Digital design for hobo nickel carving: scan the coin at true scale, sketch in layers, and print a 21.21 mm proof before the graver ever touches the metal.
Hobo nickel carving safety, tool by tool: ANSI Z87+ eye protection, chip containment, dust extraction for a small bench, and safe finishing chemistry.
Dust, Metal Chips, and Eye Safety at the Hobo Nickel Bench Read More »
Carve a hobo nickel portrait from a photo by reading its light into carved depth: simplify the values, transfer accurate proportions, then sculpt the likeness.
Carving a Portrait From a Photograph: Turning a Reference Image Into a Hobo Nickel Read More »
Five minutes of prep decides your carve: degrease the host coin, apply layout ink thin, and handle by the edges so your scribe lines read and the patina stays even.
Prepping the Host Coin: Degreasing, Layout Ink, and Surface Prep Before the First Cut Read More »
How to hold a hobo nickel for carving: the coin rotates, not the graver. From a $20 hot-glue-and-vise rig to an engraver’s ball and dedicated coin holders.
Holding the Coin: Engraver’s Balls, Vises, and Fixtures for Hobo Nickel Carving Read More »
A hobo nickel carving bench setup starts with one fact: the coin rotates, not your hand. How to hold the coin, seat neutral wrists, and vent honestly.
Setting Up a Hobo Nickel Carving Bench: Vise, Pitch Bowl, Seating, and Ventilation Read More »
Coin metal hardness decides how a hobo nickel carves: why cupronickel nickels fight back, silver cuts like butter, and how work-hardening changes the cut.
Fixing hobo nickel carving mistakes is triage, not luck. Here is the calm, ordered way to decide whether to burnish, re-cut, redesign, or reclaim the coin.
Recovering From a Slip: Correcting Mistakes Mid-Carve on a Hobo Nickel Read More »
Choosing hobo nickel gravers comes down to shape, steel, and sharpening. Here is what each graver shape does and why HSS beats carbide on a soft coin.
Choosing Gravers and Burins for Hobo Nickel Work: Shapes, Steel, and Sharpening Read More »
Intaglio hobo nickel carving cuts lines below the surface while relief lifts the image above the field. Here is how each reads in light and when to use them.
