Cracked my first slab!
Sylvestius
Posts: 1,584 ✭
The relief that i'm no longer a slab cracking virgin.
Thanks for all the advice everyone gave me into how best to crack a slab. Initially i went in with the G-Clamp to the sides approach, but i couldn't get the clamp to actually hold the slab as it kept slipping out. Plus i was worried this might put too much pressure on the coin itself.
So i tried another method, i though it better to attack it by crushing the corners by applying pressure onto the flat surfaces rather than on the edges. This method sure worked. I managed to free a lincoln cent from a PCI Sample slab that someone was kind enough to send me, this was one with an intercept shield, well i got into that quite easily. The 2 ducats slab took a little more persuasion but with patience and care i managed to get the coin out without damaging it. And it was good fun in the process.
I'm gonna have to get hold of some more slabbed coins just for the breaking out process, it's a challenge and the reward of getting the coin out in one piece is wonderful.
Thanks for all the advice everyone gave me into how best to crack a slab. Initially i went in with the G-Clamp to the sides approach, but i couldn't get the clamp to actually hold the slab as it kept slipping out. Plus i was worried this might put too much pressure on the coin itself.
So i tried another method, i though it better to attack it by crushing the corners by applying pressure onto the flat surfaces rather than on the edges. This method sure worked. I managed to free a lincoln cent from a PCI Sample slab that someone was kind enough to send me, this was one with an intercept shield, well i got into that quite easily. The 2 ducats slab took a little more persuasion but with patience and care i managed to get the coin out without damaging it. And it was good fun in the process.
I'm gonna have to get hold of some more slabbed coins just for the breaking out process, it's a challenge and the reward of getting the coin out in one piece is wonderful.
0
Comments
I use either a vice or the band saw - the vice is more fun (but you have to be VERY careful of flying plastic!), but the band saw is safer for the coins...
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<< <i>Congrats!!!
I use either a vice or the band saw - the vice is more fun (but you have to be VERY careful of flying plastic!), but the band saw is safer for the coins... >>
Oh yeah plastic flew everywhere!
I have two pcgs slabs that I want to open. I don't have access to a band saw and I fear the flying plastic so I was planning the laborious method of hand sawing the sides off. Any thoughts on a quicker technique would be appreciated.
Dr J
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<< <i>I managed to free a lincoln cent from a PCI Sample slab that someone was kind enough to send me, this was one with an intercept shield, well i got into that quite easily. >>
Ummm ... we gonna have to report you to Cammie for cracking a Sample Slab ...
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Well, if you're gonna have delusions, may as well go for the really satisfying ones. - Marcus Cole
<< <i>Hey
I have two pcgs slabs that I want to open. I don't have access to a band saw and I fear the flying plastic so I was planning the laborious method of hand sawing the sides off. Any thoughts on a quicker technique would be appreciated.
Dr J >>
Some suggested wraping it in something before cracking it, this would only be appropriate to vice/clamp methods... pretty pointless with and kind of saw.
Although i have been thinking wouldn't a normal hacksaw do the job?
<< <i>Some suggested wraping it in something before cracking it, this would only be appropriate to vice/clamp methods... pretty pointless with and kind of saw.
Although i have been thinking wouldn't a normal hacksaw do the job? >>
Well done, Syl! Bet you feel much better now.
And yes, I do think a normal hacksaw would be fine.
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I get so confused by PCGS, ICG, PCI, NG Whatsit... All letters to me. I never did like acronyms much.
<< <i>
<< <i>Some suggested wraping it in something before cracking it, this would only be appropriate to vice/clamp methods... pretty pointless with and kind of saw.
Although i have been thinking wouldn't a normal hacksaw do the job? >>
Well done, Syl! Bet you feel much better now.
And yes, I do think a normal hacksaw would be fine. >>
You don't believe how much better i feel, nice to finally hold the gold and feel the coin as intended. And it's also nice to see the edge milling, not quite what i expected. I was expecting diagonal milling, but it's more like normal straight milling but wider. And the coin is slightly thinner than i expected.
I find different milling types rather fascinating, that's another aspect lost when coins are slabbed.
<< <i>Hey
I have two pcgs slabs that I want to open. I don't have access to a band saw and I fear the flying plastic so I was planning the laborious method of hand sawing the sides off. Any thoughts on a quicker technique would be appreciated.
Dr J >>
I busted open 3 PCGS slabs last week. The first one I stood the slap up on the driveway (wrapped completely in a towel) and hit the top with a hammer, it took about 10 hits and broke it up pretty good. The second one I laid on it's side and it only took 3 hits for it to break clean in three pieces. The last one I also laid it on it's side but it took only two hits to break cleanly in half. The shards are lethal so a towel is a must and it seems to be best to hit it with confidence, the little love taps just broke the corners off the slab.
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If there was such a slab that also allowed the viewing of edges, I would be going for it.
Another point is that I just don't like how the coins get disoriented overtime; it just looks ugly in a sense.
<< <i>...the little love taps just broke the corners off the slab. >>
I find this to be a safe approach, with the clamping method aim to get all four corners off, then the slab can be pulled apart.
I still think a saw would be the safest method. I'm gonna have to buy another slabbed coin just for the sake of trying that one out. I might set up my own company SCS (Slab Cracking Services) you need a coin cracking out then send it to me!
<< <i> I'm gonna have to buy another slabbed coin just for the sake of trying that one out. I might set up my own company SCS (Slab Cracking Services) you need a coin cracking out then send it to me!
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<< <i>
Hey i'd be surprised if a slab cracking company didn't show up sooner or later. Perhaps it can be the UK's contribution to the world of coins. It's about time we gave something back after we disturbed the world with the 1965 Churchill crown.
Maybe we could have a race with the slabbing companies, they slab them, we crack them out and see who can do the most in an hour...