Need Help

Re: Need Help

Ron Sardo in PA

>Are you doing this an a lathe? if so just use a scraper or a parting tool, depending where the coin is to be placed. I would FIRST find the size of the coin before you make any cuts.

Now the bad news. The Sackagewea (sp) gold coin is no longer made.

Re: Need Help

Mark Kauder, Phenix City, AL

>Glenn,

I would never trust the drilled hole to be accurate - wobble and all. Instead, I would drill an undersized hole, and then use a scraper or the long point of a skew, used as a scraper to sneek up on the right size hole.

Mark

Re: Need Help "slightly long"

Don Evans

>Glenn:

Instead of doing it that way, I'll try to explain in writing how to do this for any round object and you can make a much better fit than what ever size drill bit you are stuck with.

The best tool to use is a set of dividers with both sides having sharp points. Use the dividers and set them for the exact diameter of the coin, use only the very end of the point and get it as close as humanly possible to the two sides, I wear magnifiers sometimes while making this part of the adjustment.

Place your tool rest barely below center and turn it so it is 90 degrees to the ways of the lathe and about 1" from the end of the turning. Lay the dividers on the tool rest so both legs are resting on the tool rest. (It helps if you have made a mark in the center of the item using the long point of a skew layed side ways on the rest.) Now you are going to use the left leg of the dividers to mark the wood and you have to make sure the right leg does NOT come into contact with the wood but sits just shy of it. With the center marked, before you touch the wood you can gauge both legs from center to get close and mark the wood with the LEFT leg and look before moving divider to see if the mark is directly under the right leg. If it is, you have the diameter marked and it is dead center of the bottom of the turning.

If the right leg is outside the mark then you need to move the left leg to the left to mark a bigger ring, if right one was inside the line, then move the left leg to the right and mark a smaller ring. The trick here in how much to move it is: it's 1/2 the distance the right leg is from the mark.

How fussy you are in setting the dividers on the coin will determine accuracy.

Then as someone else said, take a skew on it's side and use the long point using a scraping action to remove the wood.

Don't go deep with your marks, just enough to see them adds to accuracy.

Now you should be able to inlay anything no matter the size.

Another tip: the bottom of the inlay area should slope deeper as you go towards the center, this will help insure the item will not rock but sit flatly. Use a silicone adhesive to set the coin as it will remain flexible because the coin and wood will move differently due to temp and humidity.

You can get a good set of dividers from Grizzly at what I think is a great price and I would get 10" long ones but check their web site and look them over yourself.

G9262 10" are $5.95 (friction type)

G9268 10" are $6.95 (spring loaded type)

For the price they are really handy to have in the shop, I have several and one set of drafting ones with changeable tips but they are too expense for this type use.

Don

Re: Need Help

Jim Rutten

>By my calipers the Sackagewea coin in 1 43/1000"

or just a skosh over an inch.

Re: Need Help

Glenn Hodges

>I had been collecting these coins hoping people would want them when they quit making them, and would be pleasantly surprised when they looked at the bottom of my bowls. I did not want to mount them in the center, but I guess I will. Thanks for your help.

Nashville, Georgia

Re: Need Help

Don Evans

>Well you wanted metric, 1 43/1000 converts to 36.32 mm.

The method I described seemed to disappoint you but using that method it doesn't have to be in the center, you just have to offset the turning, plan ahead, etc.

Sorry wasn't more help.

Don

calculation error

Angelo IN Easton Pa.

>I believe 1 and 43/1000 is 1.043 times 25.4 mm to the inch comes out to 26.4922 mm not 36+. The 36 figure results from 25.4 time 1.43 or 1 and 43 HUNDREDTHS.