as with a chisel, rather than carve.

 

If you don't take too much of a bite at once, you won't need to pound on those chisels to cut soapstone; further, they don't even need to be particularly sharp. Cutting soapstone requires more of a scraping than carving action, and steel is so much harder than talc (the alternate name for soapstone) that you could probably do all but the fine details with a plain framing nail. You can probably mark the block with a fingernail, come to that, though actually trying to carve with your fingernails would be slow...

 

 

Really!? Then I'm even closer than I thought to giving it a try!! Thanks, ZeissIkon!

[jstar]

I made my soapstone wax seal using a combination of pocket knife, knitting needles, and a linoleum cutter. It's fun to work with, although the dust worries me. I'm having a hard time with straight edges. I carved it about four years ago and use it often, but I try and "refine" it every once in a while, anyway.)

[ZeissIkon]

I made my soapstone wax seal using a combination of pocket knife, knitting needles, and a linoleum cutter. It's fun to work with, although the dust worries me. I'm having a hard time with straight edges. I carved it about four years ago and use it often, but I try and "refine" it every once in a while, anyway.)

 

The dust from soapstone is the same stuff as talcum powder, only less fine -- most of it is too coarse to become airborne, so it isn't an inhalation hazard, and you won't generate enough of the really fine dust carving and polishing one seal or chop to worry about. The inhalation hazard with talc, BTW, is that some types contain a fibrous structure that's slightly similar to asbestos, and there's been concern that this could cause asbestosis or mesothelioma with long term exposure; this was the reason there was a flap about baby powder that resulted in the introduction of cornstarch powders a few years ago. If you don't carve soapstone all day, every day, for years on end, I wouldn't worry about it; even real asbestos hasn't been shown to be significantly hazardous without multi-year exposure, and talc hasn't (AFAIK) been proven to be similar enough to carry the same hazard; the baby powder flap was one of those "protect the children at any cost" things that Americans seem prone to.

[Northwoods]

Another thread to love/hate! I have a custom laser engraved seal, and a small round hanko stamp. The deep engraved seal from Dexter is something I've been wanting a long time, but haven't come up with a design to put upon it yet.

[escribo]

*sigh*

Engraved calling cards; now this...

 

From Dexter's site:

Seal Engraved rings are engraved traditionally in reverse; to produce a positive 3D wax impression - We supply a wax impression taken from the actual ring with each of our seal engraved rings.

But their rings are shown as positives, as are many of the seal stamps shown in this thread.

 

So, pardon my ignorance -- do you wear a mirror-imaged ring and have everyone wonder, or do the recipients of your letters hold your seal up to a mirror to read it?

[Northwoods]

*sigh*

Engraved calling cards; now this...

 

From Dexter's site:

Seal Engraved rings are engraved traditionally in reverse; to produce a positive 3D wax impression - We supply a wax impression taken from the actual ring with each of our seal engraved rings.

But their rings are shown as positives, as are many of the seal stamps shown in this thread.

 

So, pardon my ignorance -- do you wear a mirror-imaged ring and have everyone wonder, or do the recipients of your letters hold your seal up to a mirror to read it?

 

If you're wearing the ring as just a ring, you'd want to go with a positive image. If you want the ring primarily as a seal, you'd want a negative image on the ring.

 

One way to look at it is that anyone can have a nice engraved ring. But when people see the negative image, they'll either be curious or aware that it's no ordinary ring: it's a seal.

 

Well, that, or you're from a mirror universe.

[escribo]

Thanks; I should have read their next paragraph.

Deep for Show engraved rings, which are deeply engraved for show only NOT engraved in reverse! - Although reversed we still supply a wax impression with all our deep for show rings to highlight the sheer beauty and intricate detail of all our engravings.

Looking at page two of their clan rings, I found ones like this:

http://www.familysealrings.com/folio/images/clan/clan-Wallace-sm.jpg

Duh

Edited October 18, 2009 by escribo

[pmorin]

*sigh*

Engraved calling cards; now this...

 

So, pardon my ignorance -- do you wear a mirror-imaged ring and have everyone wonder, or do the recipients of your letters hold your seal up to a mirror to read it?

 

Images I posted were either a photo of a wax seal made from the seal, or a scan of the seal itself that I then flipped to the 'positive' so it was legible easily.