My daughter dropped off a piece of material that she carves for custom stamps.
Any words of wisdom cutting this ?
It is fabric backed, rubber of some sort.
I’ve never messed with anything like that but most likely I’d put it on my shapeoko and figure out a work holding strategy. Then, lay it in a freezer so it tries to freeze as flat as possible. Next morning when its pretty stiff, clamp it down and cut with a single flute bit that works with your design. I would imagine you would would want fast feeds and speeds.
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I was wondering about how to hold it.
I like the freeze concept.
I was going to use painters tape and ca glue.
Might work.
My daughter cautioned me that tight detail is not easy in the printing process
I was going to try a single flute
If it warms up too much, you could re-freeze it with a can of “Dust-Off” held upside down. We use “Aero duster” at work for checking thermocouples.
There is another aerosol can we use called “Quik Freeze” but you hold it right side up.
Same chemical.
Same size can.
Same weight of product.
Quick Freeze is 60% more.
.
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I pictured a wood frame of sorts on top of the cutting area and that screwed down through the work piece to the spoilboard. It’s really hard to say what to try but I believe with freezing the work piece and moisture / humidity, the CA glue and tape method may not be reliable.
This group is awesome. Thank you @Ed.E @MadHatter
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If it doesn’t like to be cut with an Endmill, you could try a method more similar to the way it’s usually carved.
Maybe using a drag knife to define the cuts in a few passes. Then at least you’re chisel has some well defined paths to follow when it’s actually cut by hand 
Hopefully the standard cutting tool works though.
I’d imagine best bet is with the sharpest uncoated single flute you can find. Maybe even one for plastics as I think they usually have sharper edges and steeper flutes 
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This is a different material but it may help some.
Anthony
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That material is generally Linoleum with a fiber backing to withstand the abuse of repeated inking and pressing.
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I’ve cut a bunch of that linoleum stamp material. If the plan is to make a stamp with a back to it, I’d add the stiff backing material first to aid in work holding.
As far as cutting goes, it cuts about as easily as anything you could try. No need to freeze or anything. Feed very fast and cutting in two passes will help with the “chips”.
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Based on my experience with brass branding irons, there is about a 40% chance you forget to mirror the design 
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If it were me I would attach some type of backing with glue or resin to keep it flat and then mill as neilferreri suggests. Depending on the size or geometry you could use cauls, secure one end of parallel cauls first and then stretch the material towards the opposite end of the cauls and clamp down. Several ways to secure but it depends on the intended geometry.
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Once a again I am impressed with the quality suggestions.
Thanks for the info !
I need to finish a couple projects before this rabbit hole gets dug.
Any suggestions as to density of the design features ?
It may be relative to the viscosity of the ink.
I had to look up what a caul was . Todays education.
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