I know it lives in Creative Arts.
The question is: can you cut tool steel using it? I was thinking it might be a matter of supplying one’s own tools, but I know that there’s more to consider than just the tools.
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Pretty sure CA “owns” it
Also pretty sure there’s a limitation of not cutting anything that requires cutting oil, which would preclude some metals I believe
Both of the above are knowledge by osmosis, so ymmv 
Paging @Team_Creative_Arts
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It is under CA, with @jphelps the lead.
You can cut soft metals, like Aluminum and Brass/Bronze.
I agree with Jeanine that it’s the cutting fluids that prevent us from cutting metal. But Jay can correct me.
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There is also a wiki that talks about this. I’m too lazy to pull it up though.
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Jeannie is correct (I know this because I’m the person who posted the sticker). No cutting fluid/oil, so therefore no heavy machining.
Also, be advised that tool steel is a booger to machine - it’s a lot harder than “ordinary” (mild) steel. Sorry, but the Shapeoko is really not a good choice for this.
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https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/Shapeoko_2
but there’s no mention on that page that I can see that specifies “no oils” or “dry cuts only”…
Seems like an oversight. I would love to remedy, but I’m thinking Chris might be willing and more able… (hint hint @John_Marlow )
EDIT: And yes, it does have a lovely sign right there on it, posted by Chris (I hear) advising that cutting fluids are not allowed…
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Done. 
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If the plate on the front doesn’t a;ready say that, it needs to be updated. While Jay covers this in the class I’m sure there will be the “I difdn’t know” or the ever popular “There wasn’t a sign on it”
There is a bright red sticker on the enclosure. You have to see it in order to open the cover to put your job in there.
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That’s what I thought.
Thanks.
I always talk about it in class as well
Tool steel? I’d say you can try but you won’t like the results. The machine is just not sturdy or rigid for that. Soft metals only. I think we’re getting a Sherline Mill CNC soon and I’m thinking that would be the minimum for steel.
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Can anyone show me examples of projects done on the machine? Maybe I need to learn how to use it…
If it is Tool Steel, it needs to be on Haas with special cutters. It’ll need flood coolant to keep the cutters from burning up.
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Well, rats. Somebody I talked to at the Makermade Faire wanted to cut jewelry stamps, which she said she needed out of tool steel. The size said Shapeoko to me, but clearly the Shapeoko says otherwise.
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That’s a different can of worms, anyway (metal stamps). Also logistically, you’re talking about carving a small surface area of a smallish piece of steel about 4" long. Like say carving the end of the eraser on a shorter pencil. Even if the shapeoko did steel, not sure that works physically.
Um, the stamp-making thing, it might have been something I chased extensively a couple years back.
The short version, there are several active fb groups dedicated to stamp making, or where you can get handmade ones. There’s a guy that sells his lessons. There’s an e-book on amazon on the subject. There’s a ton of YouTube videos.
Normal process is first, get the right sort of metal. Tool steel that you can oil or water quench/harden (forget name, I’m very very sure @Photomancer can say. I kinda forgot because I already have leftovers from tool making in a chasing and repoussé class that water quenches/hardens so haven’t sought out supplies again yet. O2??? Is that even a thing? I keep meaning ask about mild vs tool steel. I have no idea. Vague vague memory…)
There’s another group of stamp makers on fb, two really, that do a lot from rebar (Navajo/Diné, if I recall) that stems from a “traditional” use of the metal they had available (scrounge) at the time, translated into now. The issue with rebar is the metal content can vary wildly. There’s a particular kind preferred but I forget name. Most of these stamps tend toward southwest type designs. I have a few since I think its cool what they’re doing (keeping that tradition alive and its created a nice cottage industry in those communities).
Other general fb stamp groups, designs vary quite a bit. And you can get custom made if you don’t want to make.
Some groups are general interest or buy/sell, and some are centric to specific makers (Danny Wade, Lyndon Tsosie are the Navajo/Diné artists, using mostly rebar-based stamps, and Ryan Lingner is just a good general maker, his based on tool steel and he has some program he sells/teaches, plus there’s others I’m forgeting. Those are the the big names.).
Shaping, you carve the stamp (usually folks use flex shaft on steel held in a vise) or manually file it (please don’t contaminate JSM files with steel)
Then the key is it has to be tempered properly. Untempered, it will lose the stamp shape and mushroom the striking end. Tempered wrong, it can break/shatter in use, which can be dangerous. Crappy tempering (seen on cheap “handmade” ebay stamps) just can go all kinds of wrong.
On tool steel, often they will use a torch and heat to straw color (I think), quench etc (confirm details independently) and often its more tempering the stamp and striking ends, part of the middle left softer to absorb force. Other artists use kilns. The rebar ones are usually tempered in mini-forges. Good YouTube videos on both.
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Those are done on the Haas. He primarily uses Brass or Delrin (sp), but the Haas is capable of machining it. You just have to learn how to machine using the Haas.
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Yup!
Really, it comes down to a question: What kind of jewelry is desired and what materials are being used? You need something harder than what you are stamping.
I was the one interested in machining stamps. Stamps for jewelery are used on silver, gold, brass, bronze, softer metals, but it still has to be made of tool steel because they will still wear down over time.
I’ll talk to Nick Silva at some point about it, I just don’t want to spend $120 minimum on a custom machined makers mark stamp from Rio, I suppose they have their own big fancy CNC machine for it.
I chatted with an artist at a show and she did a lot of stamped
designs, She made a lot of her own stamps by buying the alphabet
sets from Harbor Freight, the she ground the image off, so shw could use the tools
steel for her stamps One would still need to soften them, and then temper them afterwards
I have done that with masonry nails, many years ago
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