Gold Damasean using sand blasting as a base

[Dave B]

So as not to hyjack the thread on sand blasting. I have started this thread. I know this is not a technique practiced on traditional long rifles but some of the high end rifles out of Philadelphia may have had some gold work done on them. The traditional method of painting on the gold with mercury as the solvent was used in olden days and the area heated to flash off the Mercury leaving the gold painted surface permanently fixed to the metal in the pattern in which it was laid down. Loads of french and Spanish barrel were treated in this manor.  I have done some damasine work using a flat chisel roughed surface to raise the burs to fix the gold to the surface. It was years ago that I observed jewelry smiths at the castle at Walt Disney World were decorating these steel ovals using different colors of gold in floral patterns. They then fire blued them to set off the gold. The ovals were sand blasted in patters as result of masking off areas were the gold was to be fixed. The smith placed the fine gold to the surface and using a brass punch drove the gold into place with only palm pressure. I will attempt the same on a Jaeger rifle I have been working on and off for years and will post some pic's when I finally get around to it.  it may be a year or two before I get around to it so be patient.

[Jim Kibler]

I would be concerned that the sandblasting wouldn't provide a substantial enough surface to lock the gold in place.  The key is to provide a surface where the gold can be forced under the base material thus locking it in place.  There are several techniques for this process.  I've seen where just a very fine bur field is created with an ordinary graver and when the gold is burnished in place it pushes gold under the burs and locks it in place.  I've also heard of using a flat chisel to create rows of raised lines.  I would be very concerned about using a sandblasting process on a rifle and expecting it to last. 

A couple things to clarify.  As I understand it, the process described above is damascening.  The use of a mercury and gold amalgum is refered to as guilding.  Gold guilding is commonly seen on European mounts.  This essentially covers the surface in gold.  Much like plating today.  I don't beleive guilding was commonly used to create designs such as those seen on barrels.  This would likely be either gold inlay work or damascening. 

[Dave B]

Jim,
I don't dispute the use of the gold/mercury as being guilt. Only that the portions i have personall examined on originals show no sign of roughing of the underside of the surface leading me to belive it was painted on then bonded by flashing off the mercury. I wont be attempting this any time to soon mind you but it would explain what I am seeing.

[Jim Kibler]

That's interesting  Dave.  Examples of barrels I've seen with gold decoration had roughened background to fix the gold to.  If you have any photos of these examples you mention I'd love to see them.  I have a gun with the remains damascening that I'll try to post a picture of. 

[Dave B]

Alas the pistol barrels that I saw done this way were for sale at a gun show and I didn't get any pictures. I believe they were french and the seller was very proud of them being fire blued. I have seen several that were roughed underneath as evidenced by the portions that were missing their gold. Who knows Had I my microscope I may have been able to see better that surface.

[Ron Scott]

Hello Dave,

Interesting Thread!  I spent a few days with Mike Dubber after the CLA show, learning his approach to relief sculpting and gold work. His philosophy is that a Firearm is a working object and the gold needs to be firmly fixed to stay in place. That said, the base for the inlay is cross hatched with graver cuts and then undercut with micro chisels.  The shaped gold is then tapped firmly to set the under surface down into the undercuts. The gold surface is reduced to needed thickness and detailed. Needless to say the thickness of the gold is much greater than Gold Foil.  We will be covering some of the technique at the Gun Makers Fair Workshop, mark you calendar for a few extra days.

Ron

[Acer Saccharum]

As I understand it, Damascening is a process of mechanically affixing gold foil or wire to a steel or iron substrate. The burrs don't have to be much more than microscopic, and the gold can be .003 thick. Prepare the surface by raising burrs, in three separate passes in 30 degrees increments, so that the surface looks like a double cut file. Lay the gold on, and tap in down with a brass punch, an then burnish. The edges of the gold may be engraved later to define the pattern, and the gold may be engraved into, to have the steel show through.

Save your chips!

Tom

[Dave B]

Ron,
That sounds really cool. Kathy has been feeling better so I may beable to make it this time around. I will keep my fingers crossed.