Letter-number stamping sets

[LCHIEN]

Anyone use these cheap number-letter stamping sets to mark their work?
1/4" size used.



They are good for marking IDs on similar parts or for putting dates and other info on your projects.
They aren't beautiful, they can be a bit ragged looking because the spacing and alignment is all manual. but if they're in hidden areas they can be OK. I find that looking at older stuff I've done, I often try and recall the year I made it.

You can neaten them up somewhat by using a lower bar to guide the vertical placement on a line... and using the previous letter to set up the next letter position exactly adjacent. But it takes more time and effort.

Anyway HF has these for not too great amounts in 1/8", 1/4" and 3/8" letter heights starting at $10.. You can find other sets (HF used to sell more sizes, or try eBay); I have a 3/16 and I recall seeing 1/2" sets.

They will also mark aluminum and even mild steel.

Sometimes I will use my wood branding iron and then use these to mark the year.

[dbhost]

Been wanting a set

[leehljp]

I have a 1/4" set that I bought in the late '60s - IIRC. I have used them on 3 or 4 occasions but often wondered if there was/is a better way.

[Jim Frye]

For many years, I carved my mark and the year into the piece, filled the recess with wood putty, and finished over it with the rest of the piece. Lately, I've gotten a bit lazy and make a printed label that gets plasticized by dipping it in thinned varnish, which gets glued to the piece and finished over with the rest of the piece.

[LCHIEN]

Been wanting a set

sometimes they go on sale. 1/4" is a good size/easy to read, easy to handle.

[Black walnut]

Pretty easy to make a guide with two pieces of angle iron. Also pretty easy to make a set of shims to space the letters. Do one letter or number at a time then spacers sized for the amount of offset you want between letters. I have a small set for marking metal projects, i.e. gun barrels. Not sure I would try the HF set on steel though.

[LCHIEN]

Using a guide rail to bottom the lower edge of the stamp you can get both good alignment and letters square, as shown on this jig I made for stamping aluminum tags. Even Spacing is a bit tricky. But there are tricks for that, too.