High $$$ Restoration

BrianPowley · Aug 28, 2009

A good bit of my work (about 1/3) is in restoring the original stampings on antique classic motor vehicles.
Here's the "Before" and "After" pics of the work done on the headlight buckets of a popular British automobile.
When I opened the box, I thought "Oh Rats!, They left the chrome on them", but after the initial examination, I discovered that these are made of solid Sterling Silver.
Something different,eh?

Tim Wells · Aug 28, 2009

Perfect job!

That's a heck of a jig, you been hanging around Tira the master big jig maker?
Biggest hunk of silver I've ever seen!

ED DELORGE · Aug 28, 2009

Hello Brian, very nice work. Did you polish out the metal before engraving?

Ed

BrianPowley · Aug 28, 2009

Yep...Tira and I exchange notes.
And Ed....yes...I did put a little shine on them

Peter E · Aug 28, 2009

COOL! I would have guessed they were off of a Rolls, and the last picture answered my question.

I'll have to look more closely at the lights when I see Rolls Royces.

Tira · Aug 28, 2009

Wow Brian! Very Cool!

Brian has helped me many times in trying to figure out the best way to "jig" something. This jig looks very sturdy.

monk · Aug 29, 2009

YIKES ! all i ever get to do is a dumb ole flashlight now & then ! brian, i did see some j-pegs of a rather wealthy guy in kuwait that owned a mercedes. the body metal was made of sterling sheet metal.

Arnaud Van Tilburgh · Aug 29, 2009

Very nice work Brian, I also didn't know these lights were made of sterling silver.

arnaud

fegarex · Aug 29, 2009

Very nice work Brian!
Are you sure they are sterling? The reason I ask is cars from that era (post "brass era" cars) usually had the bright parts nickle plated as chrome was not being used at the time. I'm wondering if they aren't nickle silver? Rolls were expensive cars but I would think sterling might have been an overkill. I don't really know anything about that era RR cars but just that other cars of that era used nickle and nickle plating.

BrianPowley · Aug 29, 2009

Rex, you could be right. They could be nickle silver---never thought about that.
I do know that they aren't plated with anything. It is a solid metal and they weren't hard to cut.
(The vibrations from the Monarch HP made it ring like a bell---I had to use earplugs)

LVVP · Sep 1, 2014

So creative, thanks for showing

Marrinan · Sep 2, 2014

Rex, you have to remember that silver was less than @2 an oz and you had a butler to polish.

don hicks · Sep 2, 2014

Nice job Brian, I never thought of engraving being like machine work, 80% setup and planning and 20% machining. It keeps your brain cells active.
Cheers
Don

rrupp · Sep 2, 2014

I had a friend in Seattle that spent most of his life restoring Rolls and Jags. Most of the bigger parts were nickel silver but hood ornaments and interior fittings were sterling. What is fascinating about that time period is like engraving these guys had to do a lengthy apprenticeship to do bright work. You brought back a nice piece of history.

Donny · Sep 2, 2014

Now thats just a cool project!!

Donny

dlilazteca · Sep 2, 2014

Vey nice, thanks for sharing

Saludos,

Carlos

High $$$ Restoration

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