OK guys I have a dumb question for everyone. I picked up another 65 today and added it to my collection. A collector friend of mine was looking through my other crosses and asked me what the frosting on some of the crosses is made up of and how did they put it on. I honestly do not know. I felt really dumb so I am asking the experts here to give me an answer so I look a little more intelligent.
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Do you have a copy of Gordon Williamson's "Iron Cross of 1939"? He goes into detail about the manufacture of the cross and I think he covers the frosting. Unfortunately, I'm over 100 miles away from my copy right now, so I can't check. -
Unfortunatly I do not have it presently. I purchased it awhile ago and lent it to a friend and haven't seen it in awhile.Comment
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This is directly from Gordon's book:
'The inner, ribbed portion of the frame was finished with an attractive matte white silver oxide effect, which was created by either of two methods. In some, the process involved "cooking" the decoration in soda which produced a beautiful opaque frosted effect. Alternatively, the frame would be heated before being plunged into an acid bath. Prior to this the outer flanged edge would be painted with an acid resistant to prevent its taking on the matte frosted effect. The finish left by this latter method produces a matte frosted silver effect but does not give the pleasing "white" finish of the former. The outer edge was then burnished with a metal tool and highly polished. Very often this burnishing process left slight variations in the surface at the corners of the rim but this is entirely consistant with the process. The silver frame was lacquered to prevent tarnishing.'Comment
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It needs to be said regarding the description that the "acid bath"-method can and was only applied with medals made of real silver (otherwise it will not work). I don't think that this was ever the case with EK1 or EK2.
What he describes as the cooking in soda is most likely the well known "paint", which was applied in a spray on style. If the whole medal would be cooked in soda, the frosting would be everywhere (inside and outside) - which it is not.Comment
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before or after assembly? I seem to recall a picture of the manufacturing process and the paint come on when the cross was ready, but if that was the case how did they mask it all up?Comment
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I don't know how they did it in detail with the frosting paint application and I also don't know where Gordon got his info from.
However, in the description of how a EK2 is manufactured by Mr. W. Tarnow, the later head of the LDO, the process is laid out step by step. Step #4 is the soldering of the frames, step # 5 is cleaning resp. sanding and under step #6 is the frosting applied, followed by the burnishing and a subsequent paint touch up of the core - whereas the frame is covered with a template.
Thats what is is and it is very hard to argue with original documents - and I'm not saying anybody does!Comment
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I know on earlier EK's the frosting was 'hand-applied', as is evident upon inspection. I read somewhere, can't remember where right now, that a silver content paint was applied to the beading and step, cooked in high temp., and the silver was vaporized in the high temp., leaving a frosting behind. I have also heard of a rhodium application. This is interesting, and I hope we can come to a solid understanding of really how this was done. I'll do some more searching in my library...
RobertComment
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Thanks a bunch guys. I was also wondering about the edges of the arms and how sometimes there are differences between different crosses. Now I have the answer to that one as well. This looks to be an interesting topic and I hope to learn more of the manufacturing process of my favorite award. My book is on it's way back to me so that I can finally read it for myself.Comment
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Dietrich,
You were correct about this "cooking" of the soda onto the silver frames. I read this process in Gordon's book and presumed it to be for all crosses. I've browsed the 'Iron Time', and so far have found little there for the EK's. Still, I remember reading somewhere that the second method which was used on EK's involved heating the applied finish to a high temerature to evaporate away the silver content and leaving behind the oxidized (white) frosting.
RobertComment
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Robert,Originally posted by robert pierce View Post
I certainly don't doubt that you read it somewhere, however, I have some doubts about this method. The temperature to let silver atoms or silver compounds evaporate would be very high and would certainly affect the paint and the solder connection. Also, I see no reasons to get rid of the silver to have a silver (=frosted) surface?
I am still disappointed that my last SEM schedule did not ca]=come to pass since that was when I had the checking of the frosting on the schedule. But it will happen one day! We all need to know first what this material really is!Comment
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That makes perfect sense, Dietrich. I vaguely remember the context of the article, but it had to do with some element being vaporized. My memory is not as good as it was when I was 57. This year's 58th did me in.
RobertComment
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Dietrich,
Are you saying that the EK was covered with a template, and sprayed with a 'paint'? This would make good sense. I have many S&L EKII's in mint condition with the jump ring and ribbon ring frosted white as the beading and step. And, a portion of the flange where the jump ring is soldered is white also, showing it was not covered there in the process. I see this process plainly in my mind. This would have made the 'frosting' the last step before packaging, unless a clear lacquer was applied over the frosting. I wonder if this is the case, seeing many S&L's with that 'darkening' over the beading. Like the S&L KC you showed me at the SOS. Yet, this darkening is not consistant with all S&L crosses.
Still, in very early war months I see on some of my EK's the evidence of hand-painted frosting. The uneveness of paint over portions of the beading and step, even on the flange in some cases, suggests a hand-painting technique.
RobertComment
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That is how I understand it. How else, by the way, could one apply the frosting after the assembled cross anyway?Originally posted by robert pierce View Post
DietrichComment
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Dietrich,
I read more carefully your description of Mr. W. Tarnow's steps in finishing the crosses. I have been caught up in three other threads and failed to read it as I should have. Anyway, from the steps he describes I can now see that the burnishing of the flanges explains the frosting remaining on the area around the jump ring on the flange. Here, an S&L shows perfectly Mr. Tarnow's steps...
And, I can see where the cross was covered with a template and the paint touched up. There is residue of black paint on the inside of the beading next to the core. All very interesting.
RobertComment
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