Hobo Nickels

[coinguy47]

Hello all, my name is Tom Mathews. About 5 months ago I started carving hobo nickels, and I have a question for some of you veterans. How do you all do the finish work? For instance, when you remove the braid from the indian on the obverse, how do you smooth the neck area down? I've been using grinding compound and a small stainless steel rod, but I'm sure there are better ways of doing this. Thanks in advance-

Tom

 

[Keith]

Hi Tom,
To clean up the fields neck,and braid etc.... I use rubber abrasive wheels(cratex wheels) on a small flex shaft.
There are different grits that can bring the coin up to a high polish. After that I bead blast the coin to get rid of the shiny look. The links below have small pins that you can use for tight areas like around the neck and nose under the hat brim. Other than that I use a knife edge wheel on a small arbor in my flex shaft. The link to the mizzy wheels are what i use to grind the braids or feathers off.... sometimes.
Good Luck, your nickels look great for 5 months carving.
Keith Pedersen


http://www.americanjewelrysupply.com/products/abrasives/pins.html
http://www.americanjewelrysupply.com/products/abrasives/mizzy.html
http://www.americanjewelrysupply.com/products/abrasives/drfp.html

 

[gtsport]

Hi Tom and welcome to the group. I've seen some of your pieces on the OHNS site and it looks like you have a talent for these diversions.

Here is how I learned to do the final finish. After getting the area as smooth as possible using gravers or chisels, I switch to mold maker's stones that I get from Gesswein. They come in various sizes - I use 1/8 inch square by 4 inch long - and grits from 100 to 1200. I usually start with 320 and finish with 600, follow by a quick hit with a glass beader. Also, I use oil with each stone and when I finish with the last grit, I leave the oil/grit mix on the coin and give it a quick buffing with a nylon brush in a foredom (dremel-like tool) prior to the glass beading. After this I will sometimes tone the coin, using either heat, or liver of sulfur, depending on the look I am going for. If you check through some of the old posts you can find other tips and tricks on hobos from carving to finishing.

Joe Paonessa
America's Greatest Left Handed Hobo Nickel Carver
(East of the Mississippi, West of Grosse Pointe and North of Chicago)

 

[coinguy47]

Thanks Keith and Joe. You both mentioned bead blasting. I need to make a bead blaster- we have one at work but they put some very harsh medium in it, and it just about ruins a carving (or a coin for that matter). I've experimented with a number of different ways to change the look of the finished piece. One method I've tried is soaking it in ammonia for about 12-15 hours. I haven't tried it yet, but I'd think vinegar would work just as well.

Today the wife and I went to the beach. I had a near finished carving in my pocket, so just for grins I walked down the beach rubbing the coin and some wet sand between my fingers. It seemed to work pretty well.

I'm still new enough at this that experimentation is a big part of it for me. I'm having a blast with it while I'm learning. I hope you guys don't get tired of insipid, juvenile, and newbie questions

Tom

 

[Keith]

Tom,
I have a pasche air eraser. Like a small airbrush sandblaster. I put it in my sandblast cabinet and close the door on it then I use it instead of the harsh media in my sandblast cabinet.
I used to use pc board etchant and gun blue to etch and tone but like the bead blast look better. I rub the coin between my fingers like you did after blasting too.
I havent tried ammonia, If you put a coin in bleach it will tone it to a green. you have to watch it though and the bleach is nasty. Pool chlorine works too in a sealed continer but the coin shouldnt touch the pool chlorine as it eats the coin.
I put a few coins as a test in pool shock and they got all green colored.
I like the air eraser best. Quick and easy, You can see all the engraving you did, no giunk gets in the engraved lines.... No harsh chemicals, I just got over a cancer scare and Im trying to avoid the chemical mixes.
Have fun with the coins.....



http://www.dixieart.com/AirEraser.html

Keith

 

[gtsport]

I have a small harbor freight blast cabinet, but I don't use it for coins. I went to hobby lobby and bought one of their glass etching kits and use it for coins. It uses an aerosol can for pressure, like they use for keyboard dusters, so there is no compressor to worry about. They also sell an inflatable "cabinet" for blasting. If you use their 40% off cupons from their website, the whole package is very reasonable.

Joe Paonessa

 

[coinguy47]

You guys have given me a lot of good ideas! I appreciate the help. I tried bleach once, and it really was nasty stuff to fool with. Ammonia stinks, but if I recall my very elemental chemestry correctly, vinegar with a pinch of salt dissolved in it will do about the same thing. I'll let you know how it goes.

Tom

 

[coinguy47]

I have another question for you. What is your opinion of selling hobo nickels on eBay? Mike Pezak taught me to carve, and he really doesn't like selling there. I've only tried it once. What are your thoughts?

Tom

 

[Billzach]

Tom
Ebay is the only place I know where the whole world can see and bid on a coin carving..It,s the only place in the world that a new coin carver can gain recognition as a coin carver..I,m not always happy with what my coin carvings sell for on ebay, but in the long haul you get what your carvings are worth and if they don,t bring what you think they are worth, a carver probably needs to step his level of carving up a few notches to attract buyers..After you sell for a while on ebay, you,ll gain a following of buyers and get commission work..There are other auctions and sites to sell coin carvings, but ebay has the advanage of millions of buyers, by no means are there millions or thousands or even hundreds of coin carving buyers on ebay, but most coin carving buyers check ebay to see what,s for sale everyweek..There is a demand at the present for portrait coin carvers, by this I mean a person wants a family member carved on a coin..There are very few coin carvers doing this form of coin carving..I had 4 requests to do portrait carvings last week, I declined the work and referred them to a fellow coin carver who works magic on a portrait coin carving... This is what I,ve learned after carving coins for 13 years..

