Hi All. Some months ago, I posted a question about the best material
to stamp against, especially if trying to stamp both sides of a piece
while minimizing distortion on the opposite side. An Orchid friend
emailed me weeks later suggesting a material called Tuff Brake,
It has been mentioned briefly here in the distant past, but a small
sample piece my friend sent showed some exciting potential. It’s a
rubbery kind of film that feels like polyurethane and apparently has
some kind of Teflon coating. It’s used in the die stamping business.
Stamping against it greatly reduced the distortion and scarring on
the other side. In fact, it created a rather lovely texture of its
own that I’ve been leaving mostly as is, rather than grinding down
the distortion to leave a flat surface- greatly reducing finishing
time, always a plus. I bought a bunch from another Orchidian (Deb
Jemmott, debjemmott.com) and I now have it wrapped around my bracelet
mandrels and on my stamping blocks. Fantastic stuff!! I does get
mangled after some use, but you just grab a new piece. Highly
recommended!!
Allan