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Do It Yourself Wooden Nickels

wadekrew

By wadekrew
in General geocaching topics

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wadekrew

+wadekrew

Posted
Posted

I'm new to Geocaching and the kids and I wanted to make some wooden nickels for trading. I know we could have gotten them mass produced but we liked the idea of having many different designs. I found a really cool tutorial online that shows a neat way to make your own. Below are some from our first batch. We decided to make the fronts and backs different but keep our screen name the same and add the geocaching website url.

 

Custom Wooden Nickels Tutorial

 

geo-nickels-front.jpg

geo-nickels-back.jpg

lomocacher

+lomocacher

Posted
Posted

Very, very cool! I've been wanting to do something similar, but was planning on using a stamp and ink pad. The tutorial you posted is something I never would have considered!

 

One question--are you going to add some kind of clear finish? Or is the imprint on the wood waterproof?

slowdownracer

+slowdownracer

Posted
Posted

Hey wadekrew -

 

If you're interested, there's a wooden nickel trading thread in the geocoin section of the forums. It hasn't been very busy for a while, but you might be able to find some traders there.

 

Like me!!! :) Send me an e-mail thru my geocaching profile and we can work on a trade.

GeoGeeBee

+GeoGeeBee

Posted
Posted

Cool thread! I stopped at michaels to pick up that marker and they looked at me like I'm retarded. What exactly does this marker do? Only asking in case I can get a supplemental brand instead.

 

It dissolves the ink marks left by other markers, so that one can blend the colors together.

Chokecherry

+Chokecherry

Posted
Posted

Cool thread! I stopped at michaels to pick up that marker and they looked at me like I'm retarded. What exactly does this marker do? Only asking in case I can get a supplemental brand instead.

 

I was thinking of doing some wooden nickels and wondering where people got them done. Now seeing this I think I could do this all on my own. I'm very excited. Now I just need to find some blanks.

 

Anyhow, if your Michael's are like ours here you won't find that marker or like product there. Unless scrapbookers have caught on to it. You'll find them more at like an artist supply store.

LukeTrocity

+LukeTrocity

Posted
Posted

Cool thread! I stopped at michaels to pick up that marker and they looked at me like I'm retarded. What exactly does this marker do? Only asking in case I can get a supplemental brand instead.

 

It dissolves the ink marks left by other markers, so that one can blend the colors together.

I saw a marker that said it blends color pencials. Is that it? Maybe ill just amazon it

GeoGeeBee

+GeoGeeBee

Posted
Posted

Cool thread! I stopped at michaels to pick up that marker and they looked at me like I'm retarded. What exactly does this marker do? Only asking in case I can get a supplemental brand instead.

 

It dissolves the ink marks left by other markers, so that one can blend the colors together.

I saw a marker that said it blends color pencials. Is that it? Maybe ill just amazon it

The main "active ingredient" appears to by xylene. You might be able to find a xylene-based paint thinner at the hardware store. It's pretty nasty stuff, though. Be sure to read all the warnings on the label.

The Chaos Crew

+The Chaos Crew

Posted
Posted (edited)

I have one of those blender pens somewhere, haven't used it in years, I hope it still works, because your nickels look great!

 

from memory you need to use it in a well ventilated area because it gives off nasty fumes

Edited by The Chaos Crew
lomocacher

+lomocacher

Posted
Posted

Cool thread! I stopped at michaels to pick up that marker and they looked at me like I'm retarded. What exactly does this marker do? Only asking in case I can get a supplemental brand instead.

 

I was thinking of doing some wooden nickels and wondering where people got them done. Now seeing this I think I could do this all on my own. I'm very excited. Now I just need to find some blanks.

 

Anyhow, if your Michael's are like ours here you won't find that marker or like product there. Unless scrapbookers have caught on to it. You'll find them more at like an artist supply store.

 

Not entirely true--I got one at Michael's today. . .look where they keep the Prismacolor markers--the ones you can buy individually--and find one that seems to be white colored and labeled "colorless blender."

wadekrew

+wadekrew

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Very, very cool! I've been wanting to do something similar, but was planning on using a stamp and ink pad. The tutorial you posted is something I never would have considered!

