Another great BPE product - carbon fiber nickel holder

[KCSteve]

Earlier threads about Bob's BPE Engraving had me looking over his wonderous wares and I spotted something I could afford:
His carbon fiber nickel holder - click here
I also got the template he has for working out your nickel designs.

He tossed in the neatest nickel holder that doesn't show as a product yet.

Haven't had a chance to use my new holder yet but popping a nickel into it I'm surprised at how well it holds without being clamped in a vise.

 

[monk]

thre's got to be somethin there for just about everybidy

 

[Toad]

Good price!!!

 

[BKJ]

I have the nickel holder advertised on his site and so far I really like it and at 15 clams it is a good deal!

 

[KCSteve]

The only thing I can find that might be considered a negative is that it has the little tooth to index into the V on your vise jaws. In my portable setup I use the GRS MicroBlock that doesn't have the V so I can't use this holder with it.

Of course, considering the price I could easily buy another one and remove the tooth for my portable setup.

 

[mrthe]

Questions:
Maybe the V tooth is made because in this way the holder don't sleep with the pressure of the graver on it?
I'm not familiar with carbon fiber but maybe this is the reason?
Have you try to carve something with it yet? Stay it firm in place when you are carving?

 

[BKJ]

Hi Paolo,

The one side of the nickel holder has a flat side with a ridge to sit on the jaws of the vise and the point to sit in the vee. It does not slip when I use it. Might not be as good as the Lindsay one but works good.


KCSteve
I think it could be modified to work in the mini vise if the one side was made like the other side.

 

[KCSteve]

Paolo

As BKJ said, the tab is to keep the holder locked into the center of your vise so your axis of rotation is centered.

I haven't had a chance to try my new goodie yet, but I'm working on a matched pair of pennies and I used some ThermoLoc to make a similar design for holding pennies and it works great. The BPE holder is nicer and better made so it should hold even better.

Pre 1983 pennies, btw, are solid copper and it's amazing how thick Mr. Lincoln is on them. Under the scope it looks like it's an inch.

I heard back from them on the holders for the carved nickels. They said they will be on their website soon at $1.25 each. Don't know if they'll have a quantity discount but we can hope.