Powder Coating with Rubber Stamps

Hi there – from the other half of TOA.  It has been several months since I have experimented.  Gone are the days of the powder coating, sifting powders and toaster oven baking out on the patio.


So down to the basement studio I go.  Our basement is not heated, so I prepare for an expedition.  On go the two layers of turtlenecks, flannel-lined blue jeans and down slippers.  I am ready.

Can you powder coat a rubber stamped image onto a piece of metal?

• Coat a metal blank with powder and toast to cure.
• Stamp an image onto the cured piece with clear embossing ink.
• Sift a contrasting powder color onto the image.  
• Shake and blow off excess – and toast again.

So does it work?  Yes with mixed results.

First off – find appropriate rubber stamps to fit the metal blanks – get sidetracked looking at the stamps – return to basement an hour later.

I choose a geometric image that fits the metal blank. 

I pick colors that are pleasing and that are already open, since we are both experimenting.

I sift on the pale green and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.  After it cools I stamp the image onto the green with the clear embossing ink pad.  Then I sift a light coat of the curry yellow over the piece.  I knock off the excess and blow on it.  It looks good.   No excess powder on the unstamped surface.  This then bakes for 10 minutes at 340 degrees, the curing temperature for the curry yellow. 

Out it comes from the oven and cools.   Curry yellow over the pale green worked.  It has a matte finish, which I like, but not much contrast between the colors. (Note to self, pick colors with more contrast.) 
 
I flip it over and try again, this time using the curry yellow as the base coat, and pale green on the stamped image.

The effect is again subtle, but this time there is more shine.  



Yep, this piece baked 4 times.  Nothing melted or stuck to the baking rack.  You are pretty safe once the piece has cured.


Part 2.  More Contrast

We have snow here – and are expecting more, so I figure I could still use my snowflake rubber stamps.  My set of Martha Stewart snowflake stamps is still out, used in holiday projects.

My colors of choice blue beacon  and wet bright white, which bake/cure for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Once cooled, I stamp the snowflake image onto each piece using a clear embossing ink pad.

I sift the contrasting color onto the stamped image. I try not to make the sifted coating over the stamped snowflake design too thick.  I knock the excess off and blow on it slightly to remove more.  

Since it doesn't blow off as cleanly as I want, I wipe it off and try again, and again and again.  Then I thought, this is just experimentation, so go with it and see what happens.



I like the effect of the excess powder, (kind of a snowstorm look) but I still would like to get a clean image with no excess, so the experimentation will continue.  


 Keep your oven door closed, A&J