Jul 31

Let the repaired piece cool down completely and then soak it in water to remove the gummed strips. There will be some spots of adhesive along the join squeezed out when the jour was made and deliberately not wiped away. Rub the spots very carefully with glass paper and break them down before removing them with a scalpel or a razor blade. This cleaning is quite a delicate operation and if done without abrasion may result in lifting little chips of china or
glaze.
If the crack was also c’., Red and Aralditc with colouring was used, tidy the filled chips with fine glass paper, and over-paint or glaze if necessary.
Moulding aped Modelling whole pieces of a pot or a
figure are missing, the gap can be filled by rebuilding the piece with epoxy resin composition filler. But it isn’t quite so simple as that! Perfectly satisfactory pieces for plates, vases, bowls, statuettes etc. can be moulded or modelled and simply stuck into place provided the piece is not going into domestic use, but such mends are not strong
g enough
to withstand hard wear for very long unless they are sup- ported by metal cores or pins. It is easy to mould or model a jug handle without a core, but unlikely that it will last very long if the jug is used. If the new handle has a core it will be very strong indeed. The making of cores and pins is described in a later section, and here I shall talk about moulding and modelling without supports. The techniques involved are almost identical when supports are incorporated. The job requires only a few cheap tools until the moment when you get involved in metal work and drilling for supports. And many people, once they reach this stage, just take the work to an expert restorer rather than buy drills and bits etc.
Before mending a piece such as a bowl or plate or vase, without using a core, scratch or file the broken edges so that the new piece of moulding will lock into the edge as it sets. The danger is that your new pieces may not adhere too well to the smooth and thin edge of a break without some kind of roughness in which to get a grip, as the problems of adhesion are not quite the same as those of sticking two edges, of porcelain or pottery together.
Next, a backing is necessary. This means a surface up against which you can press the filler to remake the piece. If the object is a flat plate, with : flat surface, the same gummed strip as is used for binding can just be stuck on the outside surface of the piece completely covering the broken area. As it dries it stretches tight and makes a good smooth surface up against which to press the filler. This gummed paper cannot be used on a curved surface because it pulls taut and flat across the curve as it dries. Therefore the mould will
wihave to be made with a flexible material which will take a curve. Plasticine does the job well, but it never sets hard and can be pushed out of shape rather easily. Wedge plasticine before use—this is a potter’s term meaning quite simply banging it until it has no air bubbles in it. A mallet or a wooden rolling pin make good bashers for plasticine.
If you use plasticine for the mould and Araldite for the filler you will have to get some cellulose acetate to use as a parting agent as the two react upon each other and must be separated by coating the surface of the plasticine which will come into contact with die filler.
There are other moulding materials. The dental impression compound Paribar is more expensive, but is quite excellent for the work, and is worth the extra money for it can be used again and again, needs no parting agent, and has other uses. Paribar is softened in hot water before use and resets fairly hard but is flexible enough to be extricated from quite deeply cut castings.
Making Moulds. Imagine that you have to replace a curved piece with a fluted surface, from the edge of a bowl. The whole of the edge of the bowl is fluted in the same way so you take an impression of a matching piece of the pattern oil a sound section of the edge. ‘Wet the surface of the bowl and press a slab of plasticine (about half an inch thick) on to a section just a little larger than the missing piece. Carry the plasticine up over the rim of the bowl so that it will be marked but don’t bend it too far round the rim if there is any ridge or it may be difficult to remove the plasticine without bending it. Press the plasticine well and truly until you are satisfied that you have made a perfect impression. Lift it carefully off and place it over the hole on the outside of the bowl in exactly the right place so that the pattern is continuous. Press it lightly so that the broken edges of the china mark the plasticine, then remove the plasticise, and paint the area inside the edge marks with cellulose acetate parting agent, then replace it over the hole. It will stick to the dry china round the edges of the break. Bend over the top sections of plasticine away from the hole, round the rim of the bowl to keep die mould in place. A few strips of Sellotape across it and on to the china will help. Don’t use gummed strip, for this will dry out and flatten the mould. The Scllotapc may give slightly but will help to avoid the disaster of the mould coming off the pot in the middle of die filling operation which follows.
Paribar can be used in exactly the same way to make a mould especially where there is a deeply indented pattern in the china. The Paribar goes hard, but it can be softened with swabs of boiling water and removed from die filler section without breaking it when the job is done. No parting agent is needed so that the Paribar can be put directly on to the break and left there.
Filler Composition and Filling. Now to mix up sonic filler (see Fillers and Cements). Araldite two-tube epoxy resin is first mixed together and then titanium dioxide (or other whitener) is added until the mixture has a nice doughy consistency. This mixture is a bit sticky and clings to tools and fingers. Keep a little dish of the powder handy, and another dish of Methylated spirits. Dip your fingers in the powder, and the tools in the Meths from time to time, and you won’t get so stuck up. When dried out this filler looks exactly like biscuit, or unglazed baked china and takes overpainting very well. It also sticks directly to the edges of the break and you should have no trouble in making a perfect join. It isn’t the easiest of jobs to make and handle this filler, but the result is so good that it is worth practicing to get the mixture of the right colour and consistency.
Kaolin mixed with Araldite in the same way makes a very stiff, not quite so sticky, more translucent and buff coloured filler, but it has the disadvantage of not sticking quite so well to the edges of broken china as does the first mixture.
Isopon polyester resin filler is a paste which is mixed with a hardener. It is excellent for filling big holes as it dries quickly, but this means also that you must be able to work quickly. When using Isopon make all inside mould of the break as well, and having filled the mould, put the second inside mould oil to the filler from the inside to get a smooth interior surface, pressing it down well. Isopon requires no parting agents. Although it will stick to itself so that it call be built up in layers, it will not stick to china, so when the moulds arc removed, the new Isopon piece will come away and will have to be stuck in just like an ordinary broken piece. It can be rubbed and filed to finish it off It cannot be used as an adhesive.
Bondapaste is another excellent filler which hardens quickly and does not have to be baked, nor does it require powder additions to make it opaque. It does not dry white, but this is immaterial if you are going to overpaint it any-way. It can be used as an adhesive or cement and when used as a filler it stays in place without further adhesives. It can be filed, carved and abraded within a quarter of an hour of use, so is a very time-saving material, once one is experienced enough to shape it quickly.
The exact consistency of any filler is difficult to describe and can only be discovered by trial and error. If it is too hard it will push the plasticise out of place as you press it into the mould. If it is too runny it will tend to run into the lower part of the mould in whichever place you are holding it, and will not make a piece of even thickness. If the mould is made of Paribar then a stiffer nix of filler can be used.
The mixture is worked into the aperture with a round ended tool. Boxwood potter’s modelling tools are excellent but many things make good modelling tools. Some workers like to prop the pot up as they work, others hold the pot in one hand so that the break with its mould is cupped and held in position while the filler is worked in. Great care must be taken to make sure that the filler goes into all the corners and crevices right up to the edges, with no air bubbles trapped underneath. Smooth the inside surface with the tool and with thumbs and fingers until it is as like the surrounding inside surface as your eye can judge. Setthe pot aside for an hour, if the filler is Araldite, by which time it will have set to a rubbery consistency and can be worked further if necessary. If a quicker setting filler has been used, once it has set hard it can be carved, filed and abraded until it is absolutely perfect, and it is then ready for overpainting.
To speed up the setting of a mend done with Araldite, bake the pot for half an hour at zoo deg. F. If there are any small cracks or pits in the surface fill them with a thin mixture of filler, using a water-colour brush.
Chips. The mending of chips, big and small, which do not go right through a piece, involves work which is halfway between the filling of apertures as described above, and modelling
which is described in the next section.
