Re-creating original soldering techniques

[Caballo]

Jim "Tarbicus" Bowers and I went out for a drink last night, and between assuring me that in his new fully padded Gallic A he would be completely safe in a bar full of Manchester United supporters as a Liverpool fan, we talked about this find. I thought I'd posted it a long time ago,but apparently not!

An archaeologist has discovered and recreated a bunsen burner like effect from old Bronze Age pottery which appears to have been used for soldering and jewellery making.

The pottery recreated makes an impressive flame.


And putting a funnel on top intensifies the heat.


Essentially, the flame at the bottom of the jar is concentrated through air being pulled in through the vents at the side, to create a bunsen burner like flame. It should be quite simple to replicate as well....?

Full article and more pictures here http://www.archaeologyonline.org/Bunsen ... 20Page.htm

[jvrjenivs]

Very interesting indeed, and sounds like it needs to be replicated.

[Hibernicus]

Wow!

We were talking about something like this over the last few months in relation to doing tinning at public events.... the need for a bunson burner type flame to heat sheet metal for seg plates and helmets etc.... not too fast and not too hot..

problem solved, elegant solution...

Thanks! and lauds!

[M. Demetrius]

Wax soaked rushes for fuel. Hmm.

That should be easy enough to make, probably any kind of pithy weed would work for the rushes. Ragweed around here grows ten feet tall in the Spring. Worth a try, anyhow. It's a lot bigger deameter than what's shown in the pictures, but that should not be a problem, you just use less of them.

Now to build a wax boiler... 8)

[Medicus matt]

A friend of mine who makes period authentic glass beads is working on one of these to see if it can be made to produce a hot enough and steady enough flame to enable him to make beads authenticallly on site.

Should be interesting.

[Lucius Duccius Rufinus]

Thats amazing!,

is there any further pictures of the funnel? it looks fantastic... definatly would love to give this one a shot!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

That is really interesting Caballo. I had always wondered how the Greeks
invented welding, and this is another interesting aspect of ancient metal working techniques that surprizes/facinates me! They were so advanced in comparison to the abilities atributed to them in general!