 

One question--are you going to add some kind of clear finish? Or is the imprint on the wood waterproof?

 

The blender pen transfers all the ink front the print to the wood. So it's waterproof as long as you are using a laser printer or a xerox.

wadekrew

+wadekrew

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Wow, cool.

 

I carved stamps to stamp wooden nickels. They're fun, but yours looks more polished & professional. I might have to go get one of those markers and try it out.

 

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks! My wife carved an eraser to make a stamp for hers. I just have not had the patience to carve my own yet which I think is still cooler. The nice part with the this type of transfer is you can easily make a bunch of different designs.

wadekrew

+wadekrew

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Cool thread! I stopped at michaels to pick up that marker and they looked at me like I'm retarded. What exactly does this marker do? Only asking in case I can get a supplemental brand instead.

 

It dissolves the ink marks left by other markers, so that one can blend the colors together.

I saw a marker that said it blends color pencials. Is that it? Maybe ill just amazon it

The main "active ingredient" appears to by xylene. You might be able to find a xylene-based paint thinner at the hardware store. It's pretty nasty stuff, though. Be sure to read all the warnings on the label.

 

Here is the blender marker I am using. I paid $3 at a local art store. You might want to use it outside or at least next to a open window. There are a lot safer ways to get High :laughing:

 

CPAPO.jpg

 

If you are not sure where to buy one here is a link to some Chartpak Blender markers on Google Shopping

L0ne.R

+L0ne.R

Posted
Posted (edited)

I have had success with acetone transfers. But it doesn't work with all inks. It has to be a toner type of ink. I have an HP Laserjet 5P and it works well. See

for an example of a transfer onto eraser material. It works as well on wooden nickels, here's mine:

wooden-nickel.png

Edited by Lone R
Too Tall John

+Too Tall John

Posted
Posted
Cool thread! I stopped at michaels to pick up that marker and they looked at me like I'm retarded. What exactly does this marker do? Only asking in case I can get a supplemental brand instead.
I was thinking of doing some wooden nickels and wondering where people got them done. Now seeing this I think I could do this all on my own. I'm very excited. Now I just need to find some blanks.

 

Anyhow, if your Michael's are like ours here you won't find that marker or like product there. Unless scrapbookers have caught on to it. You'll find them more at like an artist supply store.

Not entirely true--I got one at Michael's today. . .look where they keep the Prismacolor markers--the ones you can buy individually--and find one that seems to be white colored and labeled "colorless blender."
I will confirm that Michael's and AC Moore carry the blending pens, although neither had the pens in stock today. They sent me to the nearby Artist & Craftsman Supply where they had baskets of the things. They were also about a buck cheaper than the other places. (I also checked out the Speedball cutters I use to make the stamps, MUCH cheaper at A&C Supply...)

 

Now I need to get some designs printed on something other than my inkjet printer. . .

 

Oh, I guess I nee to come up with some designs, too. :laughing:

kunarion

+kunarion

Posted
Posted (edited)

How can I flop the Image when I print it ( make it backwards ) to put it on a coin

Some printer drivers have settings for that. Click "Page Setup" from the program you're printing from (or click "Print" and a window comes up, where you can set preferences, just before actually printing the page). Search around in that window for a checkbox like "Mirror Image". Even if your printer can't do that, the program you use to make the images probably can. Edited by kunarion
GeoGeeBee

+GeoGeeBee

Posted
Posted

How can I flop the Image when I print it ( make it backwards ) to put it on a coin

 

Kunarion gave some good advice. You can also get the excellent free image viewer software IrfanView, which has a menu option for "Horizontal Flip."

GeoBroke

+GeoBroke

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the great idea & tutorial.

 

Made up my templates yesterday in Publisher and will try to buy the coins and marker today!

 

Am working on two ideas and will test to see what comes out the best.

smokeybearfan

smokeybearfan

Posted
Posted

You can also print(using a laser or photo copier) to a transparency sheet and once dry you can use the images on the page as a rub-on.

Just place the image over the object and take a Popsicle stick and rub the image and it will transfer to the object.