Quite simply, you make up a mixture of any of the above mentioned fillers into a fairly stiff mixture and press it into the previously cleaned and dried area of the chip and smooth it until it looks right. Don’t get air bubbles under the filling. Wheel chips—large chips on the edge of a piece—should first have a thin layer of adhesive, to help bind the filler in place. The art of filling chips is to get a good blend along the edges and to get the filling neither too proud nor too shallow, and in getting the composition in so that no air bubbles remain behind to raise it in due course. If you suspect that a little air is trapped, prick the filler with a pin and press it down again and fill tip the pin hole.
Allow the filler to dry out over a hot radiator and then, when it is hard, rub it down with glass paper until you are satisfied that the chip, after overpainting, will be indistinguishable. Pick up the piece and squint at it at eye level in all possible planes, and rely on the sensitive tips of your fingers run across the mend to detect any irregularities. If even at this late stage the chip is not properly filled, more composition can be added for it will stick to itself, and the process repeated until you are satisfied.
Modelling. When neither straightforward sticking, nor press moulding can be used to mend an object, try modelling. It is impossible to make a mould for a missing piece which is not a repetition of another part of the object, as described previously. The missing piece just has to be built up from scratch and the result depends on the artistic ability of the restorer. Large modelled sections will have to have metal supports—dowels, or pins, or strips—and the techniques will be described later on. I am still concerned with the techniques which do not include drilling.
When a part of a plate, or a vase, or perhaps a lid knob must be remodelled, take a piece of rather doughy filler composition and roll it either flat for a flat section, or into a ball for a knob, or into a sausage for a handle, in an approximate size and shape for the job. Then press it firmly to the edge of the broken part, and model it with Boxwood tools, fingers and any suitable home made tools that you may fancy. Whenever epoxy resin mixtures are being used, dip the tools in methylated spirit to avoid sticking.
Modelling becomes really interesting when a porcelain object such as a figure or perhaps a vase festooned with flowers and leaves has pieces chipped out or broken off and lost. To remake flowers and leaves is not at all difficult. Any woman who has ever made an apple pie with a decorated crust knows the technique. The pastry, in this case filler composition in a nice doughy mixture, is rolled out to the thickness of the petal or leaf required and then pieces are cut out of it in the flat. A small sharp knife or scalpel can be used as a cutter, shapes having been first marked out with a darning needle or a fine graver. Or, if the leaf or petal pattern is to be repetitive, a cutter can be made out of strip brass or copper foil, beret to make the appropriate shapes. Make a template or pattern out of plywood, using a fretsaw (see Fig. 8). Tack this pattern to your work bench with a central nail and then hammer a copper foil strip round it with a small hammer until it is exactly the same shape. If the template is pinned with a central nail it can be pivoted round as the cutter is being made so that all pieces can be reached.
The cutting of different species of flowers, daisies, roses, apple blossom etc. is hard to describe exactly. It is a matter of careful observation of thepetals which are to be matched, and of measurements with calipers and dividers, if your eye is not good enough. Petals are cut out in flat shapes and bent over slightly at the edges, and rolled into concave shapes etc. Once your petals and leaves arc made they are then fixed to each other and to the main piece, and there is no great difficulty about this unless the anchorage point is very small indeed, especially if you arc using a good adhesive filler composition such as Araldite and titanium dioxide. it is often possible to add an extra leaf, or to put in
small
a smasupport of composition disguised in some way as part of the decoration, which will hold the modelled part in place. Most people have a collection of tools for modelling which they have made specially to get into different corners ; sewing needles, bent knitting needles, scalpels, spatulas, rifflers, spikes and blades of all kinds, even old hacksaw blades, conic in usefid.
When pieces of an object are missing for which no pressed mould can be made, it is still possible to make a mould out of plasticise which approximates pretty closely the missing piece, and to put this on to the whole in such a way that the aperture can be filled with composition in exactly the same way as a pressed mould is filled. Then the new piece must be rubbed and shaped to final perfection after the setting or baking process has been completed; but
this can be a slow job.
There are problems when it comes to modelling difficult things like faces; it rather depends upon how clever you are, but there is yet one more way, which involves modelling. It is a much more complex and tricky job, but it can save such a lot of time and trouble in the long run, -aid once again may enable you to get away with it without resorting to pinning and dowelling.
Make a model, in plasticine, of the missing part. Actually this is easy if you have a talent for modelling, terribly difficult if you haven’t. Say for instance that half a leg and a foot are missing from a figurine. Using calipers and dividers, measure the other leg and foot exactly, so that at any rate lie won’t have a size six left boot and a size ten right boot. Then model a plasticine leg to the right diniensions and in the kind of position in which it looks as if it ought to be, and keep trying your model in the space until it satisfies you. Plasticine doesn’t harden so take as long as you like over making the model.
Having made your plasticine model, a mould must be made from it and a cast or pressing taken from the mould. The finished cast can simply be stuck into position (or dowelled or pinned if necessary).
Take a sheet of glass, and a large lump of plasticise. Roll the plasticise out into a very thick strip and lay it on edge on the glass (see Fig. 9) in a square or a circle plenty big enough to hold the model, horizontally. Then fix the model, horizontally, halfway up one side of the container that you have just made. A peg carefully inserted into the end of the model and pushed out through the container side should hold it into position. Then prepare some plaster of Paris. Into another container which can be handled easily and has a pouring lip, put enough water to half fill the mould container, and sift plaster of Paris powder into it until the mixture is the consistency of thick cream, stirring with the hand to break up lumps. Then pour the plaster of Paris mixture into the mould until it is halfway up the model. Leave the whole thing to set. Then cut two wide grooves or shallow holes out of the plaster.
sure that it is really well drenched and that no tiny part has escaped swabbing. This acts as a parting agent between the two halves of the plaster mould. Make another mix of plaster as before and pour this nito the mould until the model is well covered. When this has set, remove the plasticine case and case the two sections of the casting apart. Take out the original plasticine model and you should have a perfect mould in two halves. This mould will have two locking pieces where you cut the grooves or shallow holes so that when the two halves are put together again they will locate exactly, and at the end where the model was attached to the side wall of the plasticine container, there will be a hole.
Now you have a mould which can be used to make a casting or pressing of your original model. Smear a film of silicone grease all over the pattern sections of the mould to prevent the filler sticking to the plaster of Paris, and then make up enough filler composition to fill the two halves of the mould. This filler should be soft enough to flow freely into the mould sections. When the two sections are filled, bring them together and bind them tightly with wire. Ram the composition well home, through the hole. Leave the mould, with the hole at the top, for two hours to set, and then, if you are using epoxy resin, bake it for half an hour at 2oo deg F.
Undo the wire binding and take off the plaster. If you have not used a parting agent, the plaster can be cut out and broken away and the last of it scrubbed off the model. Stick or dowel the finished model to the whole, having
made sure that the edges fit perfectly by filing and abrading. bradin,
Any discrepancy in fit which is too big to be put right by filing, can be filled with some filler composition.
Moulds can also be made from pieces of porcelain similar to the piece you are trying to replace, and then pressings made from these can be carved, filed, abraded, and built up to fit exactly.
Instead of plaster of Paris, rubberised solution such as Qualitex can be poured around your model. The advantage of using this material is that the mould is flexible and will come off difficult undercut models without damaging them. Rubberised solutions, therefore, are best for making moulds from models which must not be damaged in any way. The technique is much the same as that described above. A plasticine container is built up round half the part to be copied, and the solution is poured in.
The process is repeated on the other half and you then have the complete mould in two sections. Details vary with each job.
Faces on statuettes are very alike, and differ only iun detail of hair and headdress. There is no reason why, if you collect figures, you should not make a series of moulds or masks from any statuettes that come your way, and so build up a stock of faces iii reserve for the day when they may be needed.
Incidentally, the principles of making casts, moulds, pressings etc. are generally similar for work in all kinds of materials, and many restorers of objects other than china, such as old guns and pistols, make their own metal castings. It is a skill which has so many applications, not only for restoration but for creation. Modem materials make exciting castings and pressings, and it is an art well worth studying for its own sake.

