Coin Inlay and Epoxy?

[Jay Albrandt]

Hello All,

Just need some input on what is the best adhesive to attach a coin to a piece of work.

Thanks,

Jay

[Don Bullock]

On a recent project I used epoxy. Before I glued the coin (actually a medal medallion) I roughed up the back a little to take the gloss off the metal. Since I did it recently I don't know how well it will last over time, but it should do well.

[Dell Littlefield]

I installed a coin in each of the three wooden canoes I built. I inset the coins with a Forstner bit and fastened them with epoxy. I also completely covered the coin with a coat of epoxy at the same time. I felt this would help prevent oxidation. The first canoe was finished 8 years ago. All of them have had extensive use and there has been no evidence of a problem. The one where I used the silver dollar has lost the epoxy coating on the top. It came off in one piece but the coin remained firmly attached. Since this was installed in the carrying thwart, it may have been due to flexing of the thwart. It was a new coin so there were no mars or scratches on the surface for the epoxy to adhere to. Probably the knurling on the rim helped hold it down. The others were smaller coins and were installed in more rigid parts of the canoes.

[Eric Nickerson]

I have installed coins and poker chips into wood by using a 5min. epoxy. After drying I use a bar topper type epoxy to fill and level the top, over the coin or chip. When cured sand it flush with the surface and finish the project as you normally would.

[Lee Schierer]

I place a penny in a recess made wih a 3/4" forstner bit on the back of every thing I make. I use yellow wood glue in the recess, then press in the coin. I haven't had a coin come out yet!

[Carroll Courtney]

What brand did you use on the boat?Where can it be purchase at?

[Dell Littlefield]

I was using West system epoxy for the fiberglassing of the canoes and used that for covering the inlaid coins. I glued them in using ordinary 5 minute epoxy glue.

[Jacob Reverb]

My understanding is that copper will poison epoxy (I don't know this first-hand, though I do use a lot of epoxy for marine work) so I would avoid epoxying pennies before somehow "sealing" them to avoid contact between uncured epoxy and the copper plating on a zinc penny.

Other metals, in my experience, adhere well, especially if you degrease them well and maybe give them some tooth with 220.

One other issue to consider is UV: If you plan on using a "layer" of epoxy (rather than just enough of a film to glue the coin where it needs to be), you will want an epoxy with UV blockers, or it will yellow and grow brittle. In such a situation, polyester resin would probably be a better choice than epoxy. Polyester doesn't have the adhesion of epoxy but it's far more UV-resistant.

[Jim O'Dell]

I had a place on my router table that some trash got under the laminate and escaped my eyes. I had a bulge in the laminate. I used a forstner bit to drill it out and press the laminate flat. Then I used epoxy to glue in a penny and cover it. I got a lot tiny air bubbles in the epoxy from mixing it, and they are still there almost a year later. I heard from some creekers after that that I should have used a hair dryer to heat it up and get the bubbles to surface. I'll try that next time I goof up. So far no problem on the penny and epoxy. Jim.