 

[gtsport]

I've sold carvings on Ebay in the past and with a couple of early exceptions, have always done well. Also, as Bill said, its a good way to get your name out there amongst the collectors and to let them see your work. One thing I wouldn't do is put too many on Ebay as saturating the market will not help in getting good prices. Like Bill said, after a while, collectors (and some resellers) will contact you for your work. Its a heartwarming feeling to know that the pieces you will be carving over the next couple of months already have homes waiting for them... homes that pay generously. Oh yes, there is an unwritten rule (more of a courtesy, really) that you don't time your sale to match up with another carver's coin that is already on Ebay. I've seen carvings by some of the better guys out there sitting all alone for two or three days and then suddenly another carver will put his up and have the closing time within minutes of the first one. Kinda tacky to piggyback that way. Have fun and keep the chips flying.

Joe Paonessa

 

[coinguy47]

Thanks Bill. I sold one on eBay Sunday, and got what I though it should go for. I'm sure that won't always be the case, but I'm still new at this. I'm not really even sure what I think they should sell for. I really enjoy carving them, so money isn't my only motive. I think I'll give it another try later this week.

 

[coinguy47]

Thanks Joe. The chips are indeed flying all the time. It still takes me a day or two to finish one, so about 3 a week is about all I can do. Usually more like two. I have a pretty good one I'll put up in a couple of days. You guys take a look at it and tell me what you think.

 

[Billzach]

Tom
There are two kinds of coin carvers, one is a carver who will only carve what he likes and if the collectors don,t like how he carves and doesn,t buy them, it,s their problem not his, this is fine if the coin carver doesn,t care if he sells his work and then adds them to his collection...The next kind of coin carver wants to carve what the collectors want and make a few dollars while doing it..It,s sorta like a car dealer who decides to sell only pink cars with red tires , he may sell a few, but very few, while the other car dealers sell what the buyers want and do well...After saying this, there nothing wrong with a coin carver only carving and selling what he likes, but like the car dealer who only sells pink cars with red tires, he won,t sell many...

 

[Billzach]

Thanks Bill. I sold one on eBay Sunday, and got what I though it should go for. I'm sure that won't always be the case, but I'm still new at this. I'm not really even sure what I think they should sell for. I really enjoy carving them, so money isn't my only motive. I think I'll give it another try later this week.

Tom
From what I,ve seen of your coin carving you have a bright future in coin carving..It takes most carvers years to get where you,ve got in 5 months, keep up the good work.

 

[coinguy47]

Thanks Bill. I think that may be one of my problems- I'm not sure exactly what collectors want. I know that full horn buffalos are preferred, and some even like the 1913 ty 1 carved coins. I suppose it doesn't matter what the host coin is if the carving is less than desirable.

 

[Billzach]

TOM
All the subjects that you have carved have been subjects that I think collectors want, keep on doing what you have doing...

 

[Keith]

Tom,
Keep doing what you are doing and keep it fun.
I have sold many coins on ebay and you win some and you lose some.
I dont look at it for the money most of the time, but it stinks when something you worked on for a long time sells for less than $10 an hour.
I was talking to another carver the other day and he brought up the same point.
Its also not a great time with the economy down and people holding on to their money. Prices for coins are down, also its back to school stuff for the kids. Ebay has times when they are offering incentives to the sellers to list stuff, usually when they do its at one of those slow times, Summer barbecue time, back to school time, the week before thanksgiving are usually slow times for me and have found it the same selling my other wares on ebay and with my sign business.....
Good luck with the coins and like I said keep it so its fun....
Later,
Keith

 

[sdcoxx]

Hello Tom,
Welcome to the Cafe....
Your Nickels are very NICE....
Mike Pezak introduced me hobo nickels, as well.... Truly, he is an Ambassador of hobo nickels.
I use cratex wheels, as well... Knife shaped....
If you search my posts, you will find the toning receipt I use, courtesy of Owen Covert.
Amazing what some 4/0 steel wool can do for your finish....
I find that my coins sell for a higher price on ebay when there are other high quality coins listed, also....
In addition, I have found the collectors and other carvers to be generous and helpful...
I am sure you will find the same support and encouragement....
If I can be of any help, feel free to contact me....
As Keith said, "Keep it FUN".
Take Care,
Stephen

PS: Bill, you are so funny.... I like Pink cars with Red wheels....

 

[Billzach]

Tom
You just heard from a coin carver who moves the level of carving up about everyweek and makes me wonder, how did he do that..Stephen, you do amazing things to a coin.

 

[coinguy47]

Yep, I like the pink cars- red wheels reference too

Thanks Stephen, and for that matter thanks to you all. I think the most important thing I've learend in my first 5 months is that I can't be you. You can't be me either. I can learn from you, and I may have an idea to contribute myself someday, but I can't be Keith or Bill or Joe or Stephen or Mickey any more than you all can do things exactly the way I do them. If we don't share info, we basicly all lose. Artwork is individual, even with our collective minds.

...Listen to me- I can't draw stick figures and I'm talking artwork here...

Thanks guys,

Tom