davebradwell wrote:I've tried to etch these things myself but have been restricted to brass so far with the corner angles looking too heavy so haven't achieved the lightness you've captured. The apparently smaller cross section of my slotted M&H dolls hasn't helped. I had a notion that chamfers might be filed on the corners but, of course, without internal support it would be hopeless as it's barely possible to handle these things without crushing them. Having just moved to PPD and awaiting my first delivery, it's encouraging to see what they can do.
DaveB
Hello Dave,
I would have to say that I have pushed PPD well beyond what they claim to be capable of! And they consistently deliver miracles - I cannot praise them too highly.
Just on the corners (with their out-facing angle iron), I agree that these are important to the appearance and I have tried to reproduce this. The first step is to produce the whole doll / post as a complete etching (I simply cannot understand why the four sides should be etched separately). Of course the "hinges" at the folds need to be VERY delicate. The four sides are then folded up so that the edges of the etch remain "on show" and this gives the appearance of the angle iron. Of course it is not perfect, but it is better than anything else I have seen attempted.
For anyone else tempted to have a go, I would also point out that it is a good idea to include the lamp bracket base and the arm pivot location in the etch - these things are the devil to get in the right place and look awful if wrong.
I would definitely not use brass! It is too soft, does not etch nearly so cleanly and is a pig to solder due to heat conductivity ... apart from that ...
Here is an sample of one of the frets.
Etch Detail.jpg
And a close-up of the doll (you can see the stagger - and that it is already bent!). You can see how the folds are achieved, and done this way, it takes about half a minute to assemble one of these things!
Lattice detail.jpg
And here is the signal made from one of these to show the "hollow" corner edges
home signal.jpg
No lamps yet - where is that chap from Wales when you need him?
These "Gallows" style dolls do not have much tper on them - taper posats are a pain to draw as every cutout to make the lattice is a unique size.
Well done for defending our "Trade" but there are some elements out there selling "less than perfect" products I am afraid.
Hope that helps,
Best Wishes,
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.