Abalone and Quarter

[Kenny Durrant]

I've been playing with some pieces of scrap Abalone Sheet a friend gave me. It's easy to work with and looks nice. At least I think so. I ordered a few sheets and thought I'd make this for a friend. I wrapped the Abalone around the tube then hand cut the quarter. It took a while but I finally got it finished. Questions and Comments Welcome.

 

[Jim15]

Great work.

 

[JohnU]

Looks good Kenny! The quarter really stands out over the abalone.

 

[mark james]

Very, very nice! I love the contrast between the abalone and the quarter. Both elements had challenges I'm sure, so to get to the final turning/pen is quite a feat! Well done. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Kenny Durrant]

Thanks Again. I made a pen with natural Abalone and a Texas Quarter and the quarter was really hard to see. It blended in with all the flash. This was a good fit I think so the coin could stand out.

 

[jttheclockman]

Love this pen Nicely done. What did you cut the quarter with?? Did you thin the quarter before cutting?? Had to be tough bending unless you heated it.

 

[Kenny Durrant]

I worked the whole quarter by hand with a Dremel tool. I thinned it first then drilled pilot holes to start grinding away the inside. Once done I used a block of wood, a hammer and a punch to bend it to shape. I wasn't sure about what to do with the islands. My first thought was to cut them out then I figured I wouldn't like the big open space so I tried to use a chain effect. I remember the first quarter took me 3 hours to finish. Now it takes around 45 min.

 

[jttheclockman]

I worked the whole quarter by hand with a Dremel tool. I thinned it first then drilled pilot holes to start grinding away the inside. Once done I used a block of wood, a hammer and a punch to bend it to shape. I wasn't sure about what to do with the islands. My first thought was to cut them out then I figured I wouldn't like the big open space so I tried to use a chain effect. I remember the first quarter took me 3 hours to finish. Now it takes around 45 min.

Again Nicely done. It brings back memories of a member here that did this type work but scrollsawed them. seamus7227

 

[Kenny Durrant]

Thanks John. I remember Seamus. In fact he's the one I got the idea from. He was very good at cutting out the coins.

 

[Pen Zen]

This is a truly inspiring pen. If you don't mind me asking, how do you thin the quarter?

 

[Kenny Durrant]

I use a Dremel tool for every step of the quarter. A man named Seamus was mentioned earlier. He was the one that inspired me to give it a try. I don't know how he did it but the only coin I can use has to be a clad coin. That's how I know when to stop grinding/thinning. I grind through the heads silver and through the copper. When I see the silver of the tails side I know to stop. Then I drill pilot holes where needed to start grinding away the center background that I don't want. That's pretty much it. All by hand and free hand. I drilled different size holes in a 2x4 then cut the holes in half to form a trough. I lay the coin in the trough and use a hammer and a punch to bend the coin in a smooth curve to fit the tube. Here's a few others that I've done.

 

[TDahl]

Great craftsmanship on the pen. I love the combination of the abalone and the coin. Thank you also for sharing your knowledge on cutting out coins. That is a great tutorial.

 

[jttheclockman]

Just a little side story. The question has been asked how to thin the quarter and Kenny gave his method. If I may add a couple different ways I did it. Back when (Seamus 7227 ) was gracing these pages with his creations, he and I had a little side bet. I wagered him that I could cut a quarter in half using my scrollsaw because him and I are scrollsaw enthusiasts and use them alot. The bet was if I could He would have to cut a NJ coin and cast it on a blank I sent him with my braided copper. Well to make a long story longer I did it and here is the results of this adventure. Photos of the coin cut and finished pen after he sent the blank back, I turned it and finished it. Fun little project.

Also I included a few photos of another method I use to thin a quarter using a jig mounted to the lathe and spun down with turning tools mainly carbide. It is basically junk metal within the quarter and is tough to cut but can be done.