Damaged, Repair, Clean, Preserve Soviet Awards And Documents.

[deValcourt]

I agree that it would be both difficult to find someone to do the work well and would probably be costly. Furthermore, I would only trust either someone in or from the FSU because of "trade secrets" like color and technique.

Perhaps our resident enamel quality expert, Alexei, could comment here.

Phillip

[Alfred]

Norm,

just take epoxy casting resin (in german: Gießharz). It is transparent. It is very cheap. In Germany around 10 Euro. You find it in handicraft work-shops.
It looks like glass.
Sometime you see objects cast-in epoxy. Like suvenirs (see picture).

You can mix it with Red colour. The only problem is to find the matching red colour mix. If you do not take to much colour it looks a little bit glassy / transparent.

To avoid a clammy surface, I ´ll put it for drying in a vacuum bag, which you use to freeze food.

best regards
Andreas

[Nota Bene]

Well, I have an expert, who can do nice enamel work. He uses low temperature hot enamel. The Mongolian Red Banner I have for sale on the Forum is an example of his handy work. The same guy can also manufacture missing parts, replace screwposts, change serial numbers, manufacture "collector copies", you get the picture. At the same time I believe that any old damage is part of an award's history, so I would never recommend it.

Alexei

[Lapa]

Originally Posted by devalcourt

...Furthermore, I would only trust either someone in or from the FSU because of "trade secrets" like color and technique...

Phillip,

No big secret here, all the information about enamels was published and is available. The famous Soviet red enamel goes by the name of "Rubin №5", and contains micro-particles of gold to enhance its reflective power.

Marc

[deValcourt]

Originally Posted by Lapa

Phillip,

No big secret here, all the information about enamels was published and is available. The famous Soviet red enamel goes by the name of "Rubin №5", and contains micro-particles of gold to enhance its reflective power.

Marc

Thanks Marc. I had heard rumors about the gold as well as other not-so-pleasant additives such as blood - so it just goes to show how the more extravagent the story, the faster it spreads.

The funniest thing to me though is that the color sounds like an expensive perfume.

Phillip

[Esteban_cool]

Originally Posted by devalcourt

Thanks Marc. I had heard rumors about the gold as well as other not-so-pleasant additives such as blood - so it just goes to show how the more extravagent the story, the faster it spreads.

The funniest thing to me though is that the color sounds like an expensive perfume.

Phillip

If it were blood, the enamel would look brownish rather than red. When the blood dries, it turns into a matt brick red, a bit darker than the usual MVD piping.

And yes, its name makes me think of a perfume too. Like, Rubin Nº 5. Pour Homme.

[deValcourt]

Originally Posted by Esteban_cool

If it were blood, the enamel would look brownish rather than red. When the blood dries, it turns into a matt brick red, a bit darker than the usual MVD piping.

And yes, its name makes me think of a perfume too. Like, Rubin Nº 5. Pour Homme.

Esteban, you are getting all CSI on me . It's an urban legend, a myth. It is supposed to be just slightly unbelievable - that's the mystique behind these kinds of stories.

It is interesting though that you compared the color of dried blood to MVD piping.

Phillip

[Esteban_cool]

Originally Posted by devalcourt

Esteban, you are getting all CSI on me . It's an urban legend, a myth.
Phillip

Yep, I know it´s a myth, but who knows... Uncle Joe may have had some unusual ways of warning his collaborators not to betray him...

[Lapa]

Originally Posted by devalcourt

...The funniest thing to me though is that the color sounds like an expensive perfume.

Actually, it IS an expensive enamel.

Oh, and regarding the use of blood in enamel: due to blood composition, you would end up with rather strange looking results, one of which would be a non-transparent appearance.

Marc

[UQWozza]

Actually if blood was initially put in the enamel mix there would be little left after firing other than the iron as these enamels can be heated to up to 860C (melting point of silver is about 960C).

Simon