I'd love to know what method everyone uses for trimming down stamps for micro postals. I have tried a couple of methods but both methods leave the back uneven. I've received several that were super smooth. So, how does everyone do it?

I'm sorry to be no help, but I wonder what a micro postal is ? I didn't see it in the glossary.

Curious,

Betsy Lee

So, how does everyone do it?

I usually will take a small guage to the back and then once I'm satisified with that method, I'll use a paring knife to smooth it out. Sometimes some of my micros seem smoother than my other ones but I think that's due to how much time I committed to thining the back.

I wonder what a micro postal is ?

A micro postal is a postal letterbox that must weigh less than one ounce and the thickness isn't more than 1/4 inch as you use a first class postage stamp for mailing. It's also mailed in a regular 'ol envelope.

I use an Xacto knife for all my cutting. I've used it for making hitchhikers smaller and lightweight.

So, how does everyone do it?

I use a #4 or #5 speedball gouge. I start going in one direction across the back (up and down)then switch and go the opposite way (side to side). Usually make a few passes until I am happy with it.

I usually leave extra pink stuff around my carve so that after I thin it down I use scissors to cut the now thinner material close to my carve. That gets rid of some of the unevenness from thinning the edges. It is much harder to get realitively thin if I already have the material close to my carve.

Then mount on card stock with Elmer’s and heavy books or gorilla super glue gell and the books.

A micro postal is a postal letterbox that must weigh less than one ounce and the thickness isn't more than 1/4 inch as you use a first class postage stamp for mailing. It's also mailed in a regular 'ol envelope.

I think that the glossary should have this added. The micro postals are quite common now due to the postage rate increases.

I use these to slice the carving material in half, so I get twice the stamp carving space: https://www.homedepot.com/p/QEP-4-in-Wide-Replacement-Blade-for-Razor-Scrapers-and-Strippers-5-Pack-62901Q/100176483, and then shave it down further with gouges --

Paper trail the link didn’t work on my end, would love to see what you are using.

Thanks everyone for sharing your methods! I couldn’t get the link to work though from Home Depot. :-(

I wondered about putting my stamp in a vise and taking a super thin metal wire and slicing down the middle. I’m not sure if it would work but in theory it sounds doable. LOL 😂

I wondered about putting my stamp in a vise and taking a super thin metal wire and slicing down the middle.

Having experience with stamps and vises, I don't think it would work unless you support it from the bottom.

The link picked up her comma at the end. Delete it to get this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/QEP-4-in-Wide-Replacement-Blade-for-Razor-Scrapers-and-Strippers-5-Pack-62901Q/100176483

Thanks, Rebiccola -

I don't exactly know what a micro postal is... but I do however log micro stamps aka quisps to hide behind labels on my postals. It encourages people to corner the labels and gives a nice added surprise for the receiver. I was ubber excited when I first found one! I actually have been working on some micro stamps for my first postal I'm about to send out. So exciting!

The common usage of micro-postal is referring to a postal that can be sent in a regular envelope with a forever stamp. To accomplish this the entire envelope and contents has to be at or below an ounce. There is also a thickness measurement on the envelope. To participate in these you need to carve shallow and remove half the thickness of the pink stuff. I believe is 1/4 of an inch.

This certainly removes two negatives of traditional parcels. The cost is reduced from $3.50 to regular postage and you don't have to deal with the taping and maintenance of the padded envelopes.

You could still do a quisp but it may not be found as the envelopes are typically thrown away, using a clean one each time.