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Jul 31

ARMS AND ARMOUR
Guns and Pistols
Old firearms arc popular collector’s items, and no olde oake beame type of pub or cafe worth its salt feels fully decorated without weapons on its walls, so good ones are expensive; nevertheless one sometimes comes across old guns and pistols in junk shops and these can be in pretty bad condition. It is usually possible to mend and clean these things and make them look very decorative; by spending money they can be restored to near perfection, and you can even fire them if you dare. For really careful restoration, try to find a picture of a gun like yours or a similar actual weapon in a museum, which you can copy.
As a first step make sure that any gun you buy is not loaded. It is not ridiculous to suggest that an old pistol which has been knocking about for years could be loaded, for it has happened, and even ancient gunpowder will explode violently. Gently insert a wooden rod or dowel into the muzzle and when it will go no further make a pencil mark. Withdraw the rod and lay it alongside the barrel with the pencil mark by the muzzle and the point at which the barrel is blocked can be exactly gauged. The powder must be carefully removed. If you have a shotgun
hi
the cleaning rod wch goes with will it wiprobably have a cap on the end which unscrews to reveal a screw tip. Screw this gently into the charge in the old gun and remove it like a cork. Failing a cleaning rod, an ordinary screw welded to a piece of stiff wire would do just as well. After this the barrel should be washed out with warm water and thoroughly dried.
Unless the gun is really terribly rusted, or contrariwise is in excellent condition, it is probably best to strip it down into its component parts, just as one would when cleaning a modern gun. Normally the lock is removed first by unscrewing it from the stock. First remove the screw which holds the cock (in the flintlock) or hammer (in the percussion lock) and slide off the part. Next unscrew the pivot of the pan cover and the pan cover spring screw and remove tile parts. ‘then unscrew the holding bolts or screws until the lock plates can be removed. (See Fig. i.)
Penetrating oil applied to the screws and left for a while will allow many a stubborn screw to be removed. Do use well-fitting screwdrivers, as if you spoil a screw ]lead by using a wrongly fitting screwdriver it may be impossible to get it out without drilling. The drilling out of screws is extremely tricky and may result in damage to the pistol, so don’t try it unless you must. Expert help may be necessary. One way to loosen obstinate screws is first to place a little lubricating oil round tile head of the screw, and then to touch the head of tine screw for a second or two with the tip of a red-hot poker. This meat causes expansion and contraction to loosen the screw and the oil will penetrate and help with the withdrawal.
Dispiiawlitt,9 a flitalock, arid reassembling (see Fig. r). In order to take the lock to pieces for cleaning or repair the four screws which hold the mainspring, the sear, the scar spring and the bridle, must be half loosened. Then take out the mainspring screw and remove the mainspring. There is a pill at the rear end of the mainspring which engages in the lock plate, and the other end of the mainspring which engages in the toe of the tumbler. Compress the mainspring and it will come away easily. A hand vice is a useful tool for this job. Once tile mainspring is off, the other screws may be removed and die other parts will come off quite easily. Having cleaned all parts with fine files and emery paper or powder, and got rid of all the rust, oil everything well, and cover with Vaseline. Then set about reassembling. lock plate to take the cock on the outside. The scar and the sear spring come next and then the bridle. The square lug on the scar spring fits a slot in the lock plate and holds the spring in position. Compress the mainspring and put it on the lock plate with the holding pin in position, and put the lower end of the spring back over the tumbler toe. Then secure the screw. Without a hand vice, depress the tumbler to the fired position so that the end of the mainspring will go over it. Then put the cock oil and pull it back to the half cocked position so that the tumbler toe comes and compresses the mainspring. The rest of the pieces are put back in the reverse order to removal, the pan cover spring and pan cover going on last.
The barrel of the gun comes off next. This has a metal extension called a tang which runs into the stock. The tang screws are removed, and any retaining bands or pins. Trigger guard, butt cap and ramrod pipes are usually screwed or pinned in place and must be removed with care. If a gun is in bad condition it is likely that the rusty screws and pins are stuck into the wooden stock parts, and too much beef will merely result in breaking off chunks of wood complete with the pins and screws. Gentle tapping and the judicious use of penetrating oil will help. But leave things where they are rather than risk breaking the stock. Expert gunsmiths make their own castings and spare parts, but for those without the necessary tools or ability, castings can be bought, which only need filing to fit. Normans of Framlingham in Suffolk specialise in these parts and have a comprehensive catalogue.
Guns will be more or less rusty, either with ordinary brown rust or that black rust which seems to have eaten right into the metal and looks like black ink stains. When restoring or cleaning any kind of metal, the rule is not to overdo things. Gentle abrasives, gentle cleaners and gentle fingers give the best results. Patience is better than a power tool. Start by applying a mixture of oil and paraffin, or by soaking the metal parts in it. Patent rust removers arc fine if used with care. They should never be left on for a very long time, or they will etch the metal, and will probably dull it, although in this case can always be re- polished. Penetrating oil contains rust remover, so if you have been using this to remove screws, be sure to wipe it all off the metal before leaving the work for any length of time. Clean the inside of the barrel with a wire brush on a rod.
Coll revolver
Draht
ger prawim lock,
Having cleaned off all possible rust, polish die metal work with jeweller’s emery, which is considerably finer than ordinary emery paper and comes in various grades (see Abrasives). Start with a coarse grade and finish with fine grades and you can get a mirror finish. Don’t be too quick to resort to buffing wheels or harsh abrasives; you may make deep scratches or rub off marks or chasings which cannot be replaced. Barrels may have a brown colour which is due to deliberate rusting, so that the barrel would not rust further while the gun was in use. To re-brown a barrel it must first be polished mirror bright and then treated with many successive solutions of a certain acid formula. Gunsmiths guard these formulae closely, and most send their barrels to an acknowledged expert to have the job done. It costs several pounds and would probably not be worth your while, simply to restore a not very valuable piece of junk.
Blue barrels were originally coloured by a heat process. Blueing is equally an expert’s job which takes time and experience, although solutions can be bought which enable the amateur to blue barrels quite effectively.
Clean brass parts, trigger guards, ramrod pipes, butt caps, etc. with ordinary metal polish. If these are missing new ones can be bought (see above) and fitted by filing.
Having achieved the polish and colour you want, the next thing is to maintain it. Be very careful not to handle the metal parts of your gun. after its final polish, as sweaty
fingers leave a deposit which causes spots of rust. (This
applies to ametal work.) A piece of wood carefully
jammed in the muzzle will make a temporary handle while applying a final finish to the gun. Wipe over the metal parts with a very thin layer of oil; or if you don’t like this, try wiping with aduster which is impregnated with silicone—these can be bought for dusting furniture in any hardware store. Some people like to lacquer things on the principle that lacquering reduces cleaning to ‘iaminimum.Un- less lacquer is of extremely good quality, it will darken in time and altogether spoil the look of the job. (See Lacquer.)
The wooden stocks or butts are another matter, and often need a lot of repair. The stock may be completely split. Modern impact adhesives, such as Evo-stik, make a strong join very easy, but it is best to make sure that they do fit accurately, as with impact adhesives once the two faces of a
join are put together they must remain if a good join is to be made. If the stock is chipped or if there is a piece missing, you are going to have to find a piece of more or less matching wood to replace it. Clean the old stock first with fine steel wool and linseed oil. Rub away until the dirt and any old varnish has gone, then you will be able to see the graiui and colour of the wood. Finding the right piece of wood may be difficult. A friendly furniture restorer is about the most likely mail to help—you will only need a small piece anyway. Whittle the new wood to fit with a sharp knife and fine sandpaper. If you are an expert wood- carver and have die tools, making a matching piece should be no problem. Remember, having bonded new and old, that it may be necessary to bore small holes for the pins or screws to take the metal parts when the pistol is reassembled and this should be done with care. When the bond is set, rub the whole stock well with linseed before reassembling the gun.
