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Ben I'm glad you found a way to get your bristol hull plate and I'm honored you used mine for a template . I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the next step with you, you are a crafty fellow for certain and I wonder if anyone knows which was the last hull # to be produced in the old hereshoff plant?
Thanks Paul! Purchased the ultramarine blue enamel powder from a jewelry supply house in Midtown Manhattan, so I'm almost ready to light up the oven. Just need to find some time in this week's busy schedule.
Ben
Here are the two builder's plates ready to be enameled. Paul's original #5 plate looks to be made out of copper and my copy #109 plate is made out of bronze. I found it kind of intimidating to punch those stamps into my new plate. I was sure I would mess up but everything worked out.
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/IMG_0579.jpg
Ben, PLEASE give us a couple shots of how it's done, not just the results,
which I'm sure will be fantastic. What kind of beads, what blaster, do you have it done?
The piling of the powder. The open door of the oven. "Welcome my little plum.."
What the plate is put on get bronze even heat all over. I don know but stuff like that.
I think ther'll be some interest in how it's done!!!
Ben
I'm really interested in seeing the end result. Watching the process is fun but seeing the end result will make it worth the wait. Especially since it appears you are doing all of the steps very well so far.
So if I'm following this correctly you will do the enamel next and then the plating. Is that correct?
Why cover them up?? You can stop right now with perfection - those are freaking gorgeous!!!
Went in early this morning to attempt the enameling of the builder's plates. Here's a picture of Paul's Commander #5 plate just out of the kiln. The next step at this point would be to get it chrome plated. But I really like it's present patina, not too sure it would look better buffed out. Not a fan of chrome plating on sailboats, it seems like it just doesn't last very long in the marine environment.
The bronze #109 plate didn't take the enamel, cracked off while cooling. I need to get another formulation of enamel or cast a plate in copper. We will see.
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...r/IMG_0581.jpg
Ben
Does the enamel come out of the oven that smooth or does it have to be buffed after it comes out?
Jerry, it is that smooth right out of the kiln.
It's a pretty interesting process, when I get some time I will describe the whole method.
Ben
Ben, my observation from dealing with brazing of different metals is that copper relenquishes heat faster than bronze or brass it may be as simple as leaving it to completely cool in the oven slowly or it may require an acid prewash or some type of bonding agent , I'm confident you'll get it figured out and great job on my plate thanks again and yours is beutiful in bronze so if you have to make a copper one keep the bronze one and mount it in another place, down below or something thats what I'll be doing with the portsmouth plate I have and I'm looking into having my plate nickel plated would prefer gold but dont think i could afford it.
Thanks, Paul. I will mail out your builder's plate on Monday.
I have learned that bronze is not easiest metal to enamel. Getting another plate cast in copper is what I'm going to do.