Using a Metal Stamp for a Potter's Makers Mark or Burning on Wood!

Summary

In this video, Karen from Karen's Pots and Glass showcases how to use a Maker's Mark stamp for both pottery and wood burning. She demonstrates using a metal stamp designed by herself with the company 'Stamp Yours' from Cleveland, Ohio, to imprint her brand onto clay pots and wood tool handles. Karen explains the versatility of such stamps, which can be 3D printed, rubber, or metal, and emphasizes the crisp edge detail provided by metal stamps, particularly for her wood-burning tools available on Etsy. The video concludes with a tutorial on wood burning with the metal stamp, offering a practical guide for artists looking to personalize their creations.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Karen is a high school ceramics teacher, potter, and YouTuber who creates ceramics tutorial videos.
• 🔖 The video focuses on Maker's Mark stamps, which Karen uses to imprint her work with a personalized logo.
• 🧱 Karen explains that Maker's Mark stamps can be made from various materials, including clay, rubber, 3D-printed plastic, and metal.
• 🏷️ Karen received a customized metal stamp from a company called Stamp Yours, which she uses for both clay work and wood burning.
• 🛠️ The metal stamp provides a crisp edge, making it ideal for detailed work on clay and wood.
• 🌐 Karen preferred to source her stamp from a company in the U.S. and found Stamp Yours, a Cleveland-based company.
• 🔗 She mentions that links to her previous videos and the Stamp Yours company are available in the video description.
• 🧰 Karen demonstrates how to use the stamp on clay pieces, particularly on beveled surfaces for a clear imprint.
• 🔥 The same metal stamp can be attached to an electric branding iron for wood burning, which Karen uses to mark her wood tools.
• 📜 Karen advises sanding over-burned areas on wood to achieve a cleaner look and emphasizes the importance of marking her tools for identification.

Q & A

Who is the presenter of the video, and what is her background?

The presenter is Karen Walsh, a high school ceramics teacher, potter, and YouTuber who creates ceramics tutorial videos to help people working with clay.

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is Maker's Mark stamps, specifically how to use them in ceramics and wood burning.

What are some types of Maker's Mark stamps mentioned in the video?

The video mentions clay-made stamps, 3D printed stamps, rubber stamps, and metal stamps.

Why does Karen prefer metal Maker's Mark stamps for her work?

Karen prefers metal stamps because they provide a nice, crisp edge, which is essential for getting detailed imprints in clay and for wood burning.

What specific use does Karen have for her Maker's Mark stamp?

Karen uses her Maker's Mark stamp to imprint her brand, 'Karen's Pots and Glass,' on both her ceramic pieces and wooden tools, which she sells on Etsy.

Where did Karen find the company that made her custom metal stamp?

Karen found the company, Stamp Yours, based in Cleveland, Ohio, after researching online and looking for a U.S.-based manufacturer.

How does Karen use her metal stamp for wood burning?

Karen uses an electric branding iron with a brass head to burn her Maker's Mark into wooden tools, applying the stamp by rocking it back and forth on a flat surface.

What are some challenges Karen faces when using the stamp for wood burning?

Karen mentions that because her tools have a rounded surface, she sometimes misses parts of the design, like the 's' in her logo, which she corrects by sanding the overburned areas.

What advice does Karen give for using the branding iron safely?

Karen advises keeping a spare piece of wood on hand to test the branding iron's heat and using the provided stand to avoid setting the hot iron directly on a surface.

Where can viewers find more information about the tools and materials Karen uses?

Viewers can find links to the tools and the Stamp Yours company in the video description and by following the links provided in the video.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Introduction to Maker's Mark Stamps

Karen, a high school ceramics teacher and YouTuber, introduces her video on Maker's Mark stamps. She discusses different types of stamps, including 3D printed, rubber, and metal ones. Karen emphasizes her preference for metal stamps due to their crisp edges, which are ideal for both clay work and wood burning. She explains her search for a U.S.-based company and eventually partners with 'Stamp Yours' from Cleveland to design a custom stamp for her ceramics and wood tools.

05:01

🔥 Demonstrating the Branding Iron

Karen demonstrates how to use the metal stamp as a branding iron for wood burning. She describes the process of heating the branding iron, testing it on spare wood, and then applying it to her wood tools. Karen explains how she corrects any over-burned areas with sandpaper and emphasizes the importance of having an identifiable mark on her tools for future sales. She also mentions that these stamps can be purchased separately or with a branding iron and recommends the brass end for wood burning. Karen concludes by providing a link to 'Stamp Yours' and encourages viewers to support the American-made company.

