glazenerd Posted February 28, 2016 Report Share Posted February 28, 2016 I am about to start work on a sculpted/ tiered structure Veterans Memorial to go along with a historical relief made from tile. The Veterans piece will be cast from B-mix stoneware @ 3/4" to 1" thick wet. I have to inscribe roughly 180 names from WW1 up to the Gulf Wars in a chronological order: including (sadly) seven KIA's. At this point I was planning on using a roman block lettering system: the normal script you see on memorials and tombstones. I have tried using a carbide bit on bisque, and a roto zip on greenware at this point: both look okay. Was thinking however it might be easier to emboss letters immediately after I shape a section. I have to assume there are stamping kits available- anyone have recommendations? Looks like 16-20 pixels at this point. Thoughts? Nerd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted February 28, 2016 Report Share Posted February 28, 2016 Not sure how professional it may be for this project but I have used letters form leather stamping toolkits to emboss clay in the past but for a project this size may not be practical. Also you may be lucky to find typesetting stuff but that is a rarity now. It had a little slide which you positioned the letters into and then pressed the slide in to clay, if working with clay. Sorry prob no help with this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted February 28, 2016 Report Share Posted February 28, 2016 You can still find old sign making equipment on eBay and such. I found some that I use for my clay work. They are about an inch to inch and a half tall by three quarters of an inch wide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted February 28, 2016 Report Share Posted February 28, 2016 Indoor or outdoor? If indoors, etch the names into the glazed surface post firing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted February 28, 2016 Report Share Posted February 28, 2016 I own about 6 stamp sets-one from the old printing days-I doubt these would be professional enough looking I like Benzines sign making ideas You could also use a CNC machine to cut bisque tile out-this will take a shop that will take your work How about a grave marker business doing the etching? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glazenerd Posted February 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 Babs: been looking at rubber stamp sets: could use them and tool the cut deeper. Benzine: will add that to my search. TY Bruce: originally planned for indoors/lobby. The local VFW has since contacted the Mayor proposing much larger at City Park.-outdoors. Mark: friend has CNC: on my list of options. TY for the input.... appreciated. Nerd ... will post a conceptual drawing shortly. Submitted and awaiting approval on recent modifications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted February 29, 2016 Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 These look like a pretty good set of stamps . . . http://www.mkmpotterytools.com/fonts.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glazenerd Posted February 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 Bruce: I actually like this set because of the size and the depth. I also like the classic wedge (V) cut they would create. Ty for the lead. More work doing one letter at a time, but if it produces the result- so be it! Nerd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
What? Posted February 29, 2016 Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 I use the rubber stamps on custom mugs. They are pretty awful. The stamps are not all centered or spaced so you must get down to the level of the clay and stamp to make the impression. Also if you press to firmly you get the line from the edge of the block. A finger can wipe this out if not too deep. The impression is not as deep as I would like. It gets the job done though. I would look into the MKM's but even though they have a marker for positioning I bet the letters are still difficult to space and line up and they are not cheap. For something like a Memorial hand stamping would be out of the question for me; unless I had an awesome set of old typeset. You might be able to get your hands on and engraver the kind they make name plaques out of and retro fit the cutter. Good luck. And congrats on the commission what an honor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted February 29, 2016 Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 if you ever took a class in lettering you will remember that each letter needs to be spaced properly to make the words look correct. individual letters on blocks don't let you do this easily. this is a really big job, hope you are successful in doing it without going slightly mad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glazenerd Posted February 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 Lady: I am going to cheat in one sense of the word: or prepared in another. I have a commercial CAD system I used for years in the construction business to make house plans. I also have a 24" x 36" commercial plotter/printer. I can set the font style, size, and angle to any shape I choose. I had already planned to lay out the memorial in sections according to the wars. IE- WW1. 