Help guys doing this big coin

I am trying to make this on my nomad3 no idea how to start do you guys have any advice I’ll be tremendously appreciated coin is about 110 x 110 mm

Presumably the person who made this has the initials “PH” — ask them for the file?

EDIT: as noted below, this is the U.S. Mint and “PH” stands for Philadelphia.

That is a well thought out composite image.

1 Like

You will certainly need access to the file, otherwise you’re in for quite a long and tedious process to recreate it…and that’s assuming you already know how to do much of it.

If you have access to the file, I’m assuming it’s a digitally sculpted stl? It looks sculpted anyway, given all of the gentle curves and folds everywhere. In that case you can probably use carbide create pro (Will is the wizard, I won’t attempt an explanation)

The most difficult part will be smooth detail work, I’d guess a good bit of hand finishing and polishing will be required. I’d probably try a very small tapered ball nose as a rough pass, then use a v-bit of some kind to finish it.
If you have fusion 360, I’d do a pencil tool path on the deepest parts to really try and define them.

At 110mm I think it’s all achievable, maybe practice with machinable wax to ensure your strategies work as expected without blowing up a bunch of expensive metal blanks while you figure things out.


All that said, this thing screams to be done on a fiber laser. A laser will leave little topographic lines but they can be buffed out pretty quickly in most metals leaving a beautiful surface that’s very satisfying to the touch. I have a fiber laser and can tell you from posts in that community, there seem to plenty of folks in Texas who do commission work…folks love marking up their firearms for some reason :man_shrugging:

Very much looking forward to seeing how this goes, especially given the work you’ve posted in the past :slightly_smiling_face:

The U.S. Mint is officially handing out these beauties (well, selling them, but let’s not dwell on technicalities). :rofl:

https://www.usmint.gov/heroes-of-kabul-august-2021-bronze-medal-MASTER_MLKBL.html?srsltid=AfmBOor-Hj7PODnqdvQFxJnbvHeiv_jYaTATWlC--69XfeYUzbAkeZK3

2 Likes

Ah well that explains why the artwork seems so well done :sweat_smile:

2 Likes

The best option would probably be to purchase such a coin and then scan it. EDIT: assuming of course that there isn’t a legal obstacle as noted by @CrookedWoodTex

That said, it turns out that the U.S. Mint may have actually made a large scale version to use to make the hub which is used to make the die:

https://www.usmint.gov/learn/production-process/die-making

https://www.usmint.gov/learn/production-process/sculpting

Before CNC this was done using a pantograph:

2 Likes

Also, probably some kind of violations to copy that coin.

I adore the coin minting process and have had an eye out for a good pantograph for awhile now. Also keeping an eye out for a reasonable press.

I don’t know where I’d put either…but none have popped up so I haven’t had to think about that part yet :beers:

Random anecdote…

Maybe 15 years ago (sadly, it might have been more), I was doing a project for a company in the coin/medal space. I was told they usually machined them on a rotary with a spiral toolpath, going outside in, so they never had an axis reversal where backlash could cause an artifact. I suspect that doesn’t matter as much now that higher-end motion components are commonly available, but that one always stuck with me.

2 Likes

Rob, I remember a brief discussion about whether it would be possible to implement a spiral finishing toolpath in MeshCAM. That might have been about the same time frame…

1 Like

This topic was automatically closed after 30 days. New replies are no longer allowed.