Restoring/repairing Garde du corp eagle
- Thread starter artastx
- Start date
If it has decent original finish and is not terribly dis-figured, I would leave as is and let it show its’s age. Someone could drill holes, insert screws and use a dent puller to re-shape the body. The holes would then need to be soldered shut. The eagle was made from multiple parts. Someone expert at soldering could remove one or two panels, correct the dents and re-assemble (solder the seams). It might be worthwhile to find an old school jeweler and see if they could help. Not an easy project.
Pontiac9999
Well-known member
I'm not an expert but I would assume the eagle is something like a pewter metal which is cast. Drilling holes in it and trying to reshape it with a dent puller method would utterly destroy it!
If anything I think a tin solder would probably be the best bet to repair it. A couple of months ago I had my eye on a garde reiter lion on ebay that had a hole drilled through the nose and mouth. If I won it I planned on trying tin solder and then silver plating it with electrolysis. I only bid 400$ and it sold for $3200, so I didn't get to try..lol
They have tin solder with different alloy content too, so maybe one with some silver in it could match close to the original....imo ?
Ultimately in the end you might have to grind and sculpt the soldered area with a fine grinder or file to match any feathers, fur, etc.
If it is REALLY dented in and crushed, then perhaps heating the seams and disassembling the eagle would be the next option. Each piece would have to be then gently heated and tapped back into place with wood blocks and jigs but you run a risk of cracking parts. Then the entire eagle would have to be soldered back together.
I would only attempt repairing it if it was a total wreck and your willing to accept a loss if it doesn't work out!
Show us some pics of your eagle !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If anything I think a tin solder would probably be the best bet to repair it. A couple of months ago I had my eye on a garde reiter lion on ebay that had a hole drilled through the nose and mouth. If I won it I planned on trying tin solder and then silver plating it with electrolysis. I only bid 400$ and it sold for $3200, so I didn't get to try..lol
They have tin solder with different alloy content too, so maybe one with some silver in it could match close to the original....imo ?
Ultimately in the end you might have to grind and sculpt the soldered area with a fine grinder or file to match any feathers, fur, etc.
If it is REALLY dented in and crushed, then perhaps heating the seams and disassembling the eagle would be the next option. Each piece would have to be then gently heated and tapped back into place with wood blocks and jigs but you run a risk of cracking parts. Then the entire eagle would have to be soldered back together.
I would only attempt repairing it if it was a total wreck and your willing to accept a loss if it doesn't work out!
Show us some pics of your eagle !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pontiac9999
Well-known member
Or maybe it can be restored, going from a wreck to a master piece, like the Phoenix!
I have one that I got from Randy years ago that had small dents and dings in multiple places. Nothing really bent. A friend that was a soldering wizard filled the damaged spots and “tooled” the areas with a pointed soldering iron to match the feathered texture. I then sent it out and had it silver plated. Wish I had it nickel plated. Mine is made from brass sheet. That’s the reason I mentioned a dent puller above. Good luck with your quest to save the eagle. Even a less than perfect eagle is better than no eagle.
Ron
Ron
John Josef
Well-known member
artastx
Member
Here is the eagle in question. The more I look at it the more I’m happy with it, but as you can see, the tail is smashed in and flattened. It would be nice to have it with its original shape. There are a few other dents and dings, and one of the wings is pushed in, but it seems to retain a decent shape.
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Pontiac9999
Well-known member
No doubt that tail would be a tough one to fix. But considering it's condition it doesn't look that bad. Personally I would leave it as is.
