I also prefer walnut shells in my tumbler. They seem to do a better job on brass.. PS you mean they didn't send you looking for that skyhook?
Anybody ever sent to put an order in for some fallopian tubes? We sent one youngster to Sick Bay to get his pap smear... This was back in the early 70's, homeported out of Yokosuka, Japan. One of our sailors was upset because he didn't have any ribbons (post Nam) to wear, so we got the Department Head (Commander/05) to present the HONCHO Battle Medal, with Wreath.
I do want to add my comnents to this post. While all filled dies / struck throughs are not from grease, there are plenty of other substances that can get stuck to the dies and blanks, grease is still present very close to the coining area. This is true for all the modern Schuler MR series and Grabener MP series coining presses. The die holders are coated in grease before they are installed in the press (as recommended by the manufacturer) and if the die setter is a little too liberal with the amount of grease applied the grease can squirt out of the clamped on die holder housings these mount in as well as eek out from around the collar. I do agree the modern presses are much cleaner than the presses built 30 years ago that had problems with oil dripping on the tables. Speaking of oil, modern high speed coining presses do not have hermetically sealed internals and oil redidue can accumulate in the coining area and get on a blank or smeared across the feed track which will find its way to the die. If a mint is not using carbide insert coining collars (amd many times even if they are), they must lubricate the blanks. This lubricant will build up with the ultra fine metal dust from hundreds of thousands of blanks passing through the feed system to create what I call "metallic boogers" that can get stuck on a blank, which will, of course, get stuck on the die when coined. I have refurbished numerous US mint and other foreign mint pedigree presses, and beleive me the feed tracks must be scraped out with acetone or other solvent to remove this residue. The former US mint presses (and most other mint presses) that I have received have not been kept squeaky clean by any stretch of the imagination. The coining area is typically covered in a gooey, oily / greasy substance, as are most other surfaces. And it gets thicker the lower down you go. One more note, Murphys law of high speed coining states that any thing that sticks to a blank before it is coined will stick to the die when coined so it can ruin as many coins as possible before being discovered or falling off. That is my experience anyway.
Any Bird Farm sailors remember Falcon Codes? http://www.fighterpilotuniversity.com/history/nature-of-the-beast/falcon-codes/
Question if I may. I see your new member be yet you join back in 2014. I hope this term is correct but I see by your response. It sounds like your mechanical technician. Since I am an operating engineer. I would be curious to see the specs on the systems of these new coinage presses. But I do not intend to spend the money for a maintenance manual. They're not cheap and I am.And another question. From what I can understand of the procedure the blanks go into a cleaning solution. Then go into a heater prior to going to the the press where in this system are the planchet's lubricated. I don't know maybe I just missed it in the videos. And at the time that I went through the Denver mint tour. After cleaning heatimg. I failed to see where any lubrication would be added to the blanks or planchet's. If you have any schematics of the newer presses. I'm sure not only myself but others would like to see it.USMC60
Kinda disappointed. You seem like a very intelligent and informed member. I was hoping to get some kind of feedback, and a lot more information on the equipment.Especially on the high-speed coinage press. On the hydraulic ram itself what kind of seals are on that RAM.? I'm sure with your knowledge and expertise you have some kind of schematic on this. I am curious because I have personally replaced internal hydraulic seals on hydraulic rams I think the most that I have replaced on one RAM was five internal seals. That is why I'm asking the question.USMC60
Not at all. We seem to have a very experienced, hands-on member. That actually knows what he's talking about. If anything I have more questions than I have answers to. I'm just showing this member the respect that he's earned. And appreciate the knowledge that he brings to CT.USMC60
Most of what you posted in this thread was wrong and you still think you know more than everyone. It's very clear that grease is involved in the production of coins, even today.
See there you go again just because someone uses observation and a little common sense. You take it as they are a know it all. I'm far from knowing it all. And as I stated before there's a lot I still like to learn. And the only way you learn something is by asking questions. And if a lot of members would use their powers of observation you would be asking a lot of questions to. There's a lot more to what is going on than your reading. Since this member has extensive knowledge in the field that he is in I'm more inclined to take what he says as a fact. But still there's a lot of questions to be answered. And as of right now no one has said USMC 60 look at YouTube video so-and-so it will show you where grease comes from in today's production of circulated coins. You can go back and say look at a decade ago and I will totally agree with you. But my point trying to be made is look at today's production. And like anyone else the more information that I obtain, the more likely I am to accept the terms grease being used. But right now no one including this knowledgeable member has shown me in today's production where the grease or lubricants can come from. And I'll make the same challenge to you since you are a critic of mine. Show me the grease or lubricants. And I will agree to the term of grease. I totally agree that contaminants come down the line. And contaminants can build up. Thus a die can be clogged by contaminants or debris. In today's production. And there also could be contaminants in the gigantic rolls of planchet material out of the factory. Most of these roles are being handled by forklifts which are extremely greasy. And I'm sure a lot of foreign material does not get cleaned off in the wash nor gets cooked off in the heating process prior to going to the upsetting machine. Then to the press itself. As said grease is a generic term. And if a new 2015 or 21016 coin comes in with a missing number whatever. I'm more inclined to say that it is a direct debris fill die or contaminated fill die. I will not use grease in the equation. ldhair I learned a long time ago. Don't believe everything you're told, and definitely don't believe everything you read.You know the famous saying show me the money. Well show me the grease. And I will have no problem changing my mind and believing.USMC60
Most of us old timers do not give a second thought to anything made at the mint after the "Vintage (1964) Period." Oh, except varieties and MAJOR errors. Therefore, the modern manufacture of coins is irrelevant to us. Unless they are major errors, so are the die breaks, struck thru's, and clips found on modern pieces that so many collectors love,value, and spend hours searching for. It's a cheap form of satisfaction from a great hobby! It is a certifiable fact that older "vintage" coins are found that were struck with some sort of debris between the die and planchet. "Grease" is a catch-all for things on these coins that cannot be identified. @usmc60 I hope that one day all your questions will be answered.
Unfortunately not in my lifetime.And the days someone stops asking questions, is the day someone stop willing to learn. They just grow old and decay away. I know it may be quite some time ago, but just after you learn to talk. One of favorite word every kid learns to use is (why) or what's that. The point I'm trying to make it's a learning process.Some people stop learning in life, and are content in what they are doing. But others enjoy learning. And continue to learn as long as they can. Though my opinions may not have changed. I have learned some new things from this thread. And hope to learn a lot more.