Shallow dents in wooden gun stocks can sometimes be reduced by steaming. Soak a piece of thick cloth in hot water and put it over the dent and then hold a hot iron on the cloth and get up a good head of steam; this swells the wood and reduces the dents a little, but as the wood dries right out they will probably reappear to some degree.
Gunstocks arc often attacked by woodworm and if this has happened, treat the stock with all anti-woodworm dressing such as Rentokil. If the stock is badly honey- combed, inject syntheticresin into the holes with a hypodermic syringe or even soak it in a thin mix to stiffen the whole thing.
Burr walnut (see Woods) is most commonly used for gun stocks and is mainly imported. You would probably have to buy a new stock blank through the trade and shape it to fit, if a whole new stock is required.
Of course if you can get hold of several pistols all more or less alike, you can make up composite restorations using sound parts from each. What you will have at the finish is a fake, not a restoration, but if it is just for decoration, then it doesn’t really matter, and only an expert will be able to tell that it isn’t the genuine article!
The periodical Guns Review contains much interesting information about antique firearms.
Swords
Swords turn up in junk shops in odd lots with old hickory shafted golf clubs, broken walking sticks and elderly umbrellas, and are usually a relic of somebody’s great grandfather’s service in the cavalry. The services still use dress swords and ceremonial swords, and these, being expensive items, get handed on and do not appear in junk shops. Valuable old swords are real collector’s items and you are unlikely to be trying to restore one of these. However, any old sword can look quite fine once it has been cleaned and polished. Knives and daggers and bayonets come into the same category and are perhaps more common in junk shops. Very often the scabbard, particularly if it is an Oriental one, is as attractive as the weapon itself and warrants as much care as the blade.
As with the restoration and cleaning of any kind of metal object, care is needed. Too violent attempts at rust removal may remove interesting marks or engraving or inlay, and half the fun of cleaning up these things is in what may come to light underneath. A sword, like a gun, can be dismantled into its component parts, and if this can be done without breaking the weapon or damaging it, it is far better to take it apart for cleaning. Blades were often made somewhere other than the hilts or sheaths, and the whole assembled by sword-smiths before sale. Parts got broken and were replaced, and a sword or a dagger can be a composite bearing different makers’ marks and still be quite genuine. If you find a sheathed sword in a junk shop, take it carefully out of the sheath holding the whole thing pointed downward. Be especially careful with knives and daggers for an old scabbard can split as you take out the weapon which may still be razor sharp.
To take a sword apart (see Fig. 3) first check the button at the top of the hilt. The tang, or top end of the blade, passes right up through the Ht and the pommel at the top, and is then burred over the button to hold the whole thing together. File off the overlap and slide the blade from the hilt; but it may not come out that easily. Later swords may have a screw-iii button. Grip the blade in a vice, near the top, but make sure the vice is padded, or the sword well wrapped, so that it will not be marked by the vice. Using a piece of hard wood as a punch, tap the base of the pommel upwards away from the grip, working round and round it till it loosens and the hilt begins to slide off the blade; but do be careful not to damage anything. Best leave well alone if there is no movement at all. Penetrating oil may help, if you can get some to run between the tang of the blade and the hilt. If the sword has only a small pommel, tap the hilt round the shells, at the bottom. Once again, be very careful for it is terribly easy to break castings.
Now the blade and the hilt are separate and can be coped with on their merits. If the grip is wooden and covered with leather, it may be split, and you will have to carve yourself a new grip using the old one as a pattern. Beech and walnut are tile most common woods, but any wood could be used to remake a grip which is to be covered—after all the sword is not going to be used in battle. If the grip is leather-covered, and the leather is sound, give it a good dose of leather dressing. There are various proprietary dressings and the same one can be used on a leather sheath. Some dressings give a long-lasting finish, others need more frequent renewing (see Leather Dressings).
A new leather grip cover can be made quite easily by cutting out a piece from any suitable leather. Clean off all the old leather and make the grip smooth and clean. Then very carefully pare or bevel the edges of the new leather grip so that they fit round the handle without a ridge where the join conics. Soak the leather and put it on the grip, smoothing it to fit. Then bind it on to dry. Rubber bands may leave grooves in the leather, so some kind of wide tape or bandage just to hold it in position while it dries is better. When the leather is quite dry, remove the binding, and, very carefully, the leather piece which should by now be exactly the right shape and fit. Using an adhesive, such as Evo-stik which will not stain the leather, stick it firmly to the wooden grip. Very often lints are wholly or partly bound with brass wire. If this has to be replaced, two strands of brim piano wire or picture wire, twisted together, make a good job. The actual binding is not so easy as the ends of the wire have to be neatly tucked in.
The cleaning of metal hilts andblades must be care- fully done. Brass and silver hilts will probably conic up well with ordinary metal polishes and some elbow grease, but steel hilts will need rubbing with abrasive. Make up various pads and sticks to help with the rubbing down,
well
checking that the stick is wepadded with foam rubber under the emery paper; this makes it easier to get into difficult corners. Blades which have inlay should be treated very gently, as any rough treatment will bring it off. Soap and water and a soft cloth for drying are die best; certainly it is dangerous to use strong metal polishes or rust removing preparations. Clean plain blades and steel hilts with oil and paraffin mixture to remove loose rust, and then wash with strong detergent to get rid of all grease. Clean very greasy metal with carbon tetrachloride. Then wipe rust remover on the metal and remove it after a few minutes. You will get some idea of how much rust is going to shift, and can repeat the treatment until the metal is clean. The big danger is that rust remover, if left too long, will work unevenly and will start to etch the metal, and you will end up with a pitted surface. Oriental swords are very often meant to have a dull finish, and after a wipe over with rust remover, all they will need is a polish with a soft cloth, whereas Western steel is worked over with emery until it has a mirror finish. Don’t get fingerprints on to the polished metal or they will form rust spots in time. Rub the finished metal over with a light film of oil, or use a silicone-impregnated duster or silicone furniture polish, sparingly, on a soft cloth. Lacquer, if used, must be of high quality, or it will darken in time and have to be removed. Lacquer is really a lazy and not wholly satisfactory way of finishing polished metals (see Lacquer).
If metal parts of the hilt, quillons, shell guards etc., are broken or damaged, it may be possible to braze carefully shaped new parts into place, but this does seem to me to be a job for the expert as it requires special tools and a knowledge of technique.
If the top of the tang was filed off to free the blade, hammer out the tang a little so that there is something to burr over again on replacement. Be very careful, and hammer gently with the tang laid flat on a block. Reassemble hilt and blade and tap it into position tapping the pommel well home. Use a small mallet or a piece of wood, not a metal hammer. Burr over the top of the tang with a punch and file it smooth and neat.
If your sword or dagger has a metal scabbard, treat it in the same way as the blade, cleaning with great care if it has any engraving or inlay. If it is plain, wipe it with rust remover and rub with abrasive, and finish it with a silicone wipe.
Damaged leather scabbards take some mending. If the stitching has gone, it may be possible to restitch it, but often the holes have broken out and the leather is dry and dead anyway and won’t hold stitches. Just stick the edges together as neatly as you can with adhesive.
If the scabbard is broken, insert a strip of cardboard or veneer or plastic to support it. If leather is in good condition all it needs is a wipe with ordinary leather dressing. Sonic scabbards have been stained and polished or boned, these are best retouched and polished with ordinary leather polish.
Old pieces of armour, even complete suits picked up iii very bad condition, can be completely cleaned and done up. The methods used for cleaning sword blades, guns etc. arc suitable for armour. Museums use a phosphoric acid cleaner known as Deoxidise.
