{"id":5101,"date":"2017-06-10T11:35:31","date_gmt":"2017-06-10T18:35:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=5101"},"modified":"2017-06-10T11:42:57","modified_gmt":"2017-06-10T18:42:57","slug":"combined-cnc-and-hand-engraving-hobo-silver-dollar-with-handprint-skull","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=5101","title":{"rendered":"Combined CNC and Hand Engraving on a Hobo Silver Dollar with Handprint Skull"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/a>After a few successes with wood <\/p>\n

Pharmacie Montignac Dordogne Pharmacie de la V\u00c3\u00a9z\u00c3\u00a8re<\/a><\/div>\n

, moose antler and brass it\u2019s time for something a little more challenging. There have been a few technical glitches and broken end mills along the way, but I\u2019m confident enough I\u2019ll risk a $20 silver dollar to make a Hobo Nickel\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nFirst, however, I need to come up with a way to hold the silver dollar securely enough that it won\u2019t come loose during milling. That would be a total disaster\u2026so I need to make a special holding fixture, Above, I begin that process by sawing off a suitable bit of aluminum with my trusty Harbor Freight bandsaw\u2026works great as long as you team it up with a good quality bimetal blade\u2026 This was about 20 minutes to cut this thick stuff.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nHere\u2019s the smaller block, turned out pretty darn square. Looking good so far, but don\u2019t get cocky\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nMaking an insert to hold silver dollar coins in my CNC mill vise. Here\u2019s the block in the little milling vise, with the dollar laid on top for scale. I\u2019ll mill out a pocket the same size as the coin, but not quite as deep so a little bit of coin will remain sticking out of the top. Then I\u2019ll saw through the center (left to right in this image). The saw kerf should leave enough gap so the vise will close enough for a good grip.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nThat worked so well I milled a half dollar-sized pocket on the other side. Hare-brained scheme to come, so stay tuned…<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nAbove, I\u2019ve marked the center of the dollar, installed it into the holding fixture and zero\u2019ed everything. It\u2019s now ready for cutting\u2026fingers crossed.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nHere, I\u2019ve roughed out everything with a small 1\/16th inch diameter square end mill. Still looking good.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nHere\u2019s the raw cuts after using a finer 1\/16th inch diameter ball nose mill. That looks better but there are still mill marks, and nowhere near good enough for a hand engraved product. I could probably use much smaller steps, but I don\u2019t think it will ever be as good as hand engraving and would take a lot longer during the milling process. Not a problem, though, since I\u2019m only intending to use the mill for \u201croughing out\u201d things, to be finished by hand later.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nAbove, I darkened the silver for a better contrast for the photo. Well I’ll be a suck-egg mule, but the beginning of my hare-brained scheme actually came off without a hitch with a little help and advice from Apollo of Carbide3D (thanks Apollo!)… A Hobo Nickel to be (Yes, I know it’s actually a Hobo Dollar…don’t quibble\u2026)<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nWell , what\u2019s a good Hobo Dollar without a little gold inlay? We\u2019ll add a gold tooth\u2026 Above are the basic steps of inlay – excavating the inlay pocket, undercutting the edges and raising tiny teeth in the bottom, lightly laying in the 24 karat gold wires, and finally pounding them in securely. The undercuts and tiny teeth make a strictly mechanical bond for tiny pure gold wires.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nHere\u2019s the gold inlay scraped and stoned flat, with a tiny engraved cut around the edges for excellent definition.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"
\nInlaying a 24 karat gold tooth in the hare-brained scheme. Looking better all the time\u2026I\u2019m beginning to think there\u2019s some merit to this\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nContinuing the hare-brained scheme by sculpting away the little artifacts left by CNC. Now I\u2019ll attack the chief limitation of using CNC for really fine work – the tiny milling marks that are left behind, seemingly no matter what I do. If you look closely above in the upper left, notice the fillet left by the tiny ball end mill (blue arrows). In the image in the lower right I’ve removed that little problem with a graver.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nThe above image has half of the skull sculpted and carved (screen right) removing the milling marks. Compare the smoother right side (your right\u2026) to the left side with the milling marks that look like a plowed field. The right has been punch sculpted (with some carving as well) to remove the furrows\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nAbove is my foot controlled Lindsay Nitro G20 airgraver and the sculpting punch I used.<\/p>\n

