MKII Vickers machine gun

A customer acquired a de-commissioned MKII Vickers machine gun and Joel gave him the idea of chrome plating it in order to create a dramatic piece of art. Little did Joel appreciate quite how demanding the job would be and if his idea was to work at all, he had to be sure to find someone who would know how to put the weapon back together again once each and every piece had been plated.

The weapon was broken down into its component parts, removing any corrosion and pitting. Holes and marks were then filed and filled by hand, brass sections were polished and the missing wooden handles recreated using hardwood. Since the gun is made from both iron and steel, all the metal parts were first copper plated to give a uniform finish and then chrome plated and polished. Tolerances had to be carefully monitored so that the gun could be re-assembled and this was done by initially polishing down the parts before plating took place.

The entire job took months to accomplish but the final result delighted everybody concerned. It was certainly a talking point when it was standing in the shop.

This is an example of a private commission.  Please get in touch to discuss your own ideas; we can make anything in silver.