Pre-WW1 Sword Cleaning & Copper Plating
Cleaning and copper plating the sword without electricity.
In part 2 of this sword transformation, I used 5% acetic acid while wet sanding to help remove rust. I removed most of the rust with 400 to 3,000 grit sandpaper. A Dremel with a sanding cylinder was used in limited sections to remove buildup. A steel and brass brush attachment on the Dremel was also used to clean pitting in the sword. The sword was then plated using a copper sulfate solution on both sides, with only one side using 50% citric acid to mitigate tarnishing. Both sides were then clear coated 3 times.
I do want to clarify that the copper coating is very thin and entirely removeable with light sanding, if I choose to do so in the future. In my research, I found that some similar swords were originally nickel-plated.
The sword, from my research, was made by Collins & Co. in Hartford Connecticut between 1870 and 1919. The No. 87 pattern machete sword with the eagle was commonly used in Cuba during the Spanish-American War of 1898 and in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution between 1910 to 1920. Previous online auctions label similar swords from Collins Company as "Spanish-American War era". I do not know the history of this specific sword - if you have any insights, please let me know!
⏱ Timeline:
00:00 - Introduction
00:25 - Wet Sanding 5% Acetic Acid
01:05 - Dremel Sanding
01:33 - Steel Wire Brush
01:51 - More Wet Sanding
02:11 - Brass Wire Brush
02:30 - Final Wet Sanding Water
03:04 - Copper Sulfate Application
04:34 - "Rustic" Copper Result
04:40 - Acid + Copper Sulfate Application
05:42 - Clear Coating
06:05 - Both Plating Results
📖 References:
Similar Auction 1 - https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lo...
Similar Auction 2 - https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...
Similar Auction 3 - https://avaluer.net/explore/2888093-c...
Similar Store 1 - https://www.arizonacustomknives.com/p...
"The Cutacha" by Carter Rila, posted by Therion Arms - https://therionarms.com/articles/cuta...
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