You do not need to read a catalogue front to back. Settle three questions and the choice narrows to one or two model numbers. This page sets out the character heights and shank sizes Young Cycle actually supplies, which product line suits which job, and which materials can be stamped. Young Cycle is a steel stamp manufacturer in Taiwan, producing in our own Taichung plant since 1986.
Settle these three questions first
- The workpiece material, and whether it will be heat treated — this sets both the blow and the process order.
- The size of the marking face, and the character height you want — too large and it will not fit; too small and it will not read.
- Whether the content is fixed or changes — fixed content suits individual stamps or a combination set; content that changes often, where you want a whole row in one strike, suits an interchangeable type kit.
1. Choose a product line by requirement
| Your requirement | Suggested line | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General metal marking, right-reading | YC601 letters / YC602 numbers | Standard English face, 1.0–19.0mm, the widest size range |
| Frequent use, heavy blows, hard metal, volume work | YC603 letters / YC604 numbers | Enlarged square shank and thicker head, for heavy hammer and pneumatic marking |
| Work that is later transferred, or used as a mould | YC605 letters / YC606 numbers | Stamps a mirror image so the finished part reads the right way round |
| German-standard parts, European export | YC614 letters / YC615 numbers | DIN 1451 German face, narrower than the English style |
| German face, reversed | YC617 letters / YC618 numbers | Mirror-image version of the German face |
| Limited budget, occasional use | GL letters / GN numbers | Economy German line: fewer finishing steps (no tail tempering, no chamfering), lower price |
| Thin or precision parts, marks that must not be deep | YC609 round dot / YC609B sharp dot | Dot face spreads the impact; round dot is softer, sharp dot deeper and higher contrast |
| Lowercase letters | YC616 lowercase | a–z, character heights 2.0 / 3.0 / 4.0mm |
| Soft materials, or parts painted after marking | YC613 flat face | Flat, shallower and wider bold face |
| Patterns, symbols, logos | YC612 pattern | 2.0 / 4.0 / 6.0mm; patterns made to your drawing |
| Both letters and numbers in one purchase | YC607 combination set | 36 pieces: 27 letters (A–Z plus &) and 9 numbers (0–9) |
| Content changes often and a whole row is needed in one strike | YC610B interchangeable kit | Individual type slots into a holder and stamps a whole row at once |
| Removing broken or stripped screws | YC701 extractor set | Reverse-spiral edge bites tighter as you turn |
| Marking a drill start point | YC702 centre punch | Built-in spring releases the strike on one-handed pressure — no hammer |
2. Character height and shank size (standard YC601 / YC602)
As the character grows, so do the square shank and the overall length. Check that the marking face and the space around it can take the shank, not only the character.
| Character height C | Shank (square) A | Length B |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0mm (3/64") | 6.35mm | 62mm |
| 1.5mm (1/16") | 6.35mm | 62mm |
| 2.0mm (5/64") | 6.35mm | 61mm |
| 2.5mm (3/32") | 6.35mm | 61mm |
| 3.0mm (1/8") | 6.35mm | 60mm |
| 4.0mm (5/32") | 6.35mm | 60mm |
| 5.0mm (3/16") | 7.93mm | 61mm |
| 6.0mm (1/4") | 9.52mm (S version 7.93mm) | 67mm |
| 7.0mm (9/32") | 11.11mm | 68mm |
| 8.0mm (5/16") | 12.70mm (S version 11.11mm) | 70mm |
| 10.0mm (3/8") | 12.70mm | 71mm |
| 12.0mm (1/2") | 15.85mm | 83mm |
| 16.0mm (5/8") | 15.85mm | 95mm |
| 19.0mm (3/4") | 19.05mm | 98mm |
3. Character heights available by line
| Line | Model | Character heights (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| Standard English letters | YC601 | 1.0 · 1.5 · 2.0 · 2.5 · 3.0 · 4.0 · 5.0 · 6.0 · 7.0 · 8.0 · 10.0 · 12.0 · 16.0 · 19.0 |
