Tutorial for dollar carving thread

[Billzach]

This,ll be the thread you need to check daily for the steps in carving a subject on a 2007 washington dollar, Before i start this thread, Please remember i,ve certain tools i use and have been using many years and enjoy using , but i,m not promoting tools, just what tools i use in carving coins, use the tools you feel best using, the main tools i,ll be using are a #36 and a #42 hand push graver [ no heel] , my gravermax with a monarch handpiece, 3 different grits sanding sticks..Now to the carving of a washington dollar, it,s a lot different from carving a nickel..When i carve a coin, i want it to have a minted look, this means the field has to be smooth, no dips, no grooves, no nicks, etc..The first picture is the host coin before we start to carve it, our subject to be carved will be a Billzach original design i,ve used on new nickels..We,ll call the subject '' The Sea Captain ''..What we want on our finished coin is a new subject on the coin, but no tell-tell marks on the field or face that we recarved washington...

 

[Billzach]

This,ll be our first step in carving a 2007 washington dollar, i,ve applied chinese white on the coin to show my scribe marks, this picture will show you a very roughed out image of the cap brim, cap design, beard, ear, etc. yours can be different to a degree, but the lines i,ve scribed will be the ones i cut, don,t start cutting on your coin until you see the next posting later today..

 

[Billzach]

The only tool i,ve used so far has been a #36 hand push graver with no heel...I,ve took my push graver and cut inward to the scribe lines and popped the metal out..We,ve the outline of the beard cut, the cap bill, cap brim, bottom of cap behind ear and ear cut ...Now this is very important about carving a new dollar, our field next to the subject has to be the same level as the rest of the field, we,re going for that mint like field..All you new engravers who only have hand push gravers, you can carve this coin too...It,s hard to get a good picture with the bright cuts, but pictures will get better on the next step..

 

[Marcus Hunt]

This is great Bill. Thanks

 

[Billzach]

Now i,ve cut the beard, sideburns, etc with my monarch handpiece using a small flat graver... Remember keep the field level as the original field meets the subject..We are now ready to start detailing the cap and face and get the gravers marks out of the field and face..i dulled the coin so you can better view the cuts i make since last picture...It,s about 50% completed at this point..

 

[Billzach]

The coin carving is about 75% completed, i,ve added some texture to the bill on the cap, cut some seams in cap, added crowfeet on eyes and worked on field, now i need to give it a few finishing touches, sandblast it and give it a uniform color.. everything and it,s finished..

 

[Billzach]

It,s finished, I changed the cap design a little, cleaned the field up somemore, added lines in collar area , sandblasted and added aging to coin...I,m getting a reflection from the light around the eyes, so forgive my picture taking..

 

[Harpuahound]

You make it look easy. Im curious how much time this would take you, minus the time spent doing the tutorial. Did you use sandpaper on this? and what did you use to "age" the piece?

 

[Dmitry Martinov]

hat off !!!! really.

 

[Billzach]

You make it look easy. Im curious how much time this would take you, minus the time spent doing the tutorial. Did you use sandpaper on this? and what did you use to "age" the piece?

It,s about a 2 hour project, I use sanding sticks purchased from gesswein, try mixing 1/3 gun blue, 1/3 iodine
1/3 water in a bottle and apply with q tip..

 

[Billzach]

There is a coin carving tutorial being conducted on the engraving forum some of you may interested in..[PS] I,m open for questions if you have any on the 2007 dollar carving..

 

[Mike Cirelli]

Great job Bill. The coin looks great and the tutorial quite good.

 

[vanknife]

Informative and well executed

Thanks

 

[Degs]

Hi Bill..... great tutorial.
Question for you, regarding patination/aging on silver dollars, what do you use, and are you sandblasting them.
Just on with my first Morgan.

Degs

 

[Billzach]

Hi Bill..... great tutorial.
Question for you, regarding patination/aging on silver dollars, what do you use, and are you sandblasting them.
Just on with my first Morgan.

Degs

Yes i sandblast my carving, As to the patina i developed a solution about 10 years ago for aging coins after they had been carved, 1/3 gun blue, 1/3 water, 1/3 iodine, a few drops of circuit board cleaner from radio stack, also a piece of chewing tabacco , put all this in a bottle , this solution won,t work well unless you sandblast first..[ps] you can try more or less of each..

 

[Sam]

Bill: Many thanks for the informative series of the dollar carving. It is greatly appreciated by all.

I will try some of your aging solution, but Abigail will get VERY angry if I use some of her chewing tobacco. ~Sam

 

[monk]

i am convinced that it's my destiny to become a coin carver. with the information that's being so generously
given to us who have the interest- we are so thankful for your generosity and desire to share words don't quite cover the level of gratidude !! thank you so much

 

[John B.]

Bill.
Thank you for sharing your excellent tutorial and your wonderful coin.
Best regards, John B.

 

[Tim Wells]

Sam,
Is she a Beechnut gal? You two are such cut ups. You gotta spit that stuff out before you sing ya know or it'll sound like gargling.

Thanks for the lesson Bill!

 

[Billzach]

I have 2 gravermax, 2 monarch handpieces, 2 power hones, 2 microscopes, 2 grs engraving vises, etc in my shop, but if any of you beginners want to carve a coin, all you need is a #36 flat push graver, a mag. visor, glue your coin down and carve carving...My first tools cost less than $3, i used my money that i make on carving coins and invested in better tools and a week in engraving school..