Skull and Centipede Hobo Nickel

Back to engraving with a Hobo Nickel project, just for me.

Skull_Centipede_Hobo_Nickel_16This is my first solo Hobo Nickel, with 24 karat gold centipede legs, moose antler zombie eye.

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Here’s my design transferred onto a 1937 buffalo nickel. Don’t know what a Hobo Nickel is?  Try hobonickels.org

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Above is the design engraved, but no sculpting yet.

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A little further along, with the centipede back half sculpted…

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Most of the sculpting done, and ready to add the gold…

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Here’s the front half of the centipede sculpted

, and 24 karat gold wire inlaid into the raised legs. I haven’t trimmed the edges of the gold yet.

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Here’s the front half of the centipede sculpted, and half of the gold legs inlaid…impressive, if you’ve ever seen one of these not-so-little nasties in person.

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Front legs inlaid with gold wire, some trimmed.

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All of the gold legs installed! Hope it doesn’t crawl off when I’m not watching…

Skull_Centipede_Hobo_Nickel_15Installing a zombie eye of moose antler.  From upper left clockwise, – lathe turning tiny moose pegs – front and back pegs – pegs epoxied in place front and back…

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Finished! The zombie eye is particularly creepy…

Thanks for looking!

 

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2 Responses to Skull and Centipede Hobo Nickel

  1. Cody Diehl says:

    Phenomenal! Fantastic job. What gravers did you use for this? And did you use an air graver or something or just by hand?

    • metal_musings says:

      Hi Cody,

      Sorry for the late reply – I missed your comment.

      I use Lindsay Palm Control and Nitro G20 Airgravers. I use the standard Lindsay “V” graver geometry (both 96 degree and 90 degree), along with small punches made from broken burs. I use small flat for the gold inlay undercuts, and of course, flattening the background.

      Thanks,

      Tom

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