Bazaar-made cast RAF cap badge?

[Chacal]

I picked up this intriguing RAF cap badge this morning: it appears to be cast-brass (so perhaps ‘bazaar’ made?) with soldered-on lugs (one is missing), but what puzzles me is the size difference between it and the standard-size KC badge - across the ‘equator’ the standard is approx. 35mm whilst the cast is approx. 32mm. My guess is that it was made from a drawing or photo rather than an actual badge, but I’d welcome any comments - has anyone seen the like before?

It will be available for swap or sale once my curiosity has been satisfied.

Thanks for looking

Graham

[Sonofacqms]

Most sandcast badges are slightly smaller than the original badges, some size is lost during the process aparently.

Rob

[cga00]

As Rob stated. An original badge is pressed into soft sand to make a mould into which the molten metal is poured. The metal contracts as it cools, which causes the finished product to be smaller than the mould (& of course, the original badge). The fact that the sand cast badge is taken from an impression of an original also accounts for a lack of detail in most of them. You often find them polished like yours in an attempt to hide this.
Craig

[fougasse1940]

I believe there are two types of sandcast bazaar badges, those as stated above, cast from an original badge, and those from an original die. A nice example of the former was once shown here on the forum in the form of a copy of an officers badge, complete with maker mark and if I remember correctly even silver hallmarks. Attached images of my Signals officers sandcast badge with a faint impression of the original maker mark in the oval between Jimmy and the crown in the back of the badge.
Then there are unique badges, the REME Quetta badge and the Army Air Corps badge with the odd looking bird spring to mind. I believe this particular badge falls into the latter category. The size and detail difference is too significant to consider it a copy of any existing British made die stamped badge.

Rgds, Thomas.

[Chacal]

Rob, Craig and Thomas

Thank you all for your input, greatly appreciated as always. I have heard of (for example) fakes of the Palestine Police cap badge cast from a mould taken from an original, and hence slightly smaller due to contraction on cooling. I'm not sure that this is the case here as the size difference is around 6mm but I'm not a metallurgist so could easily be wrong. On the otherhand, if it was cast flat, shrank slightly, was then trimmed before doming, each would lead to a reduction in size.

Thanks again chaps

Graham

[fougasse1940]

There is a minimal shrinkage, but not 6 mm in a badge this size. My cast badge isn't domed and measures 34,3 x 40,4 mm.

Rgds, Thomas.

[Chacal]

Originally Posted by fougasse1940

There is a minimal reduction, but not 6 mm in a badge this size. My cast badge isn't domed and measures 34,3 x 40,4 mm.

Rgds, Thomas.

Thanks Thomas, mine is 34.3 x 39mm.

Graham

[wasaraftype]

Here are images of 4 different cast rank RAF KC badges I have. The Air Rank one is Cap badge size; if ever actually worn is anybody's guess.

Doesn't really add anything to this thread but thought they may be worth posting.