drilling holes in coins

[+Belfrypotters]

My first coin has arrived. I'm almost finished admiring it and will soon be ready to send it out into the world. Will drilling into the enamel cause any damage around the hole? Will the enamel crack or chip off? How exactly do I drill a hole in the coin?

[+Droo]

Start with a very small bit for the initial hole. Place a bit of oil on the tip of the bit to keep it cool. The first bite takes the most patience but once the bit has bit into the material it goes fast. Don't press hard towards the end to minimize damage to the enamel on the back side or better yet start on the side with the enamel.

 

Edit to add: I use a drill press but I can't see why an ordinary drill won't work if you go slow and just let the bit do it's work.

Edited April 29, 2008 by Droo

[+Kealia]

I've never had a problem. I use a good Makita and a drill bit just large enough to get some small 1/16th airplane cable through. I think if you just go slowly and don't try to force it you shouldn't have any problems - but if anybody else has had this issue, maybe they can speak up amd warn you of their mistakes.

[+mousekakat]

Has anyone tried placing a piece of tape over the opposite side, kind of like how you do with plexiglass, to keep from chipping the back side when you break through, or does that help?

[+fairyhoney]

My son is always drilling his coins. We haven't encountered a problem - yet. We use the size of bit that we need for the wire to go through. Call us naive, but it works.

Actually, even IF you do "some" damage, Maybe it would help deter the theft of it ? ? ?

[+Mauison]

I've had a couple of coins with hard enamel crack and break off around the drilled hole, especially if I'm drilling from the opposite side. Once, it was a big enough piece to just super glue back on. It's not a big deal to me as the coins are going to get banged up traveling around anyway. But there are some good ideas in the above posts so trying them couldn't hurt.

[+Roaring_Fork]

My son is always drilling his coins. We haven't encountered a problem - yet. We use the size of bit that we need for the wire to go through. Call us naive, but it works.

Actually, even IF you do "some" damage, Maybe it would help deter the theft of it ? ? ?

 

I have not seen a coin that was drilled with wire placed through it. Does anyone have a picture of a coin where this was done?

 

Thanks,

Greg

[+fox-and-the-hound]

I've messed a few up before using Droo's method, but the best advice I can give is try to find a point in both sides with little or no enamel first. Then start from the enamel side if you can to minimize damage. Also, if you can find some sort of soft "backer" like a piece of rubber, yellow pine, etc. that you can put on the back side it seems to help keep the enamel from popping out under pressure. Our personal has both hard and soft enamel, but the hard enamel seem more prone to pop off than the soft, too.

[+dflye]

My son is always drilling his coins. We haven't encountered a problem - yet. We use the size of bit that we need for the wire to go through. Call us naive, but it works.

Actually, even IF you do "some" damage, Maybe it would help deter the theft of it ? ? ?

 

I have not seen a coin that was drilled with wire placed through it. Does anyone have a picture of a coin where this was done?

 

Thanks,

Greg

Here's a couple pics of what I usually do....

 

[+nashuan]

Hey dflye:

 

Great pics and a great looking set up to tag your travelers

[+Crowesfeat30]

OK, those wires - where do I buy them from? can I get them from any hardware store or is there a better place. I need a few of them by Friday so I'm hoping I can pick them up locally.

 

Also, please be specific - exactly what type and size of drill bit would you reccommend? Name brands, if allowable, would be very useful to me. And the exact type (eg: "masony bit" - and I know this is incorrect but you get the idea - I hope). I'm not very mechanicaly inclined so the more info, the better. Thanks!

 

CF30

[+Roaring_Fork]

Thank you for posting the pictures. Now I understand what's being discussed.

 

Greg

[+Shilo]

OK, those wires - where do I buy them from? can I get them from any hardware store or is there a better place. I need a few of them by Friday so I'm hoping I can pick them up locally.

 

Also, please be specific - exactly what type and size of drill bit would you reccommend? Name brands, if allowable, would be very useful to me. And the exact type (eg: "masony bit" - and I know this is incorrect but you get the idea - I hope). I'm not very mechanicaly inclined so the more info, the better. Thanks!

 

CF30

You can get wire rope from Home Depot. It's $.20 a foot. I've been using 1/16th inch wire rope for the PGR III racers. I use a swaging tool to crimp the ferrels.

[+dflye]

The pics I posted were using a pretty fat version of the wire cable sold by the foot at the hardware store, 3/32" uncoated, wanted to make sure the traveling coin thief would have a workout cutting it without a good pair of cutters.

 

They sell the ferrules in small baggies of 2 I think, and you can get away with using either a bolt cutter (VERY carefully or you can cut right through the ferrule with next to no pressure if you have long handled cutters) or in theory a good pair of linesman pliers (with the cutter built in, and long enough handles to get some good leverage)

 

The pics above are from when I first started cabling, and hadn't yet purchased a swaging tool, so was using a pair of bolt cutters I already had laying about. The swaging tool produces a somewhat different looking crimp (and tighter grip) on the ferrule, but the overall setup is the same.

[Froboz]

The pics I posted were using a pretty fat version of the wire cable sold by the foot at the hardware store, 3/32" uncoated, wanted to make sure the traveling coin thief would have a workout cutting it without a good pair of cutters.

