I am having difficulty stamping my work. I don’t seem to have enough hands to hold the piece then stamp it in. Is there a tool I can use, or any tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you Amanda
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What are you stamping?
For rings, I often use a small blob of glue from a hot glue gun on my steel bench block and set the ring in this. Once set, your hands are free to use your stamp and hammer without the ring wobbling about. This is a great method especially if you have a pattern on the shank as it wont mar it.
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Amanda is it possible to plan your work so you can stamp it while it is still flat? I do that with rings and bracelets. And most everything else now that I think about it. But I also forget now and then and have to stamp them when the are turned. Not easy at all.
Don.
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Adding to Don’s good suggestion, buy or have made a stamping block with various profiles machined into it. This way you can stamp half round or triangular stock without distorting it.
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If you make lots of rings it may be worthwhile to purchase a stamping machine of some type. There’re some that are arbor presses which holds the stamp for you so you can hold the ring and just pull on a handle, but those are pretty pricey.
I. Shor sells a type that is fairly inexpensive. It holds the stamp for you so you can position the ring and strike the stamp.
Thank you, this would be great! I will have to save my pennies as shipping to Canada is the same prices as the Tool 
I use a zinc fishing sinker. A big one. You simply flatten it (if its a weird shaped sinker) with a large flat faced hammer. The zinc is soft and the ring sinks slightly into it when stamping. It doesn’t mar the piece. Its is cheap and when stamping it the stamp does jump or move.
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