New Rings For My EK2

[Ammersee]

Hey Jimmy...you've inspired me to try my hand at a few more repairs. I restored the swaz on a shooting badge a while back and it came out okay.
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=224455
So now I saw this poor CD800 EK2 on eBay and it looked like a good one to play with. I got it for $36. The ring had been pulled off with force and separated the frame on the top on one side.

[Ammersee]

I measured the rings on a good EK and ordered some sterling wire from H.Schmidt Co., New Orleans, LA. On eBay, they go by "208Gold". I bought a foot of 14 ga. (.065"dia.) dead soft and a foot of 14 ga. half hard. It cost me about $10 per foot. I used the DS for the small ring and the HH for the big one.

[Ammersee]

I cleaned the areas to be soldered first. I used an exacto knife to scrape the inside of the frame halves and the spots where the small ring go. I made a clamp from soft copper rod that would act as a heat sink. A heat sink keeps excess heat from building up. The copper draws off quite a bit of heat. I was most worried about burning the paint.

I clamped it up and soldered the frame separation first. I then placed the ring and squeezed it in place, then soldered it. Next, I soldered closed the large ring.

[Ammersee]

Another of the clamp

[Ammersee]

Another of the clamp. I squared off 2 sides on each of the ends so it matched up with the cross better. I snugged it up in the vise but didn't lean too hard on it. I was afraid the beading would collapse.

[Ammersee]

Here's one of the cross.

[Ammersee]

Close-up. The small ring is just a bit too big. I turned it on a rod that was the correct size, but after the last turn it springs back just a bit. I'll use a slightly smaller rod next time. Regards, Ammersee

[wh014d4394]

very nice i see your getting there now you need to age it.go to a silver smiths. are a plating firm. you will find one in yallow pages.thay will sell you some tablets that you put in hot water.stinks like bad eggs the longer you leave it in the solution the better.you can put one year are 75 years on it. its up to you my amigo you after my job

[jambobbyb]

Very nice indeed congrats

[Ammersee]

HaHa! Worried about a bit of competition, are we?? Don't worry Jimmy, I'm not out for your work. I just can't keep my hands off of things that are "broken". Like you, I like the challenge of putting something right again.
I really like sewing up those parade mounts the best. Here's a single I just made. Ammersee

[Ammersee]

the back

[Jens Thune]

Very nicely done

Kind regards
Jens