I learned this from my wife, she does scrap booking and other crafts and has me printing her stuff out on the laser printer all the time.

KDotBlueDot

+KDotBlueDot

Posted
Posted

Finally eight years of art school pay off.

 

You can use Oil of Wintergreen, available at drug stores as well. Works great on photocopies.

 

You can also use Poly Clens, to transfer. This gives the best results, and works really well to transfer photocopies or even magazine pics or other pre-printed materials, but the stuff is nasty. It melts plastic, and your brain.

Andronicus

Andronicus

Posted
Posted (edited)

OK, I just tried this, and the ink did not transfer. I am using an HP LazerJet with toner 12A. Maybe my paper is too absorbant? Mayby my ink is not quite right? I even have the same brand of blender and wood chips as the instructional webpage.

 

Maybe I should try the photocopy meathod....

 

Edit: I used a PRISMACOLOR colorless blender. The instructional web page used a Chartpak Blender.

 

Has anyone else had any luck with the PRISMACOLOR brand. Maybe I need to find the actual Chartpak brand...

Edited by Andronicus
John in Valley Forge

+John in Valley Forge

Posted
Posted

OK, I just tried this, and the ink did not transfer. I am using an HP LazerJet with toner 12A. Maybe my paper is too absorbant? Mayby my ink is not quite right? I even have the same brand of blender and wood chips as the instructional webpage.

 

Maybe I should try the photocopy meathod....

 

Edit: I used a PRISMACOLOR colorless blender. The instructional web page used a Chartpak Blender.

 

Has anyone else had any luck with the PRISMACOLOR brand. Maybe I need to find the actual Chartpak brand...

 

Same here. I picked up the Prismacolor pen at Micheals and used my home laser printer with no luck.

 

On a whim I thought about what nasty solvents I had in the garage. I tried Goof-Off and a cotton swab. It worked just great. Now I just need to come up with a personal logo design to print out.

spotter/g

+spotter/g

Posted
Posted

I manage an art supply store. Back in the 80's we used the 'elusive marker transfer technique' all the time to complete our projects.

 

The only markers that work are the Chartpak AD markers, as they have a xylene base. All other brands do not work as they have an alcohol base. Those brands that do not work: Prismacolor, Copic, Tria, and Pro-marker.

 

I might suggest using a spoon to lightly rub the design after applying the marker so that all the toner gets transferred. Also let the marker 'ink' dry just a bit after rubbing so that the toner has time to dry on the wood. If you remove it too fast the wet toner might leave little toner strings.

 

It is a great technique for getting images onto surfaces that do not go into a printer.

L0ne.R

+L0ne.R

Posted
Posted

Same here. I picked up the Prismacolor pen at Micheals and used my home laser printer with no luck.

 

On a whim I thought about what nasty solvents I had in the garage. I tried Goof-Off and a cotton swab. It worked just great. Now I just need to come up with a personal logo design to print out.

 

If it helps any, my old HP Laserjet 5p printer images works with the acetone transfer method (I haven't tried any other product). Here's the info from about the toner from HP site:

 

The HP LaserJet 5P and 5MP printers use an HP LaserJet print cartridge with Microfine toner (product number C3903A).

Thanks for the tip about Goof-Off. I have some at home and will experiment tonight to see how it compares to an acetone transfer. I may give it a try with photocopies. I haven't been able to use the acetone transfer with photocopied images.

John in Valley Forge

+John in Valley Forge

Posted
Posted

Where does everyone come up with the templates for writing in a circle (the border around the coin)?

I was able to modify some nice photos I took to make them look like a woodcut and resize them, but cant even think of how to write my name in a circular fashion.

GeoGeeBee

+GeoGeeBee

Posted
Posted

Where does everyone come up with the templates for writing in a circle (the border around the coin)?

I was able to modify some nice photos I took to make them look like a woodcut and resize them, but cant even think of how to write my name in a circular fashion.

 

Photoshop has a tool for that. GIMP will also do it, I think, and it's free. If you have Microsoft PowerPoint at home or at work, the "WordArt" feature will let you manipulate text into a circle, but the results won't look nearly as good as the Photoshop or GIMP version.

