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Torques construction - Printable Version

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Torques construction - Doc - 04-06-2008

Is there any evidence on how the rope like or twisted torques were actually made?

Was the body of these torques cast?

Was the body of these torques a hollow tube that had rope or twist decoration added by means of a file or chisel.

Was the body of these torques made using several strands of thick wire twisted together?

Any help would be apprecited

Thanks

Re: Torques construction - brennivs - tony drake - 04-07-2008

These types of torcs are twisted from stands of individual wire, I presume you are talking about the heavy gold torcs. The technique in the twisting depends on which torc it is some Ive seen look as if they have been done like wire rope cable, and may have been drawen through a die while twisting then terminals are soldiered on. Others are just simply twisted as if held in a vice.
Regards Brennivs Big Grin

Re: Torques construction - LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS - 04-07-2008

A lot of techniques are employed. Some are a tube covered with wire, some others are twisted wires, others are a square section wire twisted, etc.

In fact torques in latin means twisted.

Re: Torques construction - Doc - 04-07-2008

Tony and LUCIUS,

Thanks for the responses.

Yes Tony, I meant the heavy gold torques.

How would you proceed to make them out of twisted wire?

Do you need a core like Lucius mentioned or can you take a bunch of wire and twist it?

Re: Torques construction - LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS - 04-07-2008

You can make it in both ways.

You can use a core made with a tube, and then solder the twisted wire to the surface. Or solder only a wire revolving over the tube surface, like that:

[Image: fig41_300.jpg]

You can twist 3 or four 1 mm wire and make a twisted wire. Get 3 or for of that twisted wires, twisted them to get a thicker wire. Then put the terminals.

In some exemples there is a very thin twisted wires put as decoration between the thickers wires.

I'm talking about the torques i know, that are basically of celtic manifacture and common in the Northwest part of Iberian peninsula.

[Image: arrabalde.jpg] I supose that torque of other countries are made in a similar way.[/img]

Re: Torques construction - brennivs - tony drake - 04-07-2008

I presume you are thinking about the ones from Britian so Ill dig out a pic and see if I can explain otherwise methods mentioned byLvcivs are also a way to make them Big Grin
Regards Brennivs Big Grin

Re: Torques construction - Doc - 04-07-2008

Thanks Lucius for your suggestions. They really help.

Tony, I am looking foward to your pics as well.


I would like to try and make one on my own but I was not sure how to begin.

Re: Torques construction - Doc - 04-07-2008

I forgot to ask,

Were torques made of silver twisted wire or brass twisted wire?


Thanks

Re: Torques construction - LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS - 04-07-2008

Always Gold or silver !!! Big Grin There were very expensive and valuable possesions. This is the reason they use frequently tubes, for avoid an extra weight.

But, you can make a little concesion and make them in copper and them silver or gold plated with an electrolitic bath.

Re: Torques construction - Doc - 04-08-2008

Lucius,

I began working on one torque in the way you mentioned. The only thing is that I have .6mm thick brass wire and many strands are required to get one "rope" and I need four of these ropes to make a total torque thickness of 1.3cm.

If this works well, I will proceed to do it in silver


Paolo

Re: Torques construction - LUCIUS ALFENUS AVITIANUS - 04-08-2008

Nice! Put pictures, please.

Re: Torques construction - sulla felix - 04-08-2008

Matt Lukes made a nice one see here

Re: Torques construction - Nerva - 04-08-2008

Some Irish torcs contained gold, silver and even copper, all in the one construction. They are a facination subject as we have examples from Ireland from before 500 B.C., long before any Celtic influences. I have some photographs of Torcs from our National museum, I'll dig them out if anybody is interested.

As to how they we're constructed, I have no idea what so ever but I know a lady who does. I can ask her.

Re: Torques construction - Doc - 04-08-2008

Nerva,

I would be interested in the photos. I was just thinking of a two tone effect with the metals.

Yes, can you please ask her how they were made.

Thanks

Paolo

Re: Torques construction - Folkert van Wijk - 04-08-2008

Quote:Always Gold or silver !!! Big Grin

I am afraid this is not entirely right. Sad Most torques are made of bronze, then comes gold, and in my opinion very little in silver. And some iron ones. Silver in the Celtic world isn't used that much. I think only in the southern and eastern parts of Celtic Europe, maybe that's why you do see it among the Celt Iberian stuff in now a days Spain more often.

If you take for example the Morel collection (from the now a days Champagne region) that includes 132 torques and there all of bronze except for one that's made of iron...

And then different regions of Celtic Europe have different styles, most easily to tell by there ends, the ones here discussed now are typical Iris and ore British...