I looked for every website I could find about it and then sort of went my own way, like I do with everything.
I started out with the spoon, but after 2 or 3 hours of some TV shows, I had absolutely zero discernible progress. I went with a hammer on one of my wooden TV trays. One website writer said that he used his covered dumbbell for an anvil and since I had one, that did the trick. (Note--The dumbbell will be damaged and uglified. If you care, don't do it this way. I don't care, personally. My dumbbells have a purpose and decor it is not!)
Several times I got too enthusiastic with my banging and bent it some (more like folded it). to undo that damage, I'd lay down a coin of the best size inside of it on each side and hammer it as a sandwich. I began with another quarter, then when the edges had flattened out, a nickel, and finally a one cent coin. (Note here: It is NOT a "penny". That is a term adopted from other cultures. I know it is common, but I'll refrain from using it here.)
When I was ready (probably much too soon), I hammered a nail in the middle, then a fatter one, and so on until I had exhausted my supply of fat nails. I then tried drilling it out. Ummm. DANG-ER-OUSSS. I gave that up quickly and since the tip on one blade of my cheap dollar store scissors fit in the hole just barely, I began scraping it out with that. This kept is right in the center and I could see progress with the silver shavings.
I continued with the hammering and scraping for 4 months. July through October.
Notes:
1.) It is best if the coin is actually silver and not some combination. I worked on it for a long time with a softer metal. I actually watched the entire series of Jeremiah, Jericho, several episodes of Star Trek, House, The Mentalist, Law and Order, Gone With the Wind, maybe 50 movies, and who know what else while working on this. YAY for Netflix!!!!!
2.) To smooth out the outer surface and make it shiny, I used a 7-sided nail buffer that my son left behind when he moved out. He used it to care for his nails for playing guitar. I use it for looking girly and to make this. It worked out really nicely, IMHO.
Tell me what you think. (Weblinks are below the pictures for anyone else that wants to try.)
I am including all the pictures that I have. You can see them in better detail by clicking on one and looking at the series that way.
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| Working on it. |
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| Here it is as I am finishing it up. |
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| In Peruvian culture, more modernized Peruvians wear their bands on the left hand and most indigenous people wear theirs on the right. (From what I understand, a ring on the left hand is associated with slavery for many people there.). He wears the gold one on the left and the silver one on the right so all bases are covered if some sancha-wanna-be comes looking at him. ;) |
Here are some websites to get you started. There are tons more out there and each person has their own way of getting it just right.
