STEP BY STEP FROM A DRAFT TO FINAL IRON CROSS - Excursion in the Deschler&Sohn Munich

[Miro O]

V. THE ASSEMBLY

35. Assembling of individual parts begins with assembling of the frame halves and with inserting soldering strips of tin foil.

[Miro O]

36. A core is inserted into the unsoldered, paired frame. During this work operation, the ribbon ring is not added yet.

[Miro O]

37. Preparing for soldering. Soldered area is fitted with tin foil. Tweezers (clips) made of spring steel - one for each arm of the cross - hold parts at each other. They are clearly visible on the cross at the front of the picture, which is being held in soldering pliers. Around 1940, they favored soldering processes using the gas. The temperature in this case was about 38 ° C.

Note: Typo mistake occurring (probably) during translation. Temperature should be somewhere between 183 or 238 °C, depending on how many lead was involved in tin foil. Usually more lead means lower melting temperature. Solid tin itself melts at 232 °C.

Note 2: The steel clips had probably also another function: they acted as a heat sink. The heat sink limits the temperature of the component body by absorbing and dissipating heat, so the soldered area becomes hot enough to melt the solder while the component body remains cooler.

[Miro O]

38. The core and the frame halves are being soldered. Gas blower (blowpipe) ensures the required temperature for heating the material evenly on both sides. Woman to the left is completing the core and the frame halves of Iron Cross together.

[wayne gosley]

Great stuff

[Miro O]

39. Here, the ribbon rings are being separated, technical term "pulled down". Opened rings, after the assembly, are soldered together. The wire is rolled on a mandrel and cut with axially acting knife. Even the rings must be lightly annealed and stained. On a small hand press, ring is adapted the way that both ends are opposite each other.

[Miro O]

40. Iron Cross (left, behind the soldering wire) with a transversely mounted jumpring gets the ribbon ring by soldering.

[Miro O]

VI. THE OPTICAL FINISH

41. Fine filing of curved and straight outer edges of the cross arms. Elsewhere this step was quickly done with emery wheel, in Deschler & Sohn it was always solid handwork before the Iron Cross went to galvanization process.

[Miro O]

42. The highest demand before galvanizing is the purity. Looking to the galvanic preparation room where Iron Cross is stained (mordanted), rinsed (on the left of the picture) and degreased. Only then it can be galvanized.

[Miro O]

43. Electroplating is the preferred finish in the production of the Iron Cross. By using the DC current, a metal is applied in bath to the governed parts of the Iron Cross, which are hung on hooks.

[Miro O]

44.- 45. Picture left: After careful rinsing, the plated parts are left hanging to dry. Omitting this step would cause the formation of bubbles, peeling, or the formation of pores in a thin surface layer of galvanized parts.

The picture on the right shows another method - drying by centrifugal force. When using this method, Iron crosses are mounted on the wire grids.

[Miro O]

46. Iron Cross II. class after removal from the oven is manually machined with glass fiber brush. Brushes are clearly visible on the left. The purpose is to emphasize the clean edges of raised areas.

[Miro O]

47.- 48. Picture left: To achieve a matt gloss, Iron Cross frame is polished with rotating brushes.

Photo right: Detail of polishing. Rotating brush "scratches" the frame matt white, as is required in the technical regulations on the production of the Iron Cross. Left in the photo is a degreasing bath. Above the protective cover (guard) the extractor (sucker) of dust from polishing can be seen.

[Miro O]

49. Hand polishing is the last process of the optical finish. The flange (edge) of the Iron Cross is machined with sharpening tool (knife) and hematite. Its surface then receives a special characteristic glitter.

[Miro O]

50. Spraying of the black iron core is executed exclusively for optical embellishment. Spraying is being done over the stencil, which is clearly visible to the left of breathable (perforated) metal net. This is to avoid turbulence and accumulation of protective varnish. Iron Cross is subsequently drying at 80 ° C.