How to make a Silver coin thump piece?

[rabjr]

A friend inherited some sliver coins and when he told me, bells and whistles went off in my head. :hmm: He saw coins, I saw silver thumb pieces for flintlocks. So...I convinced him to give me a handful of the most worn quarters. Like this one here. Ended up with a few dimes and half dollar as well.

I need to know before I do anything, just how to go about making a thump piece from coins. Are these hammered out, making them thinner then filed into an oval as I'm guessing they are?

 

[IronCrickett]

Anneal prior to, and during the working period. Hammer to thickness, shape with files, jeweler saw, etc., anneal and bend to contour of wrist, slowly inlet starting at the top and proceed carefully. Some ( most ) will install two nails without heads to keep it steady while inletting, then countersink nail holes, and install silver nails.

I know this is a quick explanation, but I've got to go.

Later
I.C.

 

[Birddog6]

And if you don't want nail heads showing, you silver solder 1 or 2 small wood screws onto the back of it & make a small hourglass shaped hole for each screw. Inlet the plate & then fill the hole & coat the back of the cleaned & sanded thumbplate with Microbed or Devcon 2000 & set it. Clamp it down & let it set 12-16 hrs. File it flush & sand it to the finsh you want.

The inletting is crucial. I slightly bevel the edges of my inlets so they wedge in very slightly & it is important the fit be very precise. A lousy fit here is VERY obvious & it is better not to have a thumbpiece than to have one with obvious inletting gaps. Yoo may want to do a couple test runs on a piece of rounded 2x2 pine before ya go wacking on the wrist of the rifle & polish your inletting skill some.

:results:

 

[vradin]

Way back in the olden days we used to put coins on the RR tracks to flatten. Worked too- nice smooth oval if you could find it after being tossed around by the wheels and vibrations.

I suppose now you could tape over the coin with some duct tape to keep it in place, but you just know that some over-zealous defender of the "public safety" will think yer a terrrorist trying to derail the train with a nickle.

vic

 

[rabjr]

Thanks guys, I woulda never thought about anealing the coin first and just gone off wackin with a hammer.

I'll definately practice before attempting it for real.

Living about 300 yards from some train tracks, that idea came to me right away but they just went through and electrified everything not long ago and they are all fenced in. So I had to toss that idea.

 

[pml]

just dont use the rails on a blind curve
and keep a weather eye out
them kids always scare me, as it looks totaly different from the cab of the engine.they think its like stoppin an suv.last fall i saw a deer carcase hangin from a tree
about 20'up.