Keywords

💡Maker's Mark stamps

Maker's Mark stamps are personalized tools used to imprint a unique mark or logo on clay or other materials, indicating the creator of a piece. In the video, Karen discusses different types of Maker's Mark stamps, including those made from clay, rubber, and metal. These stamps are essential for potters and artisans to leave their signature on their work, establishing brand identity.

💡Clay

Clay is a malleable natural material used in pottery and ceramics. In the video, Karen demonstrates how to use metal Maker's Mark stamps to imprint her brand onto clay pieces, ensuring that the mark is crisp and detailed. Clay is the primary medium she works with, both as a high school ceramics teacher and a potter.

💡Wood burning

Wood burning is the process of using a heated tool to burn designs or text into wood. Karen discusses how she wanted a Maker's Mark stamp that could also be used for wood burning, particularly for marking her handmade wood tools. She shows how the same metal stamp used on clay can be attached to a branding iron for this purpose.

💡Stamp Yours

Stamp Yours is a company based in Cleveland, Ohio, that produces custom metal stamps. Karen discovered this company while searching for a U.S.-based manufacturer of high-quality metal stamps for her pottery and wood burning needs. She collaborated with them to create a stamp that meets her specific requirements.

💡Branding Iron

A branding iron is a tool used to burn a design or logo into a material, typically wood, by applying heat. In the video, Karen demonstrates how she uses a branding iron with a metal stamp head to imprint her logo onto wooden tools. This process allows her to mark her products with her brand name, 'Karen's pots and glass.'

💡Crisp Edge

A crisp edge refers to the sharpness and clarity of the design imprinted by a stamp. Karen emphasizes the importance of having a Maker's Mark stamp with a crisp edge to ensure that the details of her brand name are clearly visible on both clay and wood surfaces. This quality is particularly important for achieving professional results.

💡Etsy shop

Etsy is an online marketplace where artisans and creators sell handmade or vintage items. Karen mentions that she sells her wood tools, which she marks using the branding iron, on her Etsy shop. This platform allows her to reach a wider audience and sell her handcrafted products directly to customers.

💡Bevel

A bevel is a sloped surface or edge. In the video, Karen shows how she uses the bevels on her clay pieces to position the Maker's Mark stamp, allowing her to imprint her logo evenly by rocking the stamp along the beveled edge. This technique ensures a clear and consistent mark.

💡High school ceramics teacher

A high school ceramics teacher is an educator who teaches students the art and techniques of working with clay. Karen introduces herself as a high school ceramics teacher, highlighting her experience and expertise in the field. This role informs her instructional approach in the video, where she shares tips and techniques with her audience.

💡Outpost Pottery

Outpost Pottery is another pottery-related entity mentioned in the video, which provided Karen with a 3D-printed Maker's Mark stamp. While Karen primarily uses metal stamps, she acknowledges that Maker's Mark stamps can be made from various materials, including those created by other potters like Outpost Pottery.

Highlights

Introduction by Karen Walsh, a high school ceramics teacher, potter, and YouTuber specializing in ceramics tutorials.

Karen introduces the concept of Maker's Mark stamps and their various uses in ceramics and wood burning.

Karen discusses different types of Maker's Mark stamps, including those made from clay, rubber, and metal.

Emphasis on metal Maker's Mark stamps, which provide a crisp edge, ideal for detailed work in clay.

Karen shares her goal of using a Maker's Mark stamp that works well both in clay and for wood burning.

Details on finding a company in the U.S. called 'Stamp Yours,' which creates customized metal stamps.

Karen explains how she uses a long metal stamp for branding her wood tools with 'Karen's Pots and Glass.'

Demonstration of how to use the metal stamp on clay, showcasing the technique of rocking the stamp to get a clear imprint.

Karen discusses the limitations of using the metal stamp on pieces with a trimmed foot, making it more suitable for certain clay pieces.

Transition to using the metal stamp for wood burning, showing the versatility of the tool.

Explanation of the branding iron setup, including the use of a brass head that screws onto an electric iron.

Karen emphasizes the importance of testing the branding iron on spare wood before using it on actual projects.

Demonstration of wood burning with the metal stamp on rounded wood tools, discussing the challenge of achieving precision on curved surfaces.

Advice on how to correct overburned areas with sandpaper to create a more precise finish.

