Tom Buchner's Stamp Holders by Lee Buck photos by Bill Grumbine


Tom makes a stamp holder from 2x2 stock, he prefers exotic wood, contrasting wood for a finial, a #6-32 x 12” brass rod and #6-32 brass hex nuts.





He rough turns the 2X2 to a cylinder with a tenon on each end for the chuck. He undercuts the end which will be the bottom of the holder. He parts in most of the way to define the bottom, leaving a 1/32” lip for the body. The bottom will be at the tailstock end of the blank. Tom turns the bottom to 1 ½” dia. and shapes the bottom into a bead.







He drills a 9/32” hole through the blank to receive the threaded brass rod and a 11/32” hole to countersink the brass nut. He decorates the bottom, preferring a beading tool made from a drill bit, sands and finishes the bottom with carnuba wax, and parts off the bottom.



Tom extends the 9/64” hole through the top blank and begins to hollow the top with a spindle gouge. The blank is end grain so the cut is from inside out. The hollowing is completed with a 1 ½” drill to a depth of 1 1/8” to 1 ¼”. Tom cuts the walls to the desired thickness with a roughing gouge. He marks the drilled depth on the outside of the piece and sands and finishes the sides of the top. He parts off ¼” or 3/8” above the drilled cavity.



Tom epoxies contrasting wood to the threaded rod, mounts the rod in a plastic insert held in the chuck, brings up the tailstock and turns the finial. He sands and finishes the finial, cuts the rod to length and assembles.



Tom cuts the slot for the stamps with an end mill in the drill press and the piece held in a slotted pvc pipe in an xy vise.

Thanks Tom, for a great demo!