Green polish is chrome oxide in a matrix. When used as a wheel dressing for polishing, you use cloth wheels, rather than wire or sintered.
He isn't using much or just faking it for the photo, as he has no gloves with long sleeves. It stains skin and cloth, and difficult to remove without chemicals.
Yes sir I agree with you I've used them quite often myself. But I've also used a very fine wire brush, if the damage is a little more extensive. I'm not sure exactly what Tom In the photo seen on his machines. You know the mint is tightlipped on what products they use. This is Tom at the buffing and polishing station at the Philadelphia mint
But he is wearing the safety goggles . And just personally I know sometimes when I have just one little spot to hit. I won't get all suited up just to go over and hit one little area real quick. But that's just me and my personal experiences.
If you noticed one other point I found interesting, that may not be a die. Maybe a collar. Because I don't believe Tom would handle any dies barehanded, I don't know about the gloves you are talking about I know most of the gloves are of this varieties. Like you say it's just for the photo shoot.
These shields are poster coins for the crack of the day club. My first box of shields I went through had probably 20% to 30% of the coins with a die crack on the shield. I saw um in my sleep.
Let me say welcome . If you haven't noticed, from the start of the shielded Lincoln's. They've had this problem with cracks and chips along the top of the shield, from the start of the design. USMC60
Her also is a photo of Tom, at his microscope. And if you blow up the photo and look closely it looks like he's using a small brush on the die. And again he is handling dies without gloves. Another photo shoot opportunity. But if you blow this photo up you can see some of the tools that he uses to work on dies. USMC60 PS. I guess the box cutters for the really tough jobs
Ya USMC I noticed and noticed and noticed........ And I’m not sure I like this Tom guy. I was a Mill Wright for years and Im not getting good vibes from this cat.
Now now let's not get down on Tom. This man is responsible for all the new errors in coinage that come out of the mint. Since he's in charge of inspecting and maintaining the dies. Old Tom cannot be that bad he's let a lot of errors go through. I say way to go Tom let more errors go by.
Hum, were I worked he would have taken a “fall” years earlier. But I’ll give him that he does produce some nice errors. Just wish we could custom order, you think he takes orders?
It would be nice if he took special orders. But basically I think there's a little more to all the errors that came out and that are still coming out. Now if he's purposely Lating all these new errors out and to circulation. Without some kind of encouragement from the higher ups. Frankly if he didn't let a lot of these errors go. collecting would be a bore. From what I can gather his responsibility starts when the die comes off the milling machine. Of course I need to specify this master die. My understanding he puts it under his neat microscope and examines the die, and if it meets his standards or the MiNT standards. That master die goes to be heat-treated, after heat treating and cooling down. That die goes back to Tom for re-examination. If the master die passes inspection it then proceeds to the working die area. This is where the master die is used to make working dies. Of course you know this I just find it surprising especially with the Homestead quarters how many master dies were produced to make all of the doubled dies that are being found, not not forgetting all of the new varieties. Oh well I'm just an old Marine what do I know. USMC60
This job used to be done by Engravers. Highly skilled craftsmen that went through years of apprenticeship to do this job. Now it’s a WG government job probably and he just applied one day and got it. Then some other wage grade government employee trained him on the couple of things he knows. He does know how to do his job but he is probably NO artist like an engraver would be. Think difference between a buck private and a Gunny. Hum, who do I want to go to war with? If I'm the government and want to save money I go with the Private.
Dear god, give Tom a break. The imaged were staged for the education of others to give a general idea of the minting process. Were you there?
Ya I know. LOL it’s fun though. To be fair though I will concede that Without out Tom the dies would not be viable as long. I don’t know how much new dies cost to produce but it can’t be cheap. So Dear Old Tom actually saves us $. I secretly like Tom, dont tell. One of you guys knows how much the new Shield cent die sets cost? I know you do!
I don't think the mint's gonna have a die shortage. Looks like to me they have a good supply of on stamp dies.
Tom doesn't get these until after their stamped. Then he get them to examine for flaws before hardening