Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Pub Talk). This thread is read-only.
I like to create, design and build things and I need advice for a small part of a project I want to start working on that will eventually feed into something larger. I guess you could call it an art project for lack of a better term.
what I want to do is grind the designs off a nickel ( actually multiple nickels) and grind in my own designs in their place. i figured a dremel would work best but im not sure, and i don’t know where to begin when deciding which bits would be best. any help and advice would be much appreciated.
oh and i wont be trying to spend the coins afterwards, they will be part of a larger project, so im not too worried when it comes to that.
– thanks for the help.
Try one of these for engraving your own design. http://www.dremel.com/en-US/Accessories/Pages/SubCategories.aspx?catid=2072 I have one of them and it works great for grinding metal. I would use a cylindrical grinding stone to grind the nickels. Hope this helps. They should sell the cutters at lowes, that is where I got mine.
You would probably grind through the surface layer of nickel into the copper what ever you use.
Thanks Nicholas ill give those a shot when im able to get everything i need. i appreciate the help.
i didn’t even think about hitting the copper, ill give it a shot and see what happens but your probably right. even so though it still may serve my purpose ill see. thanks for the advice Red.
The cutters last way longer than a grinding wheel as well, provided you don’t burn it up. I did not think about hitting copper either.
May be easier to get a sheet of plate and have a machine shop punch out blanks.
Newspaper carriers who service those coin operated newspaper racks are issued quarter size (.955″ diam.) slugs to use for opening those racks. You might be able to promote a handful of those from your local newspaper distribution manager. They are a tad larger than nickels but you won’t run into plating problems with solid low carbon steel.
An alternative would be to have a local sheet metal shop punch out some round blanks for you. You might well have your choice of diameters (punch sizes) and sheet stock thicknesses. The nickel coin measures about .835″ in diameter and about .075″ thick (roughly 14 gage).
Either way won’t cost you a nickel.
Just a couple thoughts.