DIY Network

Bike Tire Rubber Stamp You’ll love stamping with these treads. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-411

Stamp out boredom with these tough treads.

You never know where you'll find a great stamping texture – like these hip pattern stamps Michele Beschen makes from bicycle tires. Durable and cheap, bike tires come in a wide variety of treads that simply beg you to B. Original with stamping.

Keep your eyes open for these terrific treads; you may find yourself with a whole collection of bicycle tire stamps.

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Bike Tire Rubber Stamp

Materials:

block of wood 4" long
small square or ruler
band saw or hand saw
bench sander or sandpaper
new bicycle tire
tin snips
sharp utility knife
contact cement

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E

• Michele Beschen used a 4" section of a 4x4 wooden post to create the handle for her stamp.

• Determine the orientation for the stamp and mark the center of the block. Use this mark and a carpenter’s square to sketch out the dimensions for the handle (figure A). Michele Beschen has found a comfortable stamp handle size to be about 1" wide and 2" tall.

• Cut out the stamp handle. Michele Beschen is a big fan of power tools; her tool of choice for this job is the band saw (figure B). A hand saw will work as well, but will take longer.

  Safety Alert: Always wear eye protection when using power tools such as a band saw or a power sander.

• Round off the inside corners of the handle to make the grip more comfortable and sand all the handle edges until they are smooth.

• Take a look at the bicycle tread and plan how to use it. The tread patterns should be all the same height to make even impressions. If there are different levels of tread, you can use them separately or sand the higher treads until they are even with the others. Sanding also will help get rid of the raised seam that runs down the middle of most bicycle tires.

• The bicycle tire will have bands of thicker material at the edges where it would come in contact with the wheel rim. These thick bands are reinforced with wire and very difficult to cut through. Instead, cut between them with a pair of tin snips. Make a notch with a sharp knife or shears to get the cut started, and cut out a piece of tread that is slightly larger than the wood block handle (figure C).

• Position the tread on the wood and cut away any excess with a sharp utility knife. The best way to make these cuts is to score around the handle first, the go back over the score marks with the utility knife to finish the cuts.

• Use contact cement to attach the rubber to the wood. Make sure to read the instructions that come with the contact cement and work in a well-ventilated area. Let the cement set and cure as directed.

• Apply the contact cement to both surfaces and let it set up. Then press the pieces together firmly and let dry.

• Ink up your new stamp (figure D) and take it for a test drive (figure E).

• Embellish the handles, if desired, with paint or other decorations.