I know of someone who bought a terribly rusty old suit of armour for C20, without knowing anything about it, and cleaned and restored it and sold it for 0300. I suppose the basic cost of 4zo puts it outside the category of junk, but it is the kind of profit one likes to dream about.
Burnishing. Any cavalry mark will tell you that the only way to get swords, cuirasses, spurs, bits irons etc. chromium bright is to burnish diem. They are first cleaned with metal polish and then burnished. A burnisher is a leather pad with small steel rings like chain mail sewn to it, arid the object to be burnished is rubbed very hard with this pad. The metal will come to chromium brightness if you use enough elbow grease. The object is then greased very lightly, or lacquered to preserve the shine; but before doing this, small objects can be kept dry and bright in a bag of bran.
By the way, the shoulder pieces of a trooper’s dress uniform, which look like pieces of chain mail, are in fact ornamental burnishers.
Bits, irons and spurs are ornamental enough to become collectors’ items, and they should be burnished as described, or by being put into a canvas bag with a handful of ball-bearings and swung around for a bit. It is air old trick to burnish a curb chain by folding it inside a big duster or piece of cloth, and then, holding both ends tightly, to swing it about with a circular motion.

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Jul 31

SWORDS—WATERLOO TO
THE PRESENT DAY
There was no, change in the pattern of swords used by the British Army during the long second period of the Napoleonic wars, which lasted from the reopening of hostilities, after the abortive Peace of Amibns, until the final departure of Napoleon to St. Helena. When the threat from imperial France had been finally removed, however, there was more time for those who meddle with these things to consider the minutiae of military uniform and equipment.
Round about i82o sundry new regulations were published relating to swords. Even the superb light cavalry sword, which had proved its value in action, was not left alone. The old argument was revived as to whether cutting or thrusting was the more important function of a cavalrysword; and because it was not yet appreciated that no sword can be designed which is really satisfactory for both, the weapon which eventually appeared was a compromise which was good at neither.
The new sword was issued to regiments of Hussars and Light Dragoons in 1826. It had the same type of stirrup hilt as the old sword, but the blade was increased in length to thirty-four inches, and was both narrower and considerably less curved. The balance of the sword was quite altered as compared with its predecessor, and this, together with the straighter blade, resulted in a weapon which was far inferior for cutting. For thrusting it was more effective, though by no means satisfactory.
Units seem to have been in no hurry to acquire this new sword, for the 13th Hussars, at any rate, managed to retain the old one until 1829. In 1829 the hilt was changed from the stirrup pattern to a three-bar steel guard, which gave more protection to the hand.
In 1822 the sword of the heavy cavalry received some much needed attention. In contrast, however, to the ill-advised replacement of the efficient light cavalry sword, the only improvement made to the ineffective weapon of the heavy cavalry was the substitution of a sharp point for the original hatchet termination of the blade.
Also in or about :1822 a new sword was introduced for infantry officers. The hilt was a half-basket type of Gothic design, incorporating the Royal cypher, and the half of the guard worn next to the body was hinged to fall downwards, to avoid rubbing the clothing. The inside of the hilt was lined with black patent,leather, and there was a fishskin grip bound with brass wire. The hilts were made of brass, except those of the Rifle regiments, which were steel. The blade was the same length of thirty-two inches as the previous pattern, but it was slightly curved instead of being straight. In addition it was unfullered and had piping down .the back to strengthen it. In spite of the strengthening, however, the blade was weak; and the piping, in fact, prevented it cutting deep.
In 1834 the Highland regiments, which hitherto had worn the same infantry sword as the rest of the Army, were issued with a sword of their own. This had the traditional ‘Highland Basket’ hilt. The blade was the heavy broadsword type similar to that popular in the heavy cavalry in about 1750, (A sword with this type of.hilt is often wrongly called a claymore. The true claymore is a two-handed sword with no other protection than a pair of straight quillons.) The Highland Basket is, not, in point of fact, a very convenient hilt, in spite of the protection it gives. The hand is too confined for the sword to be used very effectively. for thrusting. On the other hand, it was originally designed for cutting;; the body being protected by either the dirk or the targe. Used thus it was a very fine weapon. In addition it was very decorative, and during the reign of the ‘First Gentleman in Europe’ this was frequently of greater importance than efficiency for battle. The hilt was lined with white buckskin and scarlet cloth edged with blue silk, and a crimson silk tassel was suspended from the pommel. Lowland regiments were still armed with the ordinary pattern of infantry sword.
In about 1848 a new sword was at last brought out for the heavy cavalry. It was a vast improvement on the old one. The blade was thirty-six inches long, slightly curved, and tapered to a sharp point. The hilt was steel, and the guard was the first example of the bowl-shell which is fitted to the latest pattern of cavalry sword. On the inside it was lined with leather, and there was a leather covering to the grip.
The new heavy cavalry sword had a very short life, for in 1853 a sword was approved for issue to all cavalry regiments, whether heavy- or light. This signalized official recognition that there was now no difference in the function of the two branches of the cavalry. It i6 unlikely, however, that many regiments, if any, received this sword before leaving for the Crimea; and the great cavalry actions of that war were probably fought with the older pattern swords.
It had at last been realized that all the qualities required for cutting - and thrusting could not be combined in one weapon. The 1853 pattern was primarily a thrusting weapon, and it was so stated in the regulations. At the same time the design allowed for cutting as a secondary function. The blade was straight and thirty-six inches in length. The guard consisted of three bars, of cast iron, and on the opposite side of the sword was a short quillon. ‘The slit for the sword knot was on top of the guard.
The ordinary infantry officer’s sword was improved in 1845. The hilt was unchanged, but the blade was heavier, fallered and without the piping on the back. It was . still slightly curved. Some ten years later there was another change. The blade became a little straighter, and the inner part of the guard was no longer hinged. The design on the guard incorporated the Royal cypher and, in Light Infantry and Rifle regiments, a bugle as well.
A peculiar type of ornamental sword was introduced into the Band and Drums of the infantry in about 1830- It had a short and very curved blade of the type known as Mameluke. The hilts varied in shape and design in accordance with regimental taste. The pommel nearly always figured an animal’s head. The lion was the most often seen, but sometimes a badge of the regiment was chosen. The 17th Regiment, for instance, had the Royal Tiger which had been granted to them as a badge in 1825. The 56th Regiment, which. had been associated with West Kent for many years, bore the Kentish horse. There was no guard other than quillons, and these were straight, curved or counter-curved; and sometimes with brass chains connecting the quillons and the pommel.
In 1854 a new and completely different sword was introduced for the Band and Drums. It had a blade which was longer but less curved than its predecessor and a brass half-basket hilt, incorporating the Royal cypher. Three years later the sword was changed again. Curved blade and half-basket hilt were alike discarded. The new weapon was short and straight in the blade; and the hilt had no guard other than trefoil-shaped quillons. There was a black leather scabbard with brass mounts. For Rifle regiments the hilt was steel, and for other regiments brass. A similar sword, but slightly lighter, was issued to buglers. The only other difference was the absence of a knob on top of the pommel. In 1895 the hilt was simplified and the bugler’s sword was made slightly the heavier weapon. In i goS these swords were abolished.
In 18 56 the sword replaced the musket as the weapon of the infantry Pioneers. The. blade was 22z inches in length, and the back edge was cut as a double-toothed saw. The hilt had a simple knuckle-bow guard. This was probably not the first time that Pioneers had used saw-backed swords, as some seem to have been armed with them in the I 840’s; but this earlier type was not, apparently, official, and may have been made under regimental arrangements.
In 1864 the bowl-shell guard, which had been fitted to the heavy cavalry sword of 1848, replaced the guard with cast-iron bars of the universal cavalry sword of 1853. It had been found that these bars often broke in action, and in any case gave little protection to the hand. The new guard was made of sheet steel and was pierced by four triangular apertures arranged in the shape of a cross. At the same time the blade was shortened by an inch to thirty-five inches, and was curved slightly, presumably to improve it for cutting.