2. Korea.. Nam.. etc. I will print out a complete section with the names on velum paper ( because it sticks and releases from clay.) I will then cut out the letters with an exacto knife, cast the piece, overlay the velum and stamp in the holes.So I will be able to see the exact appearance and spacing long before I start stamping. I specialize in tedious brain fry jobs: the more complicated they are- the more I love them. Nerd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted February 29, 2016 Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 so glad you can use technology to your advantage!!! i once ordered a professionally made sign. it arrived with each letter equally spaced from its neighbor. it was to fit on a 4 foot wide transom window over my door. it was more than 5 feet long. the owner of the shop replaced it while i watched. the kid who had done it watched and learned, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted February 29, 2016 Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 The letter stamps for fondant work well. They come with a plastic strip that aligns the letters and they are evenly spaced. I use the Wilton one, nice crisp lines, lines are thin though. http://www.wilton.com/88-piece-number-letter-press-set/2104-0236.html#q=letters&start=6 (Michaels carries them too) smaller set http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cake-Mold-Alphabet-Letter-Number-and-Slats-Silicone-Mould-For-Candy-Chocolate-/141638254644 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glazenerd Posted February 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 Min: We have a Micheal's not to far from the house: will check it out. Over the weekend I fired 3 simple test pieces with script depth of 1/8, 3/16, and 1.4". Threw them in the test kiln this afternoon: checking to see how depth effects the appearance of the letters. Once I determine depth, that will be a deciding factor in the stamp set. This coming weekend will work on a series of casting jigs for individual sections. I was smart enough to tell them that it would be completed late summer 2017. In addition to the memorial, there is also 23 linear feet of a tiled mural. It is going to take many many hours to get this made and set. Nerd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted March 1, 2016 Report Share Posted March 1, 2016 Nerd, if you have a plotter that cuts, I might have another soloution. Do the letters need to be impressed into the clay, or would they work raised, and highlighted with a translucent celadon-type glaze? I wrote out a tutorial a while ago on how I make raised letters on mugs I do for a local mental health centre. http://community.ceramicartsdaily.org/topic/7611-slip-printing-logos/?hl=%2Bslip+%2Bprinting I get a template of the words cut out of Mylar, and use it sort of like one might use a silkscreen, but with a thick slip that is just the same clay as the mug is made of. I print it onto newspaper so I can wrap it onto the curved surface, but think you could easily screen the slip directly onto your flat tiles much more easily. Depending on the font size, if the lettering is small, I can foresee issues in this method with loosing detail as the template is lifted. To avoid this, you could use the plotter to cut your template out of paper, screen the slip down and leave the paper in place to burn out in the kiln. (I've done some tar paper slip resist work where I couldn't find all the templates, and they went through the kiln. The slip on top of the paper template just rinsed away and left a much cleaner line than the templates I removed when the slip was wet.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glazenerd Posted March 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 Clay: Interesting concept, something I had not considered. Perhaps I should do a test sample.. hmmm. interesting. Nerd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted March 2, 2016 Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 http://lindaarbuckle.com/arbuckle-new-tools-cm.pdf die cutting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glazenerd Posted March 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2016 Bruce: I only have one problem with your post: now I want one. Was looking at the demos at the bottom and my creativity alarm started sounding. Been a long time since I had that "kid in a candy store" feeling- TY. Nerd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glazenerd Posted March 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 Here are the conceptual drawings: the first is the layout for the tile mural and memorial. The second is the memorial itself. The wainscot at the bottom of the mural I have already started making. Will post them later. Nerd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glazenerd Posted September 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2016 Finally, after several months of watching the wheels of bureaucracy "sloowwwlllyy" turn I had the third layout meeting. The VFW, Mayor, local museum, and County Historical Society members AGREED on preliminary designs I submitted. In a couple of more months, they should have the list of names of local residents who served in the wars starting in 1861. That said I am looking for a weathered bronze glaze, an alabaster glaze, and a gold (not gold leaf) glaze. Ty for the help. Nerd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted September 8, 2016 Report Share Posted September 8, 2016 Pete Pinnell is the king of Weathered Bronze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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