L0ne.R

+L0ne.R

Posted
Posted

Same here. I picked up the Prismacolor pen at Micheals and used my home laser printer with no luck.

 

On a whim I thought about what nasty solvents I had in the garage. I tried Goof-Off and a cotton swab. It worked just great. Now I just need to come up with a personal logo design to print out.

 

Thanks for the tip about Goof-Off. I have some at home and will experiment tonight to see how it compares to an acetone transfer. I may give it a try with photocopies. I haven't been able to use the acetone transfer with photocopied images.

 

Tried Goof-Off on a print-out from a Toshiba printer which uses a toner that won't transfer using the acetone method. Goof-Off did a very good job on a black and white transfer. Not so good on a color transfer. A well-ventilated location is needed. It contains xylene.

Andronicus

Andronicus

Posted
Posted

I finally got the ChartPak brand. There is only one shop in all of Calgary that carries that brand. What is up with that? Anyway, haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but am very anxious. I am planning to make a replacement geocoin for one that recently went missing. (of course, I won't release it until a suitable amount of time has passed) My dauter (bookworm) is planning to make a hitchhiker for her new travel bug. Should be fun.

ipodguy

+ipodguy

Posted
Posted (edited)

I thought I posted in this thread before, but I can't find it.

 

I really like this.

 

I've got about a gallon of Goof-Off which is xylene and acetone and I tried it on a scrap piece of wood. It didn't come out as well as I had hoped, but I think if I make copies on the darkest setting then I would get a better result. I'll give it another go soon and post my results.

 

Edit: I've seen blending markers at Michael's and AC Moore, but they were the types that were not recommended by the tutorial (alcohol based). You can also buy straight Xylene from hardware stores. I've seen it in Lowes, Home Depot, and Ace. It's in the paint section.

Edited by ipodguy
Andronicus

Andronicus

Posted
Posted

The wooden coins with tracking numbers... do they need a TB or can they be used by themselves much like a GeoCoin is used? Just wondering. May be a neat thing to do, but could also see the "market" flooded with these...

I bought a travel bug, and used the tracking number from that. Technicaly, you wouldn't need to attache the actual bug dog tag. But I suspect someone would keep it thinking it was a normal signature item, not realizing it was actualy a trackable item. You can actualy buy tracking numbers from GS. But I hear you have to buy 100 (or is it 50) at a time.

Andronicus

Andronicus

Posted
Posted (edited)

1010260411253350000djcn.jpg

I just did this up. Until I can come up with a better idea, this is going to be my signature item.

 

The survey marker side's ID number is my geocaching.com ID number.

Edited by Andronicus
Geoscouts.eu

+Geoscouts.eu

Posted
Posted

I have had success with acetone transfers. But it doesn't work with all inks. It has to be a toner type of ink. I have an HP Laserjet 5P and it works well. See

for an example of a transfer onto eraser material. It works as well on wooden nickels, here's mine:

wooden-nickel.png

 

How do you get the result so dark? I have made several attempts at this and had wishy washy results. I have a HP4l laser printer which I assume is up to the job but no such wondrous results as yours. Maybe the acetone here is inferior???

Andronicus

Andronicus

Posted
Posted

I have had success with acetone transfers. But it doesn't work with all inks. It has to be a toner type of ink. I have an HP Laserjet 5P and it works well. See

for an example of a transfer onto eraser material. It works as well on wooden nickels, here's mine:

...

 

How do you get the result so dark? I have made several attempts at this and had wishy washy results. I have a HP4l laser printer which I assume is up to the job but no such wondrous results as yours. Maybe the acetone here is inferior???

You can set your print settings to 'dark'. I also push down on the paper after applying the blender to try to get a good transfer. I recently tried a grey scale image. Didn't work very well at all. Stick to normal black and white.

mrcanoehead224

+mrcanoehead224

Posted
Posted

I just did this up. Until I can come up with a better idea, this is going to be my signature item.

 

The survey marker side's ID number is my geocaching.com ID number.

That's cool, if I can make it to your event on Saturday I'd like to see more about this.

 

It's given me ideas for the Mega planned in Alberta next year. http://www.cbgeocaching.ca/

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