Advice on restoring a mascot, please.

Apr 06, 2004 3 Replies

I have the "leaper" (bonnet mascot) from my very first Jaguar, a 1947 3.5 saloon. (HYD 1, where are you now?) It's beautifully detailed, not like the later smooth versions. It's also very heavy - probably brass or bronze, chrome plated.



At some stage it has been broken - at the ankles and tail - and not very well repaired. A couple of gaps and blobs of weld or braze.



I want to get it into perfect condition to present as a trophy (another story). The chap who restored my E has had a go, cleaned it up, tried silver solder etc but has reluctantly admitted that he just does not have the tools and equipment to work in fine detail. Fair enough - he normally works on rather larger chunks of metal.



So - where to go? We thought perhaps a manufacturing jeweller, but I don't know of any. Or a model maker? Could anybody suggest how to proceed from here?



All advice/recommendations would be much appreciated.



TIA



Geoff MacK


Geoff Mackenzie ( snipped-for-privacy@acsysindia.freeserve.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Probably long since recycled, unfortunately.

Certainly separated from it's plate.

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These are the metals that some sculptors work with. It might be worth asking at a local art gallery if they can put you in touch with a sculptor that does smaller stuff in metal. A good one ought to be able to recreate the detail in the repaired sections. They don't have to be able to do chrome - your usual rechrome contacts should be able to put a coating on afterwards.

Jim

afterwards.

Thanks - hadn't thought of that.

Geoff MacK

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