mtnman Posted April 27, 2016 Author Share #26 Posted April 27, 2016 Take a look to the left of the "L" in LONDON.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuftStalg1 Posted April 27, 2016 Share #27 Posted April 27, 2016 Is that your little squiggle there!? Pretty nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtnman Posted April 27, 2016 Author Share #28 Posted April 27, 2016 You got it Buddy....that's it! It would be a blessing to go back in time and ask the artisan who made the dies what that little squiggle meant! If anything more than just a slight deviation of the tool..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kropotkin Posted April 27, 2016 Share #29 Posted April 27, 2016 Some great reference material for Gaunt wings here, mtnman. Can I ask how you prefer to clean wings that are silver-washed, especially English-made pieces? I have a glider pilot wing which has some black spots in places that I'd like to remove without necessarily polishing the surface too much (there are a couple of places where the wash has come away and I don't want to make these worse). Any advice? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustywings Posted April 27, 2016 Share #30 Posted April 27, 2016 Some great reference material for Gaunt wings here, mtnman. Can I ask how you prefer to clean wings that are silver-washed, especially English-made pieces? I have a glider pilot wing which has some black spots in places that I'd like to remove without necessarily polishing the surface too much (there are a couple of places where the wash has come away and I don't want to make these worse). Any advice? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Another insightful thread Mel! Thank you for your efforts to share and inform. I think we need to be especially careful with cleaning British-made badges like those produced by Gaunt, Firmin and Ludlow. Their thin layer of silver wash is highly vulnerable... and it doesn't take much rubbing on the high points to expose the underlying brass. I've had pretty good results cleaning the deeper recesses by lightly brushing the wing with an old soft toothbrush dipped in warm soapy water. I'm hesitant to use any chemical stronger than simple hand-soap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtnman Posted April 27, 2016 Author Share #31 Posted April 27, 2016 I think we need to be especially careful with cleaning British-made badges like those produced by Gaunt, Firmin and Ludlow. Their thin layer of silver wash is highly vulnerable... and it doesn't take much rubbing on the high points to expose the underlying brass. I've had pretty good results cleaning the deeper recesses by lightly brushing the wing with an old soft toothbrush dipped in warm soapy water. I'm hesitant to use any chemical stronger than simple hand-soap. I WANT TO ABSOLUTELY ECHO RUSTYWINGS WITH HIS MOST SAGE ADVICE. I will not exemplify my cleaning methods as I do not want anyone trying what it took me 2 years to get comfortable with THROUGH SEVERAL MISTAKES, and I am still perfecting, probably to the day I die. I will tell you that there are 2 primary elements that you will be dealing. The first issue you will deal with is the organic oils, smoker's tar, industrial pollutants (non-hydrogen sulfide) from particular areas of our nation and just plain dirt. The 2nd issue you will deal with is a chemical change that occurs at the surface level of the silver when hydrogen sulfide reacts with the top layer of silver to create a silver sulfide which is the actual black thin coating that covers the surface of the silver. There are 2 approaches to tarnish, that is to clean it and then leave a thin layer of polish to prevent the chemical reaction with hydrogen sulfide in the atmosphere or to simply leave the tarnish because it is a self preventing reaction once the first layer is formed i.e. the top layer of silver sulfide/tarnish protects the underlying silver layers from being exposed to atmospheric conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtnman Posted April 27, 2016 Author Share #32 Posted April 27, 2016 I wanted to share another aspect of the JR Gaunt true wing design and that is the telltale marks of a die stamped wing. I have seen several attempts to pass cast wings with the JR Gaunt design and this will give you a little ammunition in your defense against such thievery. The red arrows point to a thin layer of shearing which is the fingerprint of a die stamp machine plunger jamming the metal which the wing is to be constructed in, probably nickel here, into the die mold. The force is tremendous and it shears the edges of the metal right off, leaving the telltale shear marks. The yellow lines point to the top edging of the JR Gaunt foundation wing upon the shearing marks are more difficult to see but it held under a light you will see a series of shearing indentions along the coronal (left to right vertical) plane of this anterior section of the wing and on top of both the sinister (left) and Dexter (right) wing on the transverse (horizontal flat) plane both proximal to the escutcheon (shoulders) and at the distal ends of the wings as well. These shearing marks usually stand out when you expose them to a light source as they become highly reflective at many different angles because of the sheared metal sticking up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kropotkin Posted April 28, 2016 Share #33 Posted April 28, 2016 Thanks both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-17Guy Posted May 9, 2016 Share #34 Posted May 9, 2016 Thanks for the information and always insightful research Mel, great write up. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kropotkin Posted July 27, 2016 Share #35 Posted July 27, 2016 Hello, I'm considering dropping a few quid on these wings and would appreciate a view on whether they are worth the investment, as I know how much of a minefield gaunt wings are. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160727/2caae8e2b64b9394eb268232c817d5a7.png http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160727/27de0c19d0929a0b9c1c67392aa310ba.png Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtnman Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share #36 Posted July 27, 2016 I think you found yourself a lovely set of wings from Jr Gaunt . Look at the natural wear to the silver wash upon the bomb and the roundel encircling the bomb. The back edges have the shear marks from the die stamp in all the right places and the Makers Mark has a VERY good, crisp look to it as far as JR gaunt badges of this type go. The pin assembly is set within the markers and the markers are still Extant and pronounced, which are lost in the casting process to a certain extent. A little extra is the little piece of cloth that was caught by the lower prong! That has been there for a long time methinks! The patina is not manufactured and perfect for the timespan allotted to a valid wing. I believe you nailed it and I say Enjoy your wing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Costa Posted July 27, 2016 Share #37 Posted July 27, 2016 a really beautiful example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kropotkin Posted July 27, 2016 Share #38 Posted July 27, 2016 Thanks both. Again I am indebted to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtnman Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share #39 Posted July 27, 2016 Not at all, the Blessing is mine to pass on only that which I have been given and the research which that knowledge and wisdom gave impetus to; shared by the Kindness of those who sought the Truth of this collecting discipline in diligence, before me. It is our duty to share these truths responsibly with those we see through experience of their approach, will use this knowledge to preserve this glorious contextual history we have been given the blessing of a deep affinity for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kropotkin Posted August 7, 2016 Share #40 Posted August 7, 2016 Here's the Gaunt bombardier wing in a little more detail: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtnman Posted August 7, 2016 Author Share #41 Posted August 7, 2016 It doesn't get any better than that bro! Very well done! That is a beautiful wing that has seen service for sure! Top self. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kropotkin Posted August 7, 2016 Share #42 Posted August 7, 2016 Many thanks, Mel. The only benefit of being a USAAF wing collector in the UK is that these fine feathered wings come up once in a while for decent prices. It seems we Britons hold these in lesser regard than in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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