You don't even need the JB weld in most cases. I used to make some Ramsay stacks, and I was shown the old methods for doing that, which was waxing them together. I used to show other magicians the stack and they always thought they were glued or soldered. Magicians wax can be VERY good for stacks. Make sure you use plenty. If you do it right, you can drop them on the floor, and rough handle them with no worries about them coming apart.

Aaron:

I've used a Dremel to cut coins it works just fine. It's important, however to use a diamond cutting wheel with the Dremel. Unless you are interested in making a special folding coin I think that it would be easier and cheaper to just buy a folding coin.

Gerard1973: What cuts were you making with the Dremel? The band cuts for a folding coin?
This project is of personal acheivement nature, not frugality. If I were to get paid minimum wage for the hours I put in hand-filing my Chinatown Quarter, it would have cost me about $50, but it sure is nice to use something I crafted by hand.

Magicpitch: I have never gone out and bought "magician's wax" per-se. I've never had the need. I do have some braces wax and, my personal favorite for sticking coins together, sticky tack/bluetack. Do you think either of these would be the right consistancy to hold a hollow stack together? I haven't made mine yet for lack of the right size bit and lack of trip to the hardware store to remedy that.

Aaron;
You might want to se this:
http://www.jamesriser.com/Magic/SmallCoin/Stack.html
Enjoy.
Jim

Nice page and good advice Jim. I've found most of the stacks on the market today are SOOOOOO overengineered. It's a stack. A stack of coins sitting there. No need to over prove one coin can wiggle, in my opinion. I seriously doubt Ramsay ever heard people saying "well, that coin stack didn't fool me a bit- I needed to see a coin wiggle to convince myself that it was really not a stack that was hollow, but rather a real stack of coins".

My hats off to those to market and sell the movable stacks. My position is that they don't need to move.

Silver solder,as Jim mentions would be the best solution. Keep in mind, the stack doesn't "do" much, so it's not like it has to be bullet proof. Blue tak probably is too soft. You need something that will bond and get somewhat hard. I've never messed with JB weld, but if it does what it says, it might be an alternative to soldering. Solder if you can, and work backwards from there is my advice.

Steve

Take a pocket full of coins and turn to youre lockal jewellier, offcourse you have to be sure that "he wont tell" (I suggest you have a contract with him), they are pros, they are really good, and this kind of job is so cheap also. It`s good to do it this way, cause we magicians need our fingers for performing later

Steve;
I would just soft solder the clad coins and reserve silver solder for the old coins. The clad "silver" of the new style coins would vaporize at silver solder temps.
Jim

Thanks Jim, good info to know.

Steve

Any update Aaron?

Here's the word: I got a big enough drill bit for the hollow stack, but I can't drill that close to the edge without a vice. $%^&!!!. Next time I am in the big city, I know of a place that sells them for $10 that fit my press, so alas, that is on the backburner.
For the folders, I am afraid to use those that you sent me. I keep cutting quarters for practice, but the gap seems HUGE. Maybe it is just because I know what to look for? In my mind, it won't be deceptive as is, and I don't want to ruin one of those you sent to find out... Any ideas?

Ruin one or two and find out. The Kennedy's aren't great for cutting in my opinion. When you go to Walking Liberty coins, WOW!!! Man, there is this beautiful line running down the coin, where her dress is, and it's all just perfect for the cut, and it hides the cut so well. On the Kennedy, you can follow the head, but it still is noticeable to some degree.

Go ahead and try it, I found a small batch of some more if you end up needing them. I can always cut more if I need to.

Aaron;
It sounds like your blade may be too thick. Try an extremely thin blade for the coin cuts. Stay vertical.

Your proposed method of "drilling" the coins may prove to be rather exciting. The torque may well rip the coin out of the vise. A standard vise is not the best way to grip a round object like a coin as you attempt to drill through "grabby" metal like the new style of clad coins. I would never consider such a method prudent.

Steve is right about cutting different coins. If you think quarters are visible on the cuts, try Ike "silver" dollars. There is so much plain flat metal on them that it is virtually impossible to make invisible cuts - with even the finest of blades. The old real silver coins with the more ornate designs are the best for folders.

Jim

I've been using a 0/6 (or is it the other way around?) blade on those. It was the thinnest I could find. Any recommendations for size? And Steve, I'm going to "destroy" on of those tomorrow. I'll take pictures. Wish me luck.

Good luck. I can always cut some more