To mount unmounted rubber stamps so they can adhere to acrylic blocks for stamping, you typically attach them to a piece of repositionable cling foam.
Mounting unmounted rubber stamps allows you to use them with clear acrylic blocks, providing flexibility and making placement easier. This process involves permanently adhering the raw rubber stamp image to a layer of foam that has a cling surface on the back.
Here is a common method for mounting unmounted rubber stamps onto repositionable cling foam, based on a tutorial from Splitcoaststampers:
Step-by-Step Mounting Process
This process takes unmounted rubber stamps and prepares them for use with acrylic blocks.
- Prepare the Foam: Take a piece of repositionable cushioning sheet (this is the cling foam) that is the same size as your rubber stamp sheet. Turn the foam so the sticky, foam side is facing down.
- Remove Paper Backing: Peel off the protective paper liner completely from the cling foam sheet.
- Attach Rubber to Foam: Carefully place your sheet of unmounted rubber stamps directly over the exposed cling foam, ensuring proper alignment if necessary.
- Press Together: Firmly press both layers – the rubber stamp sheet and the cling foam sheet – together. This ensures they are securely bonded.
- Trim the Stamps: Using sharp rubber scissors, begin carefully trimming each individual rubber stamp image closely along its edges.
Once trimmed, each individual stamp will have the rubber image permanently attached to the repositionable cling foam. The cling side of the foam will then stick temporarily to a clear acrylic block, allowing you to ink and stamp with the image.
For a visual guide, you can refer to the original tutorial: Unmounted Rubber Stamps Tutorial
Mounted stamps offer several advantages:
- Easy Storage: Unmounted stamps on cling foam often take up less space than traditional wood-mounted stamps.
- Visible Placement: Using clear acrylic blocks lets you see exactly where you are positioning your stamp on your project.
- Versatility: You can use different sized blocks with the same stamps.
This method is ideal for those who purchase unmounted rubber sheets and wish to prepare them for use with clear stamping blocks.