In 1863 an improved pattern of Highland Basket hilt was approved for Scottish infantry regiments. It made no appreciable. difference, however, to the regimental broadsword as a fighting weapon. In fact, later swords of English manufacture were far inferior weapons. Eventually, in 18 7 8, it was decided that basket hilts would have to be removed on active service. The hilt which was consequently approved for wear with Service dress certainly allows the hand full freedom of movement, but the only protection provided is a pair of straight quillons. The basket and cross hilts are made readily interchangeable. The original scabbards had been of black leather with brass or copper-gilt mounts and a chape with trailer. The 1863 scabbard was steel, but the pattern approved later for wear with Service dress and Sam Browne belt was leather. In 1881 the Lowland regiments adopted the Highland pattern broadsword.
A peculiarity in the swords of Scottish regiments is the use of a separate type of hilt for mounted field officers. This is interchangeable with either the cross or basket hilts for dismounted duties, and is lined with buckskin and crimson cloth. The pattern varies with different regiments. In’ The Royal Scots, The Royal Scots Fusiliers, The King’s Own Scottish Borderers and The Gordon, Highlanders the hilt is covered with a design of thistles, and there is a space for the display of the regimental badge. The field officers of The Black Watch, The Seaforth Highlanders, *The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and The Highland Light Infantry have a differently shaped guard with a scroll design. This hilt was also worn by officers of the heavy cavalry from 1857 to 1896, and by officers of the Royal Engineers from -T-8$7 to -1902- Field officers of The Cameron Highlanders have a separate sword with a three-barred and unlined hilt, which is also worn by officers of the Royal Artillery. The Cameronians have the same sword as other Rifle regiments, though for some years the regimental badge was worn in place of the bugle.
In 188o a new sword was introduced for officers of infantry regiments nts; (other than Scottish). It had a straight blade and a half-basket brass hilt. In 1895 a new hilt was introduced, though the blade remained  the same. The hilt was again the half-basket type, but of steel instead of brass. It incorporated a foliated design and the crowned Royal cypher. The following year there was a slight modification: the inside edge of the guard was turned down to safeguard the uniform from damage. The 1896 sword is the pattern worn by officers to-day, not only in the infantry, but in the Royal Engineers, the Royal Signals and other corps.
In 1882 another cavalry sword was produced which had only slight alterations as compared with its predecessor of 1864. The guard was a little smaller and the inner edge was turned down. The sword knot slit was moved from the front to the top of the guard, and the upper part of the guard was raised a little: above the pommel. There was no alteration in the shape and design of the blade, but there were two different lengths: 35-j and 33 inches.
The Egyptian war, which was in progress at this time, brought to light some unsuspected and unfortunate deficiencies in the swords and bayonets of the British Army. There were many reports of blades being broken or bent in action. The fault -was obviously in the quality of the steel; and there was legitimate criticism of the method of testing and inspection. Eventually a Committee was appointed to investigate the matter. Nothing very positive seems to have resulted from its deliberations; but the very fact of the investigation and the evidence which was called must have caused manufacturers to. improve their standards; for no further failure was apparently reported’. In the meantime Enfield was unable to meet the whole of the demand for swords and bayonets, and part of the order, therefore, was placed with German firms at the famous sword-manufacturing centre of Solingen.
The cavalry sword was again modified in 18 8 5. The curve of the blade was slightly increased and made an inch shorter than the 1882 pattern.. In addition, the top of the guard was made level with the pommel. In 18 go a heavier blade was introduced which, except for being thicker, was of the same shape and pattern.
However, in spite of these numerous minor modifications, the old argument as to the type of sword which should be used by cavalry broke out once more: stimulated probably by criticisms resulting from the recent campaigns. The argument was sufficiently intense for the matter to be brought to the notice of Parliament; and, as a result, a .number of experimental swords were made. The arguments were again reflected in the final solution. As in the case of the light cavalry sword of 182o, the cavalry sword of 1899 was suitable for neither cutting nor thrusting; though optimistically intended for both. The blade was reduced in length to 33 inches. The hilt was of the same design as previously, but a slightly enlarged and more bowl’shaped guard gave better protection to the hand. The cavalry regiments which went out to South Africa at the start of the Boer war were armed with either the 1885 or the 1890 pattern of sword; but the unfortunate units in the later reinforcements were issued with the heartily disliked 1899 model.
The obvious failure of the 1899 sword led, in 1903, to the appointment of a Committee to re-examine the problem and to make recommendations for a suitable type of sword for the cavalry. The Committee early decided that the sword must be primarily a thrusting weapon on the grounds that little injury was inflicted by a cut, and that a thrust was always far the more effective. Whereas experience with the light cavalry sword in the Peninsular campaign certainly did not support this conclusion, it was something that the Committee had made up its mind on the purpose which the sword was to serve. However, although numerous experimental swords .were made, all were rejected as unsuitable, and the proceedings of the Committee apparently came to an end.
In 1906 another Committee was appointed; and with such energy did it act that some months later a new sword was ready for trial. In the design of this new model the Committee drew on a wide field of experience. Swords to meet certain specifications were ordered from private firms, and trials were carried out with numerous existing types, both British and foreign.
The firms who were requested to make swords for experi- , ment were Messrs. Wilkinson and Messrs. Mole. It was stipulated that the blade must be 35 inches in length, and have a narrow chisel edge; that the weight should be 2 pounds 6 ounces; that the balance should be between 21 and 21 inches below the hilt; and that the grip should be shaped to ensure that the sword could only be held in the correct fashion.
The existing swords submitted for test were the pre-Boer war cavalry sword of the 18 go pattern; the unpopular model of 1899; a sword which had been adopted for the Household cavalry in x892, with a slightly curved blade 341 inches long and a guard of sheet steel; the French cavalry sword of 1854, which had a straight 381-inch blade and a four-bar brass guard; the French light cavalry sword of 1822, which was a cutting weapon with a curved blade and a three-bar brass guard; the existing sword of the Dutch cavalry; and the light thrusting sword of a Spanish bull-fighter. Apart from these, experimental blades were tried with existing hilts, and to existing blades were fitted grips of various shapes and materials.
The sword which was the outcome of these trials and experiments was the ‘Pattern i 906 Experimental’. This was issued to several units and proved very popular. It had a straight thrusting blade and the so-called ‘pistol’ grip. As a result of the success of this weapon a slightly modified version was approved by the King in igoS for general issue to the cavalry; and this was the last cavalry sword to be designed for the British Army. It was a worthy finish, for it is one of the finest swords ever to have been designed, and it was outstandingly successful in the field in the “First World War. With its straight narrow 35-inch blade it is essentially a thrusting weapon. The guard is of sheet steel, unpierced, and is shaped into a very large and rather ugly-looking bowl, which gives excellent protection to the hand. The pistol grip has been retained, and is so shaped that the hand naturally grasps it in the correct position. The sword is a delight to handle and is beautifully balanced.

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Jul 18

Ferguson, in the meantime,, had been promoted Major and brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, and put in command of the ‘American Volunteers’, a corps of loyalists from New York and New Jersey and armed with the Ferguson rifle antique slovakia ceramics vase . The unit sailed with the expedition commanded by Sir Henry Clinton and Was present at the siege and capture of Charleston antique pembroke tble . Ferguson was then made a Brigadier-General of the Loyal Carolina Militia, and with his own corps of about ioo men as a nucleus marched into the interior, collecting loyalist recruits on the way square brass dial . On the 7th October 178o, his camp at King’s Mountain, close to the border of North Carolina, was surprised by a large force of mountaineers under the command of General Shelby value of hand painted wales china tea set . The training of Ferguson’s men did not match their enthusiasm, and after a gallant defence the majority of them were either killed or captured john widdicomb china cabinets . Ferguson himself was amongst the former 17th century imported oriental cabinet .