So you thought the hare-brained scheme was finished? No, no, no. You should be so lucky… It simply cries out for a tiny gold spider\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nAbove, I\u2019ve begun the standard process of inlay – excavation, tiny bottom\u00a0hooks\/undercutting, followed by melting tiny balls of gold on the end of the wires. I want lots of gold to make the spider body stand proud of the surface.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nContinuing on with the spider by sculpting, smoothing and trimming.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nInlaying the tiny little legs. Very fiddly work\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nAbove, the tiny legs scraped and smoothed. Once they\u2019re stoned and then outlined with tiny cuts, the spider will be finished.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"\"\"<\/a>
\nAbove is the finished Handprint Skull Hobo Silver Dollar, so the hare-brained scheme is completed and now it’s safe to go back in the water… turned out to be not so hare-brained after all\u2026and saved a whole lot of time during the CNC roughing out phase.<\/p>\n

Thanks for Looking!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tom Sterling<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.sterlingsculptures.com<\/a>
\n http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TomSterlingHandEngraving#<\/a>
\n http:\/\/instagram.com\/tom_sterling_hand_engraving<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After a few successes with wood Pharmacie Montignac Dordogne Pharmacie de la V\u00c3\u00a9z\u00c3\u00a8re , moose antler and brass it\u2019s time for something a little more challenging. There have been a few technical glitches and broken end mills along the way, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[23,50,43],"tags":[51,9,53,3,7,45,10],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6qLAy-1kh","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6040,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=6040","url_meta":{"origin":5101,"position":0},"title":"Tom’s Interview with The Maker’s Garage – Carbide3D","date":"March 29, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Check out Tom\u2019s podcast interview with Kevin Barnett of Carbide3D - The Maker\u2019s Garage! Hear Tom\u2019s words of wisdom and deep artistic philosophy about CNC and engraving\u2026amaze your friends! Mention that at any coffee shop Kup Lasix bez recepty , hand them ten dollars and you can get a really\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5565,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=5565","url_meta":{"origin":5101,"position":1},"title":"Dragonfly Hobo Nickel Tutorial","date":"May 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I need a little timeout from the hummingbird skull reliquary puttygen.in , so here\u2019s the start of a fun Hobo Nickel with a gold dragonfly. I\u2019m leveling out Jefferson\u2019s head with a punch and abrasive stones, and beginning the engraving. Inlaying a 24 karat gold dragonfly in a Hobo Nickel.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hand Engraving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/TomSterling_Dragonfly_Hobo_Nickel_Tutorial_7.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3636,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=3636","url_meta":{"origin":5101,"position":2},"title":"Skull and Centipede Hobo Nickel","date":"November 17, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Back to engraving with a Hobo Nickel project, just for me. This is my first solo Hobo Nickel, with\u00a024 karat gold centipede legs, moose antler zombie eye. Here\u2019s my design transferred onto a 1937 buffalo nickel. Don\u2019t know what a Hobo Nickel is? \u00a0Try hobonickels.org Above is the design engraved,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Skull_Centipede_Hobo_Nickel_16.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4775,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=4775","url_meta":{"origin":5101,"position":3},"title":"Koi and Waves Hobo HalfDollar Tutorial","date":"September 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"How about a Koi-themed Hobo Nickel (OK, it's actually a silver half dollar)? Above, I\u2019ve begun the coin carving by transferring my pattern to the face of the half dollar, and then using a V-graver to cut in all the lines. Some folks like to remove the head or figure\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Koi_and_Waves_Hobo_HalfDollar_15.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4129,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=4129","url_meta":{"origin":5101,"position":4},"title":"Inlaid Shibuichi “Slimy Snail” Hobo Nickel Tutorial","date":"January 3, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Starting a new project, a Hobo Nickel with a shibuichi Japanese-style snail inlay. I've been watching Ford Hallam (https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ford-Hallam-Following-the-Iron-Br\u2026\/) make his lovely metal inlays, and have been taking his advice to \"steal with my eyes.\" \u00a0I think I've broken the code, so I'm trying it with this snail. \u00a0I'll discuss\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Shibuichi_Snail_Hobo_Nickel_Tutorial_1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4663,"url":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/?p=4663","url_meta":{"origin":5101,"position":5},"title":"Yellow Jacket Hobo Nickel Tutorial","date":"July 21, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The gold inlaid wasp I added to a recent knife I engraved for William Henry Studios turned out so splendidly I had to do a Hobo Nickel with the same theme. Above, I\u2019ve taken a 1930 Buffalo nickel and transferred a scaled yellow jacket design to it. I begin the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Carving"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Yellow_Jacket_Hobo_Nickel_Tutorial_0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5101"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5101"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5178,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5101\/revisions\/5178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sterlingsculptures.com\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}