Logo On Wood w/o Branding Iron

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone had any experience getting a company logo onto wood.

A branding iron has a really nice look which is what I want (eventually) but right now I can't spend 200 plus dollars on one.

I was going to go the "custom rubber stamp" for the logo and light load of gel stain.

My question is:

  1. Would the stain react to the rubber on the stamp?
  2. Would the stain run when I apply a finish coat even after it's dried.

I've got to make a ton of these boxes and a need a quick, good looking way of applying a company logo.

Anybody try this?

JD.

Reply to
James Dean
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My assumption is that it probably would not if you removed it immediately. But since you need to do a ton of these it might. Have you considered simply using an ink to stamp the logo?

It should not providing it is truyely dried and you use caution around the logo area.

No, but I too have been contemplating using a branding iron for years but was always turned off by the cost and the time it would probably take to heat the iron up. Thanks for the idea of using a rubber stamp, I think I am going to try this idea out my self and use black ink.

Reply to
Leon

Does it have to have your logo? Lee Valley Tools has three types of branding irons with various types of word configurations available. The cheapest is about $40 Canadian. Enter "branding" as your search parameter.

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Reply to
Upscale

Some types of iron-on transfer sheets such as the ones used for making t-shirts can also be used on wood. You could probably print 15-20 logos on a single sheet, cut them out and apply them to each piece.

Lee

Reply to
Lee Gordon

You might try finding someone local to laser engrave them for you. It might not be the look you want, but if it is they might be able to make you a nice price based on volume. I do a lot of my own stuff that way and also engrave pieces for others. Your box would have to be able to fit inside the laser in most cases so it may or may not fit in every machine. You can also fill a laser engraved logo with one or more colors if that were appropriate or desired.

James Dean wrote:

Reply to
PCProffitt

PCProffitt wrote in news:WShVe.10759$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net:

A local trophy shop did the name tags for our woodworking club with their laser engraver. Came out really nicely, with excellent detail on the logo. These would have to be attached in some manner to the piece.

The price was under $5 each in modest volume, as I recall.

Patriarch

Reply to
Patriarch

Hey guys,

thanks for the ideas, ya'll have given me some things to think about and plenty to try.

Another thing I might do to get around the stain reacting to the rubber stamp is to use ink on some MDF or other smooth wood and cut that stamp design out of the MDF and use it as the stamp, should last longer than the rubber stamp.

I'll let ya'll know how it turned out.

Trying to keep the box materials to around or under $5, so I'm having to resaw some lumber. Didn't realize how much pre-dimensioned lumber cost.

JD.

Reply to
James Dean

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It will depend on what type of stain and what type of material the stamp is made from. If the stamp is made from photo polymer, which will let you reproduce almost any logo, oil based stains will likely affect it, perhaps water based stains would work. I would check with the maker of the stamp as to what type of stain you can use with there material.

Reply to
Frank Campbell

Uh, linoleum, maybe?

Reply to
Australopithecus scobis

well, that will get you a mirror image of your logo. so have the rubber stamp made backwards, actually forward. got that? now if your logo is bilaterally symmetrical none of this matters, but if it has handedness or has lettering in it or anything like that you'll want to be sure you get it right.

I suspect that the rubber stamp will hold up fine to being used with stain. if you have any doubt, go to the place you'll be having the stamp made and ask them if they have any blooper stamps you could have to run a test on.

Reply to
bridger

If you're logo is simple, you could try doing it freehand or with a simple template using a electrical soldering iron.

I've thought aobut trying this with an old soldering iron, might look good, might look rubbish.

worth a try though.

J
Reply to
J

I'm making some branding irons myself, also for boxes. (small ones - check out

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I'll get pictures up of the brands soon)

Local scrap yard- alum barstock 2.5" wide, 1" thick, long enough Cut off with borrowd metal cutting bandsaw.

Glue paper copy of logo to it, trace outline with knife (otherwise it'll fuzz your edges as you cut it)

Don't forget to mirror left-right your logo. (DAMHIKT).

Hit the large places w/ a drill bitt in a drill press. The background won't look smooth and pretty, but that doesn't matter. Work to smaller drill bits.

Finish details out using a dremel w/ routing attachment. 1/32" bit does pretty well.

Drill/tap the back to take a bolt for a handle- I did 3/8.

This may not work so well for text where you want really clean/straight lines, but if the logo's more of a picture, it should work fine.

-- Nobody Special

Reply to
Nobody_special

Reply to
nospambob

So-- how do you heat the iron? I made a small star brand out of a bolt & used the drill press & propane to heat it up, Then used the drill handle to stamp/brand some dominos I was making. Could you use a large soldering iron & connect the brand where the soldering tip would go? Just thinking out loud here, but maybe copper would work for the iron too- as it conducts heat a little better than aluminum & you can see when the copper is getting too hot- Aluminum just goes a straw color then melts

Reply to
Phil at small (vs at large)

aren't soldering iron tips usually solid copper clad with something? if you could ensure that the mass of your tip was not more than the mass of what it was designed for, then a solid piece of copper with the design cut in the top would work. you'd also have to ensure that the heat loss isn't very great (like having a wide stamp) or the iron wouldn't be able to keep up. you can get 200-500 watt irons, but you'll have to hunt around for one.

Reply to
Charles Spitzer

BBQ grill for a few minutes. Actually, it took a while to heat up the 2.5"x2.5"x1" block to a hot enough temp. Nice thing is that since Alum melts at ~1100F or so, I don't worry about it metling in the grill.

I've only used it a couple of times, but that should change in the next month as I get into a job for a friend.

The good news is that it stays hot long enough to brand more boxes per heating than I've wanted to do.

-- Nobody Special Chandler, AZ

Reply to
Nobody_special

Evidently you didn't look at the pricing on the logo branding irons: $159 for torch heated, $199 for electric.

That, and you're restricted to under 3sq inches. (Why it's not inches square, I don't know)

-- Nobody Special Chandler, AZ

Reply to
Nobody_special

(eventually) but

Reply to
Puff Griffis

Um, because that'd be 3 times as big?

Reply to
Dave Hinz

It wasn't an area question.

I'd have expected an X by Y size limit.

3 sq inches would let someone make one 12 by .25 inches.

-- Nobody special

Reply to
Nobody_special

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