With the death of its inventor, the destruction of his rifle units and the capture of their armament, the Ferguson rifle disappeared from the Army antique paper mache card table . Beautifully made models for sportsmen were, however, made for many years afterwards photos of victorian sofa with zebra pattern fabric .
There is an interesting contemporary account of the manufacture of Ferguson rifles table lamps . A Mr berkey & gay american empire furniture . William Clincher records in his diary of 1776 that he visited Birmingham and waited upon Mr edmund etling glass bird . Baskerville who showed him his gun factory belgian gothic revival cabinet . He described this as follows:
‘ The Gun manufactory is pretty; the forging, scraping, and boreing, pleas’d me much;—The Rifle Guns are handsome pretty pieces, 800 are nearly finish’d on government account, at three pounds three shillings each; A Gentleman, with one of them at a distance of i So yards, shot a Ball six times out of eight within the circumference of the crown of my hat: at 400 yards he shot within half a yard of the mark antique brass table with animal legs .
EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY GUNMAKERS
The number of gunmakers in Great Britain during the eighteenth century was very considerable antique drop leaf table with leaf built in . Those of them who made military arms could be roughly divided into selmersheim .
(a) Makers under contract to the Government to supply either complete weapons or component parts arabesque vertical plate racks .
(b) Establishments which made firearms of Government pattern which were subsequently purchased for the Army middle east antique collectors .
(c) Makers of firearms designed for military use, but not of a Government pattern art deco dining table . These were primarily intended for purchase by officers, and might be of the particular gunsmith’s own design, or one in common private use chippendale knife boxes octagon .
Some of them engaged in two, or even all three, of these activities; and, in addition, made sporting arms as well regency ironstone marks blue . To name all the gunsmiths making military arms would entail the compilation of a fairly lengthy catalogue expensive antique furniture chests . It will suffice to give a few typical examples antique gaming table claw feet .
I louis xvi revival sideboard with porcelain inlays . Clarkson, who flourished as a gunsmith from m 1680 to 1730, made flintlock muskets and holster pistols for the Army under Government contract antique early american drop-leaf butterfly table . In addition, he made the box-lock type of pistol which was introduced in the reign of Queen Anne wooton chest . The lock of this pistol, instead of being mounted on one side plate with a counter-plate on the other side of the weapon to support it, had a plate on top- joined to one on each side to form a metal box lacquered furniture . The cock, flash-pan and steel were mounted on the top plate telescopic table pedestal . The barrel was the cannon-shaped screw-on type, with breech-loading gateleg table with drawers and drop leaf . This box-lock was to be popular for over loo years painted silver trays . In later years Clarkson made some breech-loading holster pistols, the mechanism of which was of the screw-plug arrangement from which the Ferguson breech was derived “table george iv” .
John Hawkins conducted a business in London from 168o to 1714, which was carried on by his son to 176o, and his grandson to 1776 epergne antique for sale . His particular speciality was a flintlock holster pistol which had a brass barrel with a bell muzzle robinson and leadbeater figure . ‘It is of interest that George Washington had a pair of these pistols which were made by the second Hawkins 18th century walnut-veneered and oak chest of seven drawers .
Another founder of two further generations of gunsmiths was James Freeman of London, the business lasting from 1705 to 1782 art deco english suburban house . Freeman also made box-lock pistols, and, in addition, muskets and holster pistols under Government contract luxury antique items .
In Scotland for most of the eighteenth century there were a number of gunsmiths of the name of Murdoch engaged in making all-metal flintlock pistols wallendorf candelabras . Two of them, father and son and both christened James, had a shop in Inverness barker brothers coffee table for sale . Some of those made by the father had the lobe-shaped butt, and he differed from his son in chasing the whole of the barrel century hepplewhite walnut card table . The pistols made by the younger James have only the muzzle chased 18 century wooden novelty pipes .
Thomas Murdoch worked at Leith, and made pistols with both lobe and ram’s-horn butts wrought iron church candle sticks . In the museum of the Royal United Service Institution are two pistols with rain’s-horn butts which have ‘To: Murdoch’ engraved on the lock plate german 1940s furniture styles . They were picked up on the battlefield of Culloden british designers dining table . They are a beautiful pair and must have been the pride of some gallant Jacobite of the ‘Forty-five sutherland drop leaf table . One wonders what happened to their owner, and if the pistols were found where he had hurled them empty at the stolid English infantry shagreen knife box .
John Murdoch had a shop at Doune french neoclassical tables . His pistols have ram’s-horn butts, acorn triggers, and are sometimes ornamented with gilt brass stock and butt 4 foot wide walnut drop leaf table . Major John Pitcairn, who commanded the British advanced guard at Lexington on the 19th April 1775, had a pair of these pistols kotahya pottery . It is supposed that with one of them Pitcairn fired the first shot of the American War of Independence mason patent ironstone china . In the struggle which followed he lost his pistols, which were subsequently picked up and given to General Rufus Putnam british antique wardrobes . Putnam carried them for the remainder of the war, and they are now at the Lexington museum nesting tea tables .
One other Murdoch made pistols in Edinburgh with the lobe-shaped butt fall-front chest of drawers .
Joseph Farmer of London was in business from 1718 to 176,2 how to repair veneer table on couch . He had a Government contract to make standard flintlock muskets and also short flintlock muskets fitted with grenade cups for the Grenadiers bureau de coene art deco . One of these latter is in the Museum of the Royal United Service Institution 19th century glass fronted cabinet . The inscription ‘Farmer 1744′ is placed vertically on the lock plate behind the cock adjustable silver candlesticks . This method of discharging a grenade was revived in the First World War, and survived to become a
standard Army weapon wardrobe of a 17th century lady . Farmer also made a double-barrelled I version of the box-lock pistol antique chamber cabinets .
Bidet, who emigrated from France, practised as a gunsmith in London from 17-21 to- 1731 antiques with plain legs . He did not make military weapons, but a sporting rifle he produced had a breech mechanism which is an obvious forerunner of Ferguson’s idea inlaid marble table lapis lazuli antique . The trigger guard was a lever turning a screw plug; but in this case the plug came right out and had a single thread harlequin painted bar . The action was therefore much slower than Ferguson’s, and the return of the plug to its seating might well be difficult in the heat of battle “perspectiva cabinet” . I trestle tables refectory . Johnson made a similar sporting rifle about 1750-B pictures of 5 drawer antique library desks and tables . Griffin had a shop in Bond Street from 1739 to 1773-Apart from the superlative quality of his arms, his chief claim to fame is probably a breech-loading carbine which will be described later 18th century mahogany wine cooler with brass feet . He also made fine holster pistols with silver mountings antique 1960’s table cigarette dispenser . Under the later name of Griffin and Tow their manufacture was continued till 1796 2009 chinese porcelain antique . The small `IG’ on a Griffin forged barrel was a hallmark of excellence countries where art deco was very popular .
