From: clare@snyder.on.ca   
      
   On Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:33:48 -0700, Bob La Londe    
   wrote:   
      
   >On 11/27/2024 4:17 PM, Clare Snyder wrote:   
   >> On Wed, 27 Nov 2024 15:55:48 -0700, Bob La Londe    
   >> wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> On 11/27/2024 3:29 PM, Joe Gwinn wrote:   
   >>>> On Wed, 27 Nov 2024 13:57:58 -0700, Bob La Londe    
   >>>> wrote:   
   >>>>   
   >>>>> Every since watching a woman dressed in pirate garb at a renaissance   
   >>>>> fair (or faire if you prefer) place a blank in a set of dies and drop a   
   >>>>> heavy weight on it to strike a souvenir coin I have had in the back of   
   >>>>> my mind the idea to strike my own coins.  I can certainly make the dies.   
   >>>>>    4140 is relatively easy to machine if you know how, and it will harden   
   >>>>> "hard enough" for a low production number of from a few hundred to a   
   >>>>> couple thousand coins.  I also keep a bit of O1 and W1 on hand for those   
   >>>>> cutting tools I can't hand grind from HSS or carbide.  I even have a   
   >>>>> propane forge in the back along with a toaster oven for tempering   
   >>>>> (although it gets used more for powder coating).   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> I started writing with two questions in mind.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Where to buy/make coin blanks at the best price?  Not the 10-20 on Ebay   
   >>>>> or Amazon, but a couple hundred to a couple thousand at a more   
   >>>>> reasonable bulk price.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Many country fair coins were made of soft aluminum.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Maybe the brass sold for stamped dataplates or tags?   
   >>>>   
   >>>> .   
   >>>>   
   >>>   
   >>> That's not a bad start.  Unfortunately they also sell end product which   
   >>> usually means they don't sell for real wholesale pricing.  Its still a   
   >>> good idea.   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>>> Probably the alloy used for copper pennys can be got.   
   >>>   
   >>> Getting actual penny copper is not a horrible idea.  I could certainly   
   >>> do some experiments by going through my change bowl and sorting out the   
   >>> older real copper pennies to be restamped.  I suppose the zinc pennies   
   >>> stamp okay, but they may not re-stamp okay.  My end goal is mostly for a   
   >>> coin "about" the diameter and thickness of a regular classic silver   
   >>> dollar.   
   >>>   
   >>> Casting copper from old pennies, motors, etc could also be an option,   
   >>> but that would make it a whole different class of project.  A time and   
   >>> money thing, and I don't mean the pennies.  Also, my little propane   
   >>> forge probably isn't up to melting enough copper to be worth while.  Its   
   >>> fine for one off heat treating projects, but probably not for casting   
   >>> any quantity.   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>>> Hobby stores may have coin-making supplies.   
   >>>   
   >>> Hmmmmm... I suppose its worth a look to see if Michael's (are they still   
   >>> in business) or Hobby Lobby has anything.  At the very least I could   
   >>> read the packaging if they do to see if that generates an other leads.   
   >>>   
   >>>> Early Chinese coins were lost-wax cast from bronze.   
   >>>   
   >>> I don't think casting is really the way I want to go.   
   >>>   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Joe   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>> --   
   >>> Bob La Londe   
   >>> CNC Molds N Stuff   
   >>   Do your own "fineblanking" - stamp your blanks from aluminum, copper,   
   >> or brass flat stock on a punch press.   
   >   
   >I design some punch dies years ago.  Hadn't even considered it for this.   
   >  Its an option, but a big fancy punch press is probably out of my   
   >budget.  I'll have to calculate the shear and see if it can be done with   
   >one of my shop presses or perhaps an improvise drop weight press.   
   >   
   >   
   >--   
   >Bob La Londe   
   >CNC Molds N Stuff   
    Or find someone with an ironworker you can borrow or rent time on.   
   Need to modify the standard ironworker punch by grinding off the "nib"   
   or you will need to press out the "dimple"   
    I can't remember the name of the machine several local fabricators   
   used - for punching, notching, pressing louvers,etc.   
    With a square punch they could basically "nibble" slots in angle iron   
   or plate or notch corners in sheet or plate. I think it was called a   
   "strippit"?. It could punch 1 1/2 inch holes in 3/16" mild steel or   
   stainless all day. The old ones were mechanical flywheel punches then   
   they switched to hydraulics. The one mechanical one I was familiar   
   with was made about 1969 and was still punching away in the early   
   2000s. The secret was to pretend the 30 or 40 ton press was only a 20   
   and it would last forever.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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