Thanks a lot you guys. The Milton is the pinnacle of metal glory as far as Im concerned.
Lawrence we need to talk more....
Fred,
I know its hard to believe, I really cant myself. Here is a pic before plating.
SamBefore Plating: What a difference a patina makes.

Hi,
This was a scabbard project for a good frienChapeScabbardd of mine. Its for a large 2 hand sword (reproduction) from around the time of the crusades. We tossed some ideas around and came up with this.
Copper and blackened nickel.
KnightlyThe locket

Sam can you talk us through the techniques used in the Dirk Fittings?

thanks

Bob Wilkerson

Sam,
Some beautiful work on the sword. You have some real talent with the nickel work. And yes explain your process.

www Metalrecipes -- heat and beat to the desired shape, repeat as necessary.
warren

Hi Bob and Warren,
I need to take some time and step out the process in more detail. Its basically all waxwork. I hand cut and engrave relief sculptures in wax and then make a master of it in copper. I can make additional pieces from the master using wax molds and silver conductor using electroforming (A form of plating). I do hotwork all the seams and general shape of the fittings. I nickel plate all the small stuff myself. The shields have to go out to a plater as they are too big for my tank. I do try and spend alot of time on the polish and color and am still learning all the time. Most of my brazing is for shite and I have burned up, melted a few.

I envy alot of the work you guys are doing. Warren, that tree you made is just glorious, and grand! I want to do something big, like that someday.
Sam

Can you not make a female mould and then a wax, form over the wax, so you do not need to solder, heating an electroform weakens it considerably.
Or use a low melt solder like elkington used to?

Hi Lawrence,
Yep using a female mould is possible.
I still do a fair amount of soldering. Not so much on the armour pieces but the sword details quite a bit. I was using low temp silver bearing solder not so unlike what I use to sweat copper for plumbing. It is pretty soft and it makes me vervous using it for Chape and locket seams and D rings on scabbards. So I started using Dynaflow which is a low silver braze that builds really nice. I just got some phos copper braze that I am excited to try as I wont have to worry about having color differences on copper details.
Do you have a suggestion?

Since I am writing, here is another one of my scabbard projects. The customer wanted something that was historically possible for the 18th century and he likes wolves quite a bit. I went with the Lion of St mark as the hallmark, the true Mark of a venetian magistrate.
I am hoping the guy will send me some pictures when its all together.
He didnt want any plating, and I love the color of polished copper = me happy :-)
The DogeWolfen

I prefer not to solder it but when I have, I have used either tin, plumbers solder, or silver solders depending on what it is to be used for. I would prefer to use rivets or some other mechanical means to join pieces, as particularly with silver the metal can become very soft and often becomes unusable.

Lawrence,
Thanks, that makes sense. I am trying to stick with low melt where I can.
Cheers
Sam