taiwanluthiers
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I heard defacing coins is illegal... not sure about Taiwan's law however.
I heard defacing coins is illegal... not sure about Taiwan's law however.
U.S. Code is 18 U.S.C. §331 reads: "Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales or lightens any of the coins coined at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation as money within the United States; or whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified, scaled or lightened - shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. [Emphasis added.]"
Section 331 of Title 18 of the United States code provides criminal penalties for anyone who 'fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the Mints of the United States. This statute means that you may be violating the law if you change the appearance of the coin and fraudulently represent it to be other than the altered coin that it is. As a matter of policy, the U.S. Mint does not promote coloring, plating or altering U.S. coinage: however, there are no sanctions against such activity absent fraudulent intent. (Source U.S. Mint)[Emphasis added.]
So those machines that you see at tourist places that turns pennies into something else (souvenir coins) aren't breaking the law either?
Can't go wrong with a Phil Thomas SS45. Mine has an Orlick Picco 45 under the cowl swinging a 1455.
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While we're at it... Here's my 1/8 scale of the My Gypsy, 2004 I.M.P.B.A. Concourse winner.
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Melting is a different story, but not a clear cut one. Pennies from before 1982 (and part of 1982) are 95% copper* and 5% zinc* and the that's 1.4¢ worth of copper at today's spot price. Pre 1965 dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollars are 90% silver 10% copper, and can be had, with patience, near spot price of their silver content on eBay. And no one buys small quantities of metals at spot price, so these can be real bargains as compared to what you'd pay from a metals dealer, as long as the quantities of other metals are tolerable for your application.It's only illegal if you try to pass it of as its face value afterwards. So, if you tried to use that penny as a penny, it's illegal. If you sold the penny to the other person as a souvenir coin, then it's perfectly legal.
Same for cut coins. You try to pass if off as US money, it's illegal. However sell it (or gift it) as jewelry, it's fine.
Sculpting, learning the banjo, and drawing...
@ K'Tesh, 01 Aug 2015
Thanks for doing this. As one who has done an endo due to a storm drain, face first into the road, this is appreciated. Maybe only road cyclists appreciate this . . .
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I just got the Grizzly G0758 mill... haven't got anything in mind as far as what I'd make. I got it for making small guitar parts, some smithing, etc.
It has proven itself quite useful in sharpening cutters... I can install a dremel grinding wheel in the collet and clamp the cutter in the desired angle, then move the table to sharpen the cutter. It made the cutter real sharp and in fact the surface looks like it was done by a surface grinder even though the stone is fairly coarse. Now the cutter's so sharp that it's taking a very aggressive cut.
With all the ARFS out there I surprised you can still buy MonoKote. Looks nice, I covered a sailplane in white/navy years ago.
With all the ARFS out there I surprised you can still buy MonoKote. Looks nice, I covered a sailplane in white/navy years ago.
It also looks like you've built a couple of BluBabys.
Sculpting, learning the banjo, and drawing...
When you visit Roy's Hobby Shop up in Hurst, you will see a ton of Monokote and Ultrakote is n stock, as well as dozens of kits that are not ARFs. Still builders out there.
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