Embossed Keychain Monster

Made out of 3 Nickels and 3 paper clips.

Step 1 Draw it out

Draw out what you think looks like a monster. Once you settle on your design, make an exploded drawing of your monster.

Comments

[0xCyrusx0]

I'm about 5 hours into making one for my ex girlfriend (hoping that changes).

I got everything done but the arms, mine's a little different. <3 on the stomach and vampire teeth mouth. Pictures in a few days.

[ablasi]

This is an adorable craft - I wish I had the tools required to make it, because it's probably the cutest thing I've ever seen made from nickels. No. Not probably. DEFINITELY.

[mchs60chip]

Great instrucable. I just finished making one. Though I used pieces of a drum cymbal that my drummer broke to make it instead of nickels

[apdog4]

sorry if i am asking WAY too much questions, but where can i find metal shears or tin snips? and how much money do they cost? which is cheaper?

[Mrballeng]

I was at Lowes and I saw the same kind of shears I use for about 10 bucks. Tin snips cost about the same but I like the shears better. And ask all you want. I'm happy to help. 

[apdog4]

oh, k, well, i found the tools anyways and i finished, i think it looks pretty decent, i like it though.

[Mrballeng]

We would all like to see pictures. I bet you did great. Good going for trying your hand at it.

[apdog4]

thanks, i dont think i can get a picture now, ill see if i can get one at some point

[apdog4]

i need help with this step, i tried hammering one nickel for over an hour and barely got any progress at all, how did you do this?

[Mrballeng]

Have you checked this out? It should help. Let me know.

[apdog4]

hmm, thanks for trying, but i already tried that and i still cant do it.

[Mrballeng]

To flatten a nickel you need two surfaces which are harder then the coin. First make sure your using a steel hammer (the striking part of the hammer is surface #1). Then make sure the coin is on another steel surface (I use the head of a 5 pound hammer as surface #2).

If you hammer a coin against conrete or wood, those surfaces will absorb a lot the force your putting in your strike.

If your having trouble keeping the coin in place, tape half of the coin down and strike the exposed side. Once that section is flat, rotate the coin, tape it down, and continue hammering.

[apdog4]

Thanks for all the help you provided, i found a metal hammer and surface and went to work, it did a decent job, but then i had an idea. I got a a messed up dremel drill and drilled on it, it did the job fast. They're all done and you cant even see that they were nickels, they're very shiny as well. Again thanks for all the help you gave me, i cant wait to finish this.

[apdog4]

thanks i've got it now, i wasnt using a metal hammer and i was doing it on concrete, i'm sure i can find a metal surface easy but the metal hammer could be hard.

[apdog4]

wait no, i havent tried it, i dont have another hammer.......

[taria]

how strong is the nickels after you do all this stuff to them? like this little guy which is soooo cute btw, and the rings and the charms? how strong is it, will it bend? will the rings be squished up if you bump them? I'm just curious, don't get mad at me for asking...

[Mrballeng]

The nickels are great. The little guy is holding up fine.

I keep my cell phone on a ball chain with these same time of paper clip rings at the ends. Two years of pulling on the chain and the rings have not failed me yet.

[taria]

see now that would be cool, I have a cell phone charm and this would be cool to have dangling out of my pocket. I have an Asian butterfly right now. (the thread kind.) Maybe you can make a cell phone charm out of a nickle that looks like a butterfly. I'd love to see that one.

[Mrballeng]

Here it is.

[taria]

I'm sorry, I meant for a cell phone charm, I saw that one. I meant smaller. :) that one is gorgeous as well but it might be to big for a cell phone charm.

[TheGeek1984]

Congrats on second place! Your 'ibles are always my favorite to read!

[Mrballeng]

Thanks

[spiderham]

You do some incredible work! This is one I'm definitely gonna try. My wife is going to love this. Thx

[spiderham]

Here it is, finally. Wife loved it. Thx!!!

[zack247]

wow!
i thought this was made with sheet metal or something, coins were the last thing that came to mind!

definitely a summer project!

[scoochmaroo]

This is adorable and I really really want it,

[Sunbanks]

Wow, I never would have guessed you made this out of coins! Its so cool, I want to make one now :D

[chicopluma]

looks great

[papris]

awesome.

[St Jimmy]

Gah! Simple! Elegant! Brilliant!

[BrandonZV]

Would you ever be thinking about taking requests or selling any? I would love to have something like this, but simply do not have the tools to make it.

[BrandonZV]

Sorry about that, didn't notice you were the creator of this too. I've already asked you if you'd be selling. Nevermind. :P

[Natasha Dee]

What did you use to make the first cuts?

[Mrballeng]

Sorry about that. Use tin snips, also known as metal shears. You could maybe even use some heavy duty scissors. I add some pictures.

[Natasha Dee]

Thanks! Also, to grind them down, do I need a cordless drill or do you think a dremmel will work?

[Mrballeng]

I used a scouring pad. See the 3rd picture on step two. But you could get away with using some 1000 grit sand paper by hand. All my supplies come the auto section at Walmart.

The key is to use a smooth faced hammer on a smooth surface. If you hammer on concrete you'll mar up the surface too bad to smooth it by hand.

[Natasha Dee]

Sorry; what I meant was after you cut it with the tinsnips, to grind it to the shape you want. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly, btw. I'm really looking foreward to giving this a try!

[username252]

It looks like the pieces were grinded down to size with some kind of sander

[Mr.Sanchez]

Betcha U r gonna win... luv Key chains

[tirpider]

I simply love this.
Your results are great looking, and you didn't have to resort to overpriced methods or materials.
Thanks for brightening my day.