Niello and metalworking tools

[Latinitas]

Salve omnes,

I have some questions about niello. On page 56 of "The pre- Flavian military belt: evidence from Britain" you can read this sentence: "Because the compound decomposes before melting, the niello was probably warmed to a soft paste and worked into the engraved design". I have made some niello (according to plinio) and concluded that it don`t decomposes after being melted. After my niello had been melted to flow into the engraving and had been coled down, it still had a black color. It didn`t decompose at all. A few sentences later in the same text, they say this: "The only belt-mounts to have been analysed are two from Hod Hill which appear to have been inlaid with pure copper sulphide (...), an alloy whose melting point is far higher than that of bronze and which may have been hammered into the engraving after being cut roughly into shape". I don`t believe the melting point of copper sulphide you get by fusing copper with sulphur in a crucible is higher than the melting point of bronze / brass :? .

My question is: does anybody know something about "cutting niello raughly into shape and hammering it as a soft paste into the engraving". How did they do that? I just melt it into the engraving.

My second question is: does anybody have images of tools (like punches, chisels etc) that were used to produce belt plates?

[Latinitas]

Yeah, it seems to be difficult stuff 8) .

Does anybody have more data about this part, like exact dimensions of the plate and buckle and a drawing of the engraved pattern? I know it`s from here, but they don`t give enough information. It`s hard to see the engraved pattern due to corrosion, so more info is very welcome.