Anodised Wire Lugs Quick Attribute Guide

[hagwalther]

Hi Guys,

Just a quick note on the attibutes that I use to identify wire lugs.

1. Lugs come in two sorts - those made from a stamped sheet of aluminium where the lug hole is cut out at the time the lug is formed and those made of wire.

We are only concerned with wire lugs here.

2. When looked side edge on, the outside edge of the wire used to make the lug is generally shaped into three main forms:

a) Flat
b) Round
c) Semi-round

See piccy - not the best in the world but look through your collections and you shold be able to separate these three lug types out.

3. The other important attribute is the lug feet. Again, these come in three main forms:

a) No feet
b) Sweeping feet
c) Flat feet

See piccy - again no prizes for this art work but you should get the drift. Beware that flat feet are very pronounced with a definite edge that at times looks like the feet are separate parts however, the feet are integral parts to the lug leg. Often sweeping feet look flat but look closely and there will be no definite edge between leg and foot.

Thats about it - if you want to show a piccy on the forum of a lug I suggest you follow the example of the image shown. Note that it is angled in two directions showing the three main lug attributes. The photo shows the lug of the Aberdeen University OTC which has an easily visible flat lug. Badge is marked 'F&S'.

Regards

Chris

[AAC_GPR]

Hey Chris,

Just wanted to pass on my thanks for this thread - should prove a useful addition to any badge collectors arsenal of reference material.

Cheers,

Kev C

[AAC_GPR]

...further Chris, I am correct in thinking that the majority of lugs are brazed rather than soldered onto badges?.

Kev C

[hagwalther]

Hi Kev,

No worries - I appreciate the thanks.

J R GAUNT wrote an article on all this and lugs and sliders for anodised items (I cannot comment on other types of metal) were brazed, welded and soldered. Unfortunately he did not state which companies or badges used which method of attachement.

This is an area I still need to follow up and will do so in a couple of months time.

Regards

Chris

[davec2]

Hi Kev,

I would say that when talking of anodised lugs/badges, if you are referring to ' staybrite/staybright badges ( does anyone know the difinitive spelling ? ), I would imagine that the lugs are fixed with an epoxy type medium.
The heat required to braze or solder would destroy the badge, if you mean the metal badges that are then anodised/plated, there is every possibility that a modern braze would be used or the old spotweld type of joint, this is obviously just my opinion from my experiences in the past.
Hope this helps.........all the best.
Dave.

[hagwalther]

Originally Posted by davec2

Hi Kev,

I would say that when talking of anodised lugs/badges, if you are referring to ' staybrite/staybright badges ( does anyone know the difinitive spelling ? ), I would imagine that the lugs are fixed with an epoxy type medium.
The heat required to braze or solder would destroy the badge, if you mean the metal badges that are then anodised/plated, there is every possibility that a modern braze would be used or the old spotweld type of joint, this is obviously just my opinion from my experiences in the past.
Hope this helps.........all the best.
Dave.

Hi Dave,

The definitive spelling is 'anodised aluminium' although I have seen a single 'off the cuff' reference to 'stay bright' made by a colonel at one dress committee meeting in the middle 1960's if I remember correctly.

J R Gaunt of the same company states method of attachment is by brazing, soldering and welding with the heating methods of straight gas welding, furnace brazing and dip brazing. Arc welding was found to be unsatisfactory as was cold welding. These is a lot more to this and the reference to JR Gaunts article is:

Article written by J.R. Gaunt himself titled ‘The Brazing or Welding of Aluminium Badges’, and attached to a letter from J R Gaunt & Son Limited to Colonel L.M Arnold Director of Ammunition and Stores at the War Office, Ord.17b. via letter 120A and held in file WO32/16956 at the National Archives, Kew, England. This article was also published in ‘British Buttons’ magazine, publication date unknown.

Regards

Chris

[AAC_GPR]

Originally Posted by davec2

Hi Kev,

I would say that when talking of anodised lugs/badges, if you are referring to ' staybrite/staybright badges ( does anyone know the difinitive spelling ? ), I would imagine that the lugs are fixed with an epoxy type medium.
The heat required to braze or solder would destroy the badge.

Hi there Dave,

All this talk of lugs started here......

http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...ead.php?t=7152

...and I totally forgot that Chris's new thread on the subject was here in the AA forum. My comments about the methods used to attach lugs does of course concern metal badges - sorry for any confusion caused.

Originally Posted by hagwalther

J R Gaunt of the same company states method of attachment is by brazing, soldering and welding with the heating methods of straight gas welding, furnace brazing and dip brazing.

Chris, many thanks for the additional info mate, there's some metal-joining terminology I haven't come across before so all useful stuff!.

Cheers

Kev C