Re: Struck Coin Blanks ???

On 11/28/2024 12:14 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:

On 11/27/2024 8:51 PM, Clare Snyder wrote:

On Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:33:48 -0700, Bob La Londe <none@none.com99>
wrote:
>

On 11/27/2024 4:17 PM, Clare Snyder wrote:

On Wed, 27 Nov 2024 15:55:48 -0700, Bob La Londe <none@none.com99>
wrote:
>

On 11/27/2024 3:29 PM, Joe Gwinn wrote:

On Wed, 27 Nov 2024 13:57:58 -0700, Bob La Londe <none@none.com99>
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.
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Maybe the brass sold for stamped dataplates or tags?
>
.<https://identificationtags.com/product/brass-blank-round-tags- with-no-holes/>
>

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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.

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I don't think casting is really the way I want to go.
>

>
Joe

>
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-- 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

 

Shop press will do it. Even a good arbour  press. Cycle time is slow
doing onezies ---

 I am aware that it will depend on die design.  I have a 6 ton arbor press, and I think I would be hesitant to think it would manage a fairly detailed die impression, but I have used it for lots of other things including punching round holes in thin sheet metal.  I've also got a 12 ton and a 20 ton shop press.  Both are air over hydraulic, and actually quite slow.  In the field at the "faire" a drop hammer is used.  a relatively crude one.
 "...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 think if I follow through with this I'll stick with a drop hammer or a trip hammer until production required a faster process.

Some years back I made some press dies for a company in Ukraine that was making "tea cakes"  No, not cakes to be eaten with tea.  Hard compressed cakes of tea.  On the larger dies they were using a 100 ton press to compress the tea.  They consisted of a base, box, and "stamp" that left a raised impression (embossment?) on the finished tea cake.  Scorpion, bull, and some other things.  I forget.  I made them in several sizes.
--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff
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