From: clare@snyder.on.ca   
      
   On Wed, 27 Nov 2024 23:32:01 -0500, Clare Snyder    
   wrote:   
      
   >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.   
    The strippit was also used as an embossing press IIRC   
      
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