| Standard English numbers | YC602 | 1.0 · 1.5 · 2.0 · 2.5 · 3.0 · 4.0 · 5.0 · 6.0 · 7.0 · 8.0 · 10.0 · 12.0 · 16.0 · 19.0 |
| Heavy-duty letters / numbers | YC603 / YC604 | 1.5 · 2.5 · 3.0 · 4.0 · 5.0 · 6.0 · 10.0 |
| Reversed letters / numbers | YC605 / YC606 | 1.0 · 1.5 · 2.0 · 2.5 · 3.0 · 4.0 · 5.0 · 6.0 · 8.0 · 10.0 · 12.0 |
| Combination set (letters + numbers) | YC607 | 1.0 · 1.5 · 2.0 · 2.5 · 3.0 · 4.0 · 5.0 · 6.0 · 7.0 · 8.0 · 10.0 |
| Round-dot low stress | YC609 | 3.0 · 4.0 · 5.0 · 6.0 · 8.0 · 10.0 · 12.0 |
| Sharp-dot low stress | YC609B | 3.0 · 4.0 · 5.0 · 6.0 · 8.0 · 10.0 |
| Interchangeable steel type | YC610B | 3.0 · 5.0 · 6.0 |
| Pattern stamps | YC612 | 2.0 · 4.0 · 6.0 |
| Flat-face stamps | YC613 | 3.0 · 6.0 · 10.0 · 12.0 |
| German letters / numbers | YC614 / YC615 | 1.5 · 2.0 · 2.5 · 3.0 · 4.0 · 5.0 · 6.0 · 7.0 · 8.0 · 10.0 · 12.0 · 16.0 · 19.0 |
| Lowercase letters | YC616 | 2.0 · 3.0 · 4.0 |
| Reversed German letters / numbers | YC617 / YC618 | 1.5 · 2.0 · 2.5 · 3.0 · 4.0 · 5.0 · 6.0 · 8.0 · 10.0 · 12.0 |
| Economy German letters / numbers | GL / GN | 2.0 · 3.0 · 4.0 · 5.0 · 6.0 · 7.0 · 8.0 · 10.0 · 12.0 |
4. What can be stamped
| Material | Can it be stamped? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mild steel (not hardened) | Yes | The most common application; use a firm blow and finish in one strike |
| Stainless 304 / 316 | Yes | Fine in the unhardened state; harder than mild steel, so use a slightly heavier blow |
| Stainless 420 / 440 | Yes, but before heat treatment | These grades harden on quenching, so stamp beforehand |
| Aluminium, copper, brass | Yes (among the best) | Marks come out clean; do not over-hit, or you will go too deep or dish a thin part — test light first |
| Cast iron | Yes | Judge the blow part by part |
| Leather, wood | Yes | Use a lighter blow than on metal and test on an offcut; leather can be lightly dampened, and wood should be worked along the grain to avoid splitting |
| Hard plastic, acrylic | Not recommended | Brittle — a blow may crack or chip the edge; laser or hot stamping is a better fit |
| Already plated or painted surfaces | Not recommended | The blow breaks the plating or paint, exposes the base metal and can become a corrosion starting point |
5. Where stamping belongs in the process
This is the step most often got wrong, and the most costly. After quenching the workpiece is hard and brittle: the character head will chip or collapse, and the part itself may crack under the blow. Surface finishing follows the same logic — put anything that breaks the surface before the finishing step.
Forming → stamping → heat treatment → plating / painting
6. Thin sheet and curved surfaces
- Sheet under 3mm: back the work with something flat and hard — a flat steel anvil or thick steel plate — so the whole piece is supported. A soft backing dishes the part and the mark stays shallow. Build the blow up in stages.
- Under 1mm: visible distortion on the reverse is normal for the material. A dot face (such as YC609) reduces the bulge on the back.
- Tube, curved faces, screws, small round bar: keep the character face as flush as possible, choose a smaller character height, clamp the work square and firm, and land one perpendicular blow.
Still not sure?
Three pieces of information are enough for us to match a stamp: the workpiece material and whether it will be heat treated; the size of the marking face and the character height you want; and whether the content is fixed or changes. Chinese characters, special symbols and logos are custom work, made to your drawing at our own plant.
For handling and maintenance detail, see the steel stamp FAQ (43 questions); for a quotation or selection help, go to Contact.