 

They sell the ferrules in small baggies of 2 I think, and you can get away with using either a bolt cutter (VERY carefully or you can cut right through the ferrule with next to no pressure if you have long handled cutters) or in theory a good pair of linesman pliers (with the cutter built in, and long enough handles to get some good leverage)

 

The pics above are from when I first started cabling, and hadn't yet purchased a swaging tool, so was using a pair of bolt cutters I already had laying about. The swaging tool produces a somewhat different looking crimp (and tighter grip) on the ferrule, but the overall setup is the same.

 

Does the drilling really cut down on the theft of coins? Or do they still disappear as much as other coins?

 

I am curious I would like to buy a few for release, but am afraid they will just disappear out of the first cache, and I might as well just put the money in there.

[+dflye]

Does the drilling really cut down on the theft of coins? Or do they still disappear as much as other coins?

 

I am curious I would like to buy a few for release, but am afraid they will just disappear out of the first cache, and I might as well just put the money in there.

I think it cuts down on unintentional theft, where new cachers have no idea the coins are activated trackable coins, and not just plain old swag.

 

While it may deter some casual thieves, I'm sure it doesn't deter a "collector" who doesn't intend to show their coins at events.

Edited April 30, 2008 by dflye

[+tokencollector]

I pick up my cable and ferrules at Ace Hardware. I use the smallest diameter wire (1/16", I think) and the appropriate sized ferrules. The ferrules I get are aluminum and I tap them shut with a tack hammer (though a regular hammer would work too). The drill bit is either the same size as or is 1/32" larger than the diameter of the cable. I used coated drill bits, but any "regular" bit designed for metal would be fine.

 

IMO, the largest reasons for loss of geocoins from circulation is newbie cachers that pick up a coin and then quit caching followed by muggled caches. Tagging doesn't help much there. Even still, I tag the majority of the geocoins that I send out - it provides some instructions with the item for those that might not know what to do with them and clearly identifies tham as not being swag.

 

Among coins that I've found in the wild I've found (in order or prevalence):

 

-coin in flip in baggie with instructions

-coin on its own

-tagged coin

 

coins can travel well or dissappear quickly using any of the above methods.

Edited April 30, 2008 by tokencollector

[+Crowesfeat30]

Thank you all for the answers! Funny thing is, I was going to start a thread with pretty much the same questions the OP asked. Great minds think alike, I guess.

 

I found the wire at Lowes - 20 cents a foot, ferruls - 2 packs 89 cents each. I did not buy the crimping tool tho - $25.00. I figured I could hammer them shut just as effectively; mabye tap them with a screw driver, too.

 

CF30

[+dflye]

For anyone doing bulk cabling, you can shop around online and get 3/32" ferrules down to about 9 cents each (before shipping) when purchased in bulk, and 6 cents for a 1/16" ferrule. Although the shipping on the 100 I got was $7, bringing it up to 0.16 a pop, still a bit better than the almost 0.50 a pop from the hardware store.

[+Belfrypotters]

This is great information. Another couple of coins arrived in the mail yesterday, so now we're off to the hardware store. Not only that, but I have a new word to add to my list of words I'll never get to use in conversation: ferrule. Sort of like aglet, marrette, tilde, and pilcrow. Cool words to know but not all that useful in daily life.

[+mousekakat]

I know what a tilde is!!! Or, should I say ~~~

 

 

Naomi

[+AtwellFamily]

My son is always drilling his coins. We haven't encountered a problem - yet. We use the size of bit that we need for the wire to go through. Call us naive, but it works.

Actually, even IF you do "some" damage, Maybe it would help deter the theft of it ? ? ?

 

I have not seen a coin that was drilled with wire placed through it. Does anyone have a picture of a coin where this was done?

 

Thanks,

Greg

I usually have some at local event, just ask me if I am there.

[+ECplus3]

I just purchased 200 1/16" ferrules (or 'swaging sleeves') on ebay for $14 and change (shipping inc.) That works out to about .07 per. But that's MUCH more than I ever imagine using -- even including botched attempts!

 

So if anyone is interested in some, maybe we can work out a trade on the side, and I'll throw a handful of these ferrules into the mailer as well.

[+Blue Devil PA]

Does the drilling really cut down on the theft of coins? Or do they still disappear as much as other coins?

 

I am curious I would like to buy a few for release, but am afraid they will just disappear out of the first cache, and I might as well just put the money in there.

I think it cuts down on unintentional theft, where new cachers have no idea the coins are activated trackable coins, and not just plain old swag.

 

While it may deter some casual thieves, I'm sure it doesn't deter a "collector" who doesn't intend to show their coins at events.

 

While I dont like to have anything stolen like the next sane person. When I have a coin "indefinately borrowed" I do have a not-so-nice side of my being who takes a small bit of comfort that the coin with the hole in it is reminding them of their shortcomings as a person. I know, I know..that is not in keeping with my enlightened self, but hey I dont like thieves.

[+Shilo]

I just purchased 200 1/16" ferrules (or 'swaging sleeves') on ebay for $14 and change (shipping inc.) That works out to about .07 per. But that's MUCH more than I ever imagine using -- even including botched attempts!

 

So if anyone is interested in some, maybe we can work out a trade on the side, and I'll throw a handful of these ferrules into the mailer as well.

 

I'm using 1/16th" ferrules for the PGR III. I could use some more.

PM on the way