Embossing Tools; What Do You Use

[Don Boose]

All good advice, although Rick's excellent reminder to "check to see if you are holding the tool vertically" applies if you are using an embossing tool or dulled knife blade. If you are using a needle tool like the Kemper that I referred to, you have to scribe at an angle or else the sharp point will scrape through the paint layer.

Don

[B-Manic]

there is a Speed-O-Print kit on E-bay including four Speed-O-Print styli plus their storage boxes

Technygraph Speed O Print Stencil Drawing Styli Manuals KIT Case Brochure | eBay

and two plastic handled ones here

Vintage Plastic 12 Stylus Speed O Print Chicago Original BOX | eBay

[mbauer]

Originally Posted by SCEtoAUX

A section of a cheap felt backed vinyl table cloth glued to hardboard is used as a backer when using the scoring tool. Just enough give to allow the shallow indentation, but not too much to perforate the card stock.

Just bought a placement mat (kitchen table setting) for $1.50 that looks like it will work about the same. 1/8" thick plastic with a foam core.

Will give it a go to see if it helps.

Wow! Easy to get a good score line even with the rolling ball stylus. The fixed one works even better, lot less pressure needed to get a score.

Table setting placematt is 18" x 12" and really is nice for scoring using the embosser's I have!

Might even be handy for rolling cones into shape (dowel rubbing over the back of the cone to curl it).

Thank you SCEtoAUX!

Mike

[SCEtoAUX]

You're welcome, Mike. I have some of those plastic placemats and will try that out. Rolling of cones with one is a good idea.

[evilfer]

I just saw on the X-Acto website a tip that you can use a #11 blade for scoring, simply by applying it upside down on the paper. Does this work? I think it may be quite easy to cut through this way.

[lancer525]

I use an old sewing seam ripper. After several years of scoring lines, it has worn down to a nice rounded profile.



I use the pointy end, and keep the ball end up, in the fashion shown on the image. When I started using this, I used the white side of an emery board to smooth off the point, but there are no other alterations (pun intended) to the tool. Works like a charm, especially in the manner described so wonderfully by SCEtoAUX in Post #10.

YMMV

[Loui]

very, very informatives ... i use the sewing seam ripper too ( finaly i know what the name is). LOL.
Thanks Lancer525...and Thanks everyones...

[sparky00]

I use an upholstery needle-just a big swing needle. I think I might try the seam ripper. It looks more comfortable.

[airdave]

The "embossing" term kinda threw me
...I take it we are talking about scoring the sheet for the purpose of folding more cleanly?

I use a regular Hobby Knife handle and blade.
The handle is unique...different in look, colour and design to the rest of my knives.
That way I can recognize it easily on my worktable.
Saves me grabbing a sharp blade! lol

I ran the edge of the old blade against a wet sharpening stone until it was
rounded at the end and as dull as possible.
And then I used some fine sanding paper to round the cutting edge as much as possible.
*as much as possible = In other words, until I got tired and bored.

Works well...it takes a lot of effort to get it to tear into the paper.

[Burning Beard]

I drilled a hole down the end of a dowel and pushed a yarn needle, eye first into it. I then filed down the dowel with a wood rasp so there weren't any sharp or "square" edges. I found by accident (OK laziness) that the round end of the "handle" makes a nice little burnishing tool. The needle end is great for scoring, giving a lot of control.

I have also used the placemat trick for deep scoring of lines (like wing ribs from the back side).

Beard