Final tips on using metal stamps for both clay and wood, with a recommendation to check out 'Stamp Yours' for custom stamps.

Transcripts

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I am Karen within Walsh of Karen's pots

and glass uh welcome back to my home

studio here in my basement I am a high

school Ceramics teacher and Potter and

YouTuber of Ceramics tutorial videos to

help people along their journey of

working with Clay today's video is going

to be about Maker's Mark stamps now I

have Maker's Mark stamps that I've shown

in the past how to make these out of

clay you can always check that video out

on my channel and I'll link it in the

video description below and if you look

up here you'll find a find a link to it

as well but Maker's Mark stamps can be

lots of different things they could be

3D printed now this is not mine but it's

one that was sent to me by Outpost

Pottery they could be a rubber stamps

like this is one where I may I had some

rubber stamped made and I just made some

little bitty ones for maker smart stamps

but some of the nicest ones are actually

made of metal metal and they have a

really nice crisp Edge so

I really wanted a Maker's Mark stamp

that had two purposes number one I

wanted to be able to use it in clay so I

needed it to have a really nice crisp

Edge so I got the detail in the clay but

the second thing was I really wanted one

that could be used as wood burning in

the wood tools that I make and those are

available on my

Etsy shop if you look up here above

you'll see some links but the um the

kind of tool that I ended up by getting

I I did a little research online and I

could find a bunch of different

um uh people that sold them on Etsy but

it all seemed like maybe they were made

abroad and I really was looking for a

company that made them here in the U.S

and I found I just Googled and I found

this great little company called stamp

yours that's out of Cleveland and I

reached out to them and I said hey this

is what I'm looking for I was wondering

if we could do a partnership so they

sent me a um a stamp that I designed and

it is quite long so it says my Karen's

pots and glass on it and the point of

this is again I use it when I do my wood

tools and I burn it into the handle of

the wood tools that will be at the end

of the video I'll show that but um I

wanted to show you how you could uh use

these metal stamps real nicely in clay

so

um this is a longer one than normal most

of the time they're you know smaller

like round or something and they stamp

real easily like on the side so on mine

I wanted to

um use utilize it on a couple of these

that have bevels and the bevel will give

me like a nice little area

where I can just rock it and rotate it

around there we go and there we go it

says Karen's pots and glass and then

I'll do the same thing on this big vase

I just want to orient it so it's not

upside down okay and

and just gonna again rock it around

right on the bevel

so you can see now it says Karen's pots

and glass so um I don't normally stamp

all of my pots with this one because

obviously if I had something with a

trimmed foot it would be hard to get it

on a little piece with a trimmed foot I

did want to be able to utilize it on

some of my clay pieces but more so on

the wood burning so

um let's go to that now and I'll show

you the wood burning

all right so now I'm going to show you

how this can be used for wood burning so

this uh screws on and I can't really

touch it right now because it's already

hot the brass head just screws onto this

and this is the uh Branding Iron that is

electric I've had it uh sitting here

heating up for like 10-15 minutes it

comes with this handy dandy little uh

stand because you of course you would

never want to set that directly on a

table because it is hot enough that it

can burn wood

um so the way that I do this is I keep a

just a little spare piece of wood on

hand and I just test it to make sure

that it's hot enough that it can start

burning

and it is hot enough it can start

burning now these are my wood tools that

I'm going to burn again if I am just

using this on a pot I'm not going to

have it uh screwed on to it as I'm using

it

um and these do have sort of a rounded

surface so I'm going to just try to pick

the flattest surface possible

and then I just kind of rock it back and

forth a little bit

and there we go now where I've over

burned it a little bit I'm just going to

hit it with a little bit of uh

sandpaper and that'll take off a little

bit of the overburn so it's a little bit

more precise

and sometimes because my tools are uh

uh um a little rounded I'm missing some

of the s's because it's starting to

round down that's not really a big deal

for me though I just like to have some

sort of identification on these uh when

I go to sell them

that way if people want them again they

know where to find me

so there we go that is using the same

metal

uh little stamp as a wood burning tool

now you do not have to buy it with a

branding iron so like if you wanted just

the metal end they have them in brass

and they have them in other metals uh

the brass one is designed specifically

for uh being able to use with wood so

you can get one that's not the brass end

and again different sizes I will put the

link to the company uh stamp yours in

the video description so you can check

them out again a nice little American uh

Made Company here in Cleveland Ohio and

uh tell them that I sent yeah all right

enjoy and keep potting if you can

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