What to do? Sub Badge

[LostDutchman]

Hey gang. I'm hoping you guys can help me with a quandary that faces me.

I received this badge in this condition... I have had a jeweler friend look at it and said that he didn't think he could do the repair.... What is my next step? Try someone else? (and suggestions) Or just leave it like it is?

[LostDutchman]

More

[Jody]

U-boat Badge

Hello,
The badge is zinc and zinc is very hard if not near impossibe to repair (with soldering, etc). That is why I mess very little with the pins on my zinc awards (they become very brittle with age). That being said, I think the best result could be done with super glue. I have seen some zinc hinges repaired so well (with super glue) that it would be hard to tell.

If the badge was damaged in the mail, I would return it. Was it insured?

Jody

[Norm F]

I agree with Jody's suggestion. The goal isn't to make it look like it was never broken , but simply to hold together for display purposes in a manner that doesn't worsen things. Blobs of solder are not desirable, nor bulky 2-part bonding agents. I have an L/21 zinc Minesweeper in the same condition (which I think someone had already tried a grey bonding agent on in the past). I used a bit of clear Super glue gel to tack the hinge back on so it can hang in my display case with the others -- unobtrusive but effective as long as you don't subject it to any shear forces.

Best regards,
---Norm

[JAndrew]

Matt,
To my eyes this looks like a nice type 5 zinc badge. I can't say which type 5 without turning the hinge over but it is a moot point as far as the question you ask.

To me there are 3 choices here.

1. The purist would say leave it alone. It is what it is and the broken off hinge is part of the piece's history.

2. Super glue the hinge back on with the pin closed and never open it and tell a buyer about the hinge problem. It does not alter or damage anything on the badge.

3. Find another jeweler who can repair it or someone that builds electronic as a hobby. Some jewelers won't touch something like this because of the swastika ( I would not take it to Weinstein Jewelers for instance ), some won't touch it because it is valuable and there is a risk they could mess up the piece and have to pay you for it. People that build electronuics as a hobby often have very fine soldering tools and can do a nice repair.

If you choose to have it repaired make sure they know the base metal is zinc and do not let them clean to piece when they are done. Most will dip a repaired piece in an acid bath to get any flux off or black areas and if they do that to this piece you can not only kiss the rest of the gold finish good by but the zinc will be horribly pitted (guess how I know that?) as well.

If it were mine I would opt for #2

JAndrew

[Norm F]

Matt,
To my eyes this looks like a nice type 5 zinc badge. I can't say which type 5 without turning the hinge over but it is a moot point as far as the question you ask.

Actually not a Type 5 Schwerin but a very nice zinc Deumer. Deumer's zinc obverse design is very "Schwerin-like", hence the confusion.

That's an interesting thought about an electronics hobbyist's fine soldering techniques -- I'd like to see some examples of that but I'd probably still be sweating too!

Best regards,
---Norm

[relics2007]

Has anyone tried the 2 part epoxy? I thought it would bond rock hard on anything. Even under the water
Regards,
Lonnie

[Butch Gooch]

Repair

It seems that there was a man connected with this Forum sometime ago that did Great Repairs. I believe he went by the name of "Dr.Love", You could try to find him and have him give it a go. Good Luck!! All the Best, Butch

[Mike Kenny]

Personally, in this case I'm also of the opinion that super glue is the way to go. Just make sure you've done a "dry run" first to make sure you know the way it should sit and don't put the glue near the edges. Either that or just leave it for the next guy to deal with as is.

Regards
Mike

[LostDutchman]

I have given super glue a go... And I couldn't get it to latch without popping off. I'm thinking about giving the 2 part epoxy a try. I want to leave anything involving heat as a super last resort...

[JAndrew]

Matt,
If you used regular liquid super glue it probably won't work because the surfaces are uneven. You need to use one of the gel preperations so there is a little "bulk" to fill in the irregularities.

I would stay away from 2 part epoxy because they are messy, colored so easily seen and hard to clean off. The nice thing about super glue is that acetone will remove it easily.

Norm is correct about it not being a Schwerin badge when I looked at the scans again but I figured Norm or Bubba would have already nailed me before I could post a correction. I was right.

JAndrew

[LostDutchman]

Well... so far so good with the 2 part epoxy. I'm going to let it set till after lunch.

[JAndrew]

I must say it looks good. Very neatly done.
JAndrew

[Norm F]

Hi Matt,

Like JAndrew said, I used the gel form Super glue rather than the liquid -- like you I've found the liquid doesn't work.

I know Martin W. has used the 2-part epoxy like you with good results. Personally, I don't like the dark grey colour of that product which shows at the edges -- someone used that sort of thing originally on the Minesweeper I posted earlier. However, it still looks tidy the way you've done it. Either way, shear forces from trying to push the tip of the pin around the catch tend to break it off again. In my case I decided to glue it on with the pin in the open position so I can hang the badge from a loop whereas if stored in a case the closed position is probably a better look.

Not sure what happened to the "Love Doctor" (Jimmy, aka wh014d4394 on the forum) who hasn't been around the forum since 2011?
back from the dead
I think his repairs would have been very durable.

Best regards,
---Norm

[Norm F]

Not sure what happened to the "Love Doctor" (Jimmy, aka wh014d4394 on the forum) who hasn't been around the forum since 2011?
back from the dead
I think his repairs would have been very durable.

Here's another example of Jimmy weaving his magic with a repair of Rob Hudspith's zinc RS&S Fleet badge in 2006.
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=153173

Best regards,
---Norm