TakeAway - a Guerilla Memorabilia / Amsterdam

when we travel for a vacation or seeking new adventures in far away places, we tend to pick up souvenirs to 'preserve the moment'. but since most souvenirs are probably made in china and digital photos of almost every spot on earth are available online for all, how can you actually prove you have been there ?

this instructable is hopefully a start of a new movement for guerilla memorabilia attractions all around the world and starting with the wonderful city i reside in - Amsterdam !

almost everyone knows the joy of an elongated coin or in other words - putting a coin on the rails and waiting anxiously to see what happens (with the small fear that it might derail the train). sadly that ancient childish craft has been commercialized by fancy boxes in tourist attractions.

this is going to be a open source, DIY, reckless guerilla memorabilia you are sure to remember !

Step 1: Tools of the Trade

you will need -

1. Coins- i chose the classic 5 euro cent coin (copper is rather soft) take more then one,
you might want to have another go or just to bring some 'trophies' back home for friends. 

2. A wireless Dremel- unless you wanna go through the trouble of a very long cable.
despite my worries it might be too weak for the task it actually proved to be a nasty piece of machinery.

3. A Tungsten Carbide Cutter bit- there are a couple of different kinds, choose the one best fitting your graphics, from what i have tried out they all work great.  

optional -

1. Sort of a ruler- i just took the first metal straight object i could get my hands on, a beer bottle opener in this case. it helped keep a straight line which in the case of my graphics was important.

2. Tissues- just an accessory to clean the rails before you start working, they tend to be a bit dirty :)

3.Duct tape- i found out that sometimes it helps keep the coin steady, but i was experimenting in the middle of the snow, in better weather you might not need it.

Step 2: Choosing the Spot

location is everything ! if we are already going guerilla style we might as well find a location
a bit off the grid of the normal tourist. this adventure should cause a small detour that could highlight a sweet spot only you as a local know about. it doesn't have to be fancy.

i found the perfect setting under the railway track, secluded, dodgy... (and not so far from the central station).

i am using the tram rails since they are accessible to the public to get close to, they are quite slow (less risk) and well spread all around the city (option for many cool locations)

Step 3: Doing the Deed

as a graphic symbol most indicative with the city i chose Amsterdam's coat of arms (or at least part of it) its also quite a simple shape to make - xxx

i took my wireless Dremel drill with a Tungsten Carbide Cutter bit and started to engrave, surprisingly it worked really well and quite easy ! i used the metal bar to keep the lines straight

as you can see - it works !

Step 4: Here Goes Nothing

all is left to do is wait for the next tram to come...

the whole thing is sort of trial and error, but i guess its part of the idea. it turns out there are more variables then you might think - the temperature, the material of the coin, the speed of the tram, placement of the coin, humidity esc. it took a few times to get it right.

i found out that it kinda helps to put the coin on the rails with some duct tape it doesn't really stick, but it makes it easier to find afterwards. 

this experiment was done in harsh conditions, these are super cold, snowy and muddy days over here, i guess under any other circumstances it would be much easier.

Step 5: Tadaaaaaaaaaa !

thats about it, if you ever pass through amsterdam you are welcome to make use of this secret alternative attraction - you can find it here, i have also made a second one in a great spot overlooking the beautiful Amstel river here

this is also an open call to all of you adventurous souls out there to create other SiteSpecific guerilla memorabilia in you own home town. ill be honored if you send me the location so maybe in the near future we can make a map of all the SiteSpecific spots around the globe

Godspeed !