How to restore an emblem (fixing of a screw on the back of an metallic eagle)

[Claudio]

Dear forumites!

I have a question for you.

I am looking to find a solution how to fix (desoldering) a small piece of screw-tip that detached itself naturally (the soldering is more than 100 years old) from the back of the emblem, which from the front kept all the original frosting and it is in mint conditions.

I don't want to ruin it by incorrectly applying back this screw-tip: what kind of glue or soldering method would you use in this case? I really don't want to risk to ruin such a lovely piece but on the other hand I want that screw tip to be in place in order to fix the emblem tightly to the helmet as it was originally.

Thank a lot in advance for your most appreciated comments and inputs.

Cheers,

Claudio

 

[911car]

I don't do much work on those things but it happened to me once on a valuable eagle plate.
I cleaned the parts and used superglue.

It did not work. The screw snapped when I fastened the nut.

So I did it again, and fastened the nut with extreme care. It is still there. This is not a real solution though. If it happens again I will give it to a jewellry shop. This is typically the kind of job they can do. A very clean micro-soldering.

The other possibility, of course, is to refer to Brian Loree, the boss and expert restorer on this forum.

 

[b.loree]

Tony Schnurr is the master at soldering not me.

 

[Sandmann]

I soldered an eaple plate with an electric soldering iron and it worked good. In the past the plates were also repaired by soldering.

 

[ccj]

You may want to practice on something less important first.

 

[Sandmann]

Agree, it should not be your first time to solder.

 

[KAGGR#1]

Dear forumites!

I have a question for you.

I am looking to find a solution how to fix (desoldering) a small piece of screw-tip that detached itself naturally (the soldering is more than 100 years old) from the back of the emblem, which from the front kept all the original frosting and it is in mint conditions.

I don't want to ruin it by incorrectly applying back this screw-tip: what kind of glue or soldering method would you use in this case? I really don't want to risk to ruin such a lovely piece but on the other hand I want that screw tip to be in place in order to fix the emblem tightly to the helmet as it was originally.

Thank a lot in advance for your most appreciated comments and inputs.

Cheers,

Claudio

Odd to me the back of the plate looks like a silver finish
Is it the photo ?
Steve

 

[b.loree]

Unusual for that officer screw post to not be the usual T shape. It has the correct coarse thread but lacking the horizontal part of the T post, it has pulled out of the solder. I have never seen this previously.

 

[Claudio]

Odd to me the back of the plate looks like a silver finish
Is it the photo ?
Steve

Yes, but the finish of the front looks different from the back, because the back wasn't exposed to air & light agent like the front.

 

[Claudio]

Unusual for that officer screw post to not be the usual T shape. It has the correct coarse thread but lacking the horizontal part of the T post, it has pulled out of the solder. I have never seen this previously.

Are you implying that only the T-base screw type are originals because these are the ones you have only seen? I have seen many of these T shaped type of screw (see below)
, but still this doesn't exclude the fact that other types of screws existed.

 

[ccj]

Interesting... I'm in need to learn more as I'm not an expert on wappen and the various methods to affix to the helmet.

 

[b.loree]

I am not “implying “ anything Claudio, I am merely stating that in my experience the wappen screws are usually T shaped. However, one thing I have learned in 40 years of collecting and restoring Pickelhauben is that there are always exceptions to the rules or what we think things are supposed to be. So to be very clear, I have absolutely no problem with your wappen.