These look pretty cool when you enlarge them.
These bayonettes are pretty easy....just a clean up and light plating of the steel, and a long cleaning job. The scabbards however....that was another story.
The Regiment wanted three covers to protect the flags from getting snagged on the sharp bayonettes, and a chrome plated one to use for funeral services. Chrome is very difficult and dangerous (remember the Erin Brockovitch movie?) but nickel is pretty tame, and is stronger than chrome. Looks nicer in my opinion.
It was a bit of a trick to get a bit of texture on the bayonette. Finally, after, what....twelve or so coats of nickel, it turned out not too bad. Its still pretty thin in the centre though....and if they polish it with brasso, it will show through. In which case, its a fairly quick job to re-plate. (now that the difficult and time consuming part is all done.)
Here is what it looks like when it is all done. There is a space in the front already cut out for the fourth bayonette when they decide to get it done. Doesn't look like 120 hours worth of work does it?
These bayonettes are pretty easy....just a clean up and light plating of the steel, and a long cleaning job. The scabbards however....that was another story. 
The Regiment wanted three covers to protect the flags from getting snagged on the sharp bayonettes, and a chrome plated one to use for funeral services. Chrome is very difficult and dangerous (remember the Erin Brockovitch movie?) but nickel is pretty tame, and is stronger than chrome. Looks nicer in my opinion. 
It was a bit of a trick to get a bit of texture on the bayonette. Finally, after, what....twelve or so coats of nickel, it turned out not too bad. Its still pretty thin in the centre though....and if they polish it with brasso, it will show through. In which case, its a fairly quick job to re-plate. (now that the difficult and time consuming part is all done.)
Here is what it looks like when it is all done. There is a space in the front already cut out for the fourth bayonette when they decide to get it done. Doesn't look like 120 hours worth of work does it?
2 comments:
Looks good Bill.
Out of curiosity, would silver be a viable alternative to chrome and/or nickle for decorative applications? except, I guess, for the fact that it would have to be polished regularly.
Silver is very voltage sensitive. You have to start off high to get it to stick, and then back off a lot to get it to shine. Its not as temperature sensitive as gold though.
Nickel is way voltage sensitive. The difference between success and failure is measured to within half a volt. Which would be fine, except that the electroyte is always changing its concentration and because it is a resistive fluid, the distance between the electrodes is important enough that you can actually "spray paint" with an anode moving under the liquid.
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