03-10-2004, 03:34 PM
Avete!<br>
Yeah, I've heard the rumor about electroplating before, and as far as I can tell it's bunk. Seems to be based entirely on the "Baghdad Battery", a rather ambiguous artifact which may or may NOT have been used to generate a small electrical current. A quick Google search on "Baghdad Battery" turned up several articles, the facts of which are not entirely consistent. It even seems possible that this item is either misdated or even a fake.<br>
<br>
But even if it's real, and was used as a battery, everything about its purpose is PURE supposition! There is no need to assume that because this thing existed that the Romans used electroplating at all, much less on a regular basis.<br>
<br>
If anyone can find anything in Roman literature describing any kind of electroplating technique, I will, as always, cheerfully eat my words. Until then, let's stick with applying molten metal to the item.<br>
<br>
Along those lines, a couple things I have learned about tinning. For items to be stamped out of sheet brass, tin the metal before stamping or embossing. That way the design hides flaws in the tinning, rather than the tin hiding details in the embossing. Also, the Romans seemed to be quite adept at tinning some parts of an item but not others, for instance tinning a face on a belt plate but leaving the background as bare brass. Most likely this is just a matter of carefully applying the flux, then cleaning up afterwards. Mildly tedious if you're doing a whole belt's worth of plates, but the Romans thrived on that sort of thing.<br>
<br>
Valete,<br>
<br>
Matthew/Quintus, aka "Old Give Me The Evidence" <p></p><i></i>
Yeah, I've heard the rumor about electroplating before, and as far as I can tell it's bunk. Seems to be based entirely on the "Baghdad Battery", a rather ambiguous artifact which may or may NOT have been used to generate a small electrical current. A quick Google search on "Baghdad Battery" turned up several articles, the facts of which are not entirely consistent. It even seems possible that this item is either misdated or even a fake.<br>
<br>
But even if it's real, and was used as a battery, everything about its purpose is PURE supposition! There is no need to assume that because this thing existed that the Romans used electroplating at all, much less on a regular basis.<br>
<br>
If anyone can find anything in Roman literature describing any kind of electroplating technique, I will, as always, cheerfully eat my words. Until then, let's stick with applying molten metal to the item.<br>
<br>
Along those lines, a couple things I have learned about tinning. For items to be stamped out of sheet brass, tin the metal before stamping or embossing. That way the design hides flaws in the tinning, rather than the tin hiding details in the embossing. Also, the Romans seemed to be quite adept at tinning some parts of an item but not others, for instance tinning a face on a belt plate but leaving the background as bare brass. Most likely this is just a matter of carefully applying the flux, then cleaning up afterwards. Mildly tedious if you're doing a whole belt's worth of plates, but the Romans thrived on that sort of thing.<br>
<br>
Valete,<br>
<br>
Matthew/Quintus, aka "Old Give Me The Evidence" <p></p><i></i>
Matthew Amt (Quintus)
Legio XX, USA
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.larp.com/legioxx/">http://www.larp.com/legioxx/
Legio XX, USA
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.larp.com/legioxx/">http://www.larp.com/legioxx/
