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+--- Thread: Two metals corrosion (/showthread.php?tid=19146)
Two metals corrosion - lyuv - 07-14-2011
There is a know fenomenon of corossion developing where objects of DIFFERENT metals touch each other (I dont know the english term).
In my Gladius, as in many others, there is a small brass plate covering the front of the guard, touching the steel blade. And I cant stop the rust!
Anyone had this problem? Any suggestions?
In theory, I could enlarge the hole in the plate, so it will be JUST larger than the blade. But I cant believe the original swords where made with such accuracy. The military swordsmith probably just banged the plate into place.
Re: Two metals corrosion - mcbishop - 07-14-2011
Quote:There is a know fenomenon of corossion developing where objects of DIFFERENT metals touch each other (I dont know the english term).
Bimetallic corrosion – always a problem with lorica segmentata from the Roman period onwards (and Landrovers in more recent years).
Quote:In my Gladius, as in many others, there is a small brass plate covering the front of the guard, touching the steel blade. And I cant stop the rust!
Anyone had this problem? Any suggestions?
In theory, I could enlarge the hole in the plate, so it will be JUST larger than the blade. But I cant believe the original swords where made with such accuracy. The military swordsmith probably just banged the plate into place.
The only way of limiting it is keeping the junction between the two metals clean and dry. The Romans had no solution to it so you will just have to tolerate it, I'm afraid.
Mike Bishop
Re: Two metals corrosion - Dan Howard - 07-14-2011
The industry uses what's called a "sacrificial anode". You need a metal that is more reactive than iron, such as magnesium, to contact the blade. Then the magnesium corrodes instead of the iron.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_anode
Re: Two metals corrosion - sulla felix - 07-14-2011
Discard the plate completely - there is plenty of evidence to suggest that not all swords had this plate.