Show me the money! How to transform a coin into a ring.
In many countries, including the U.S., defacing or destroying currency is actually illegal. But what about destroying currency from another country? The authorities probably don't care much about that, so we've found a handy legal loophole that will make it perfectly legit for you to try out this next project.
(Except if you're actually Canadian, eh — for those of you residing north of the 49th parallel, Euro coins will work just as well if you can find them.)
So, with all the red tape out of the way, let's take a look at a really cool way to transform a coin into a totally unique ring...
You'll need:
- coins (e.g. Canadian 2-dollar coin or 2-Euro coin)
- hollow punch set
- a bunsen burner
- pliers
- a ring mandrel
- a rubber hammer
Warning: This project involves a risk of injury and should not be attempted without the proper skills. If you are inexperienced with these types of tools, please find someone with the skills to help you.
Here's how:
To begin, you need to make a hole in the middle of the coin. With a 2-dollar Canadian coin or 2-Euro coin you can simply use the hollow punch to knock out the middle part.
If you use a coin that doesn't have a separate middle piece, you can simply drill a hole through it and increase the size using a step drill bit. Once you've made the hole you can smooth the inner side with a round file. Securing the coin in a vice makes this easier to do.
Now use the Bunsen burner to heat the coin and then cool it quickly in water. Be sure to use pliers to hold the heated metal!
And then comes the real work: stick the coin on the mandrel and start working it with the rubber hammer. This will bend the metal and gradually work the coin down the mandrel.
Heat up the coin again using the Bunsen burner. At some point you should stick the coin on the mandrel in the other direction.
When the coin is bent to an appropriate size and has taken the form of a ring, you can polish it. This goes a lot faster if you use a polishing machine.
Even though you've singed and hammered the coin, the engraving should still be intact.
Here's a video showing the whole process with a 2-Euro coin...
Depending on the type of coin you use, you'll get a very unique design with the original engraving still intact...
An engagement ring for two dollars (that's around $1.40 stateside)! Most guidelines suggest two months salary, but when you consider all the hard work that goes into making one of these, it's worth a lot more than just its face value. And it's well worth the effort!