William Ketland was one of the most famous of gunsmiths antique inlaid pembroke table . He started making guns in Birmingham in 174o, and was primarily responsible for establishing the town’s reputation for the manufacture of firearms 18th century writing table cabriole ball claw feet . Ketland was one of the greatest makers of Brown Bess muskets, and other ‘Brown Bess’ arms, for the Government furniture . In 176o a shop was opened antique chinese display stand dealers . in London r dubarry art deco . After William Ketland’s death one of his grandsons carried on the business as Ketland & Co angouleme guerhard . until his own -death in 1804, His brother-in-law, Thomas Izon, continued under the same name until in 1831 financial difficulties led to the firm closing american tripod tables . Old William Ketland is still commemorated, however, in the Birmingham Proof Mark imperial drop leaf antique table . In 1813 the Gunmakers’ Company of London tried to get a Bill through Parliament to compel every gunsmith to mark his firearms with the place of manufacture italian buffet furniture . The reason for this was that firearms marked `1,n don’ coiamat,ded a higher price than those made elsewhere night chamber pot . Some Birmingham makers had accordingly succumbed to temptation and put ‘London’ on their own arms pictures of yellow antiqued cabinets . The public implication that Birmingham arms were inferior to those of London make, however, annoyed the better Birmingham gunsmiths, and they formed a Guild to protect the standard of the products of their own town art deco french inspired dresser . This new Guild was called ‘The Guardians of the Birmingham Proof House’ antique campaign chair with lion paws . The proof house mentioned in the title was set up at the same ‘ time lion feet table . Ketland & Co turn tripod into table . had taken a prominent part in this movement and the proof mark adopted was an adaptation of the arraourer’s mark of two crossed sceptres, used by old William Ketland antique stores brass ashtrays made in china . The Birmingham viewer’s mark, stamped on the barrel after testing in the rough, consisted of the crossed sceptres between a crown above and a V below antique mushroom shaped table lamps . The proof mark for the finished barrel again had the crossed sceptres and crown, but in place of the V in the bottom angle, there were the letters B, P and C: the B and C being in the flanking angles and the P in the base andre hunebelle glass .
The two generations of John Richards, who covered the years 1745 to 1810; had shops in both London (in the Strand) and Birmingham for sale louis 16th walnut sideboard cabinet . They made an odd weapon, not uncommon at this period,•which was a bell muzzle flintlock pistol with a small bayonet under the stock which sprang into position on odiot tureen . releasing a spring antique clerks desk . Owing to the number of times a flintlock missed fire it probably had an appeal as providing an emergency weapon for close combat “english ironstone”+england”+marks .
One of the most famous of London gunmakers had the peculiar name of Durs Egg antique bentwood chaise . Business was carried on under that name from 1770 to x834 “alexander roux” pietra . It was then changed to D antique mahogany chippendale dining table . I meissen cris de paris . Egg (probably by a son or nephew) and lasted as such till 1865 antique oak drop leaf end table . Egg had a shop for the sale of private arms at No antique spring loaded drawer arm . x Pall Mall mid eastern style shell drawer . He had a Government contract for muskets and carbines, and made a large number of the Ferguson rifles queen anne gate leg table 18th century . In addition, he made a smooth-bore flintlock breech-loading carbine of his own design antique empire mahogany curved buffet with mirror . This was actually adopted by the Government and issued in large numbers to the cavalry towards the end of the century sheraton occasional table . It had a hinged chamber which was tipped up to receive the charge duncan phyfe buffet with legs . It had the advantage that since the chamber was loaded from its front end it could be loaded with the same cartridge as was issued for muzzleloaders antique oak and fabric dressing screen with fretwork . After loading, the chamber was lowered again and locked in position by giving a quarter turn to a steel bar which pivoted on the top of the chamber and engaged in two slots mid century antiques and porcelain tea sets .
This Egg carbine was capable of a fairly rapid rate of fire walnut veneer wardrobes art deco . To load it entailed only the simple operations, which could be performed on horseback, of tearing the cartridge, priming the pan, opening the breech, inserting the cartridge in the chamber, and finally closing the breech antique oak tables with leaves . Good as it was, however, the breech mechanism did not provide a gas-tight joint and there was thus a considerable escape of flame french clothes designers during 17th century . The reason for this was that there was only surface contact between the faces of chamber and barrel fauteuil bureau .
That such a carbine was required for cavalry use is shown by a passage from Captain Hinde’s The Discipline of the Light Horse antique wood inlayed wine cellaret . Hinde says:
`As light troops are more intended to act loose than in bodies, their principal practice should be to acquire personal address, viz escritoire antique . to manage the horse well, to use the sword with dexterity, and fire the carbine with great justness steele art deco chair wood arm rests . The proposal of Monsieur de Saxe, for loading at the breach of the carbine, seems well calculated for the fire arms of cavalry, if it will not make them too complicated (the author once saw a carbine belonging to a brother officer, made according to this proposal of Monsieur de Saxe; to be loaded, it was held firmly in the left hand, as when it was presented to be fired, and about the same place; then with the right hand the guard over the trigger was pulled back, on which the but of the carbine dropped down, hanging by a pin, and discovered the breach of it quite open; in a cartridge box he carried nine iron tubes loaded, one of which he thrust into the barrel, and directly with his right hand pushed up the butt, which made a click, and securely shut up the breach british longcase makers . On striking the lock with his hand the piece primed it self, and he fired without missing fire at any time art deco dinner service . He loaded his iron tube or cartridges without any rammer, with his finger shoving down powder, ball, and paper india old antique dining table . I think he told me Mr Griffin, gunsmith, in Old Bond-street, was the maker of it, and the officer had himself invented it, as he was a very mechanical ingenious gentleman, and an horse officer) the ramrod is apt to be lost, and at any rate is very difficult to manage on horseback, whereas a chamber with a fresh charge, could easily be introduced; but of this, the period preceding art deco .Mr Barbor, or any other gunsmith, can give the best account “art moderne” furniture . The objection of expense should not be admitted, for economy in the price of arms is, at best, very injudicious “bristol porcelain” for sale 18th century .’
The ‘Barbor’ mentioned by Hinde is probably I antique sideboard cabriole legs . Barbar who had a shop in London, from 1740 to 1780, in Shoe Lane antique ivory sofa table . The firm, however, seems to have been in existence since the beginning of the century, and to have been one of the foremost in fine decorative work marble table inlaid antique .
T tudor rose design waterfall furniture . Twigg was another well-known London gunsmith of 176o to 1780 designs for dressing table glasses . The firm was carried on from 1780 to 1783 as Twigg & Bass; and then reverted to Twigg only again from 1783 to 1813 antique mahogany card table, imperial . Twigg made Government flintlock holster pistols, and also flintlock holster pistols for officers which were of very fine workmanship art deco examples . His most noteworthy contribution to gunmaking was a number of different designs of multi-shot flintlock pistols chess table spiral legs . One of these was a seven-barrel pepperbox type of weapon, the barrels of which were rotated by hand after each shot joan klock, amsterdam, clockmaker . Some of his pistols had the under spring bayonet, which was released by sliding back the trigger guard jupe dining table’ . Twigg had a foreman named John Manton, who founded his own business at about the time Bass was introduced into the partnership antique enamelled glass . Manton, too, became a famous gunsmith, but he belongs more to the; nineteenth century and will be dealt with more fully in a later clawfoot antique lowboy . chapter 19th mahogany clerks desk .
John F satinwood commode john cobb . Probin of the Minories in London, 1780 to 1831, made flintlock holster pistols and carbines under Government contract meissen porcelain louis xiv . He also made pistols for officers, and there is, in the museum of the Royal United Service Institution, a pair made by him for General Sir Thomas Picton and carried by him in 18 r 5 antique walnut gateleg table . They have J neoclassical dressing table . Probin’ on the lock plate, and along the top of the barrel ‘Probin Maker to His R H the Prince of Wales’ delicate leg drop leaf table .
One of the troubles experienced with eighteenth-century flintlock weapons was failure of various parts of the mechanism due mainly to rusting glass supper table . Military locks were strongly made to withstand the rough usage which they inevitably experienced, but they could not be made waterproof antique porceline candle sticks . As a result regiments frequently suffered a serious loss of fire-power through draw leaf table northern furniture company . the number of muskets which were out of action owing to mechanical faults neo-rococo rockingham lamps . Rusting particularly affected the small moving parts of the lock, and the screws which held the various components together designs of arcs and pillars . The most serious breakages were the screws, for the rusted pieces were often so firmly imbedded that it was beyond the powers of the regimental armourer to remove them coalbrookdale neptune dish . The trouble caused considerable concern and gunsmiths were encouraged by the Government to offer suggestions 1800’s furniture makers .
The first to give a practical response was Jonathan Hennem, who submitted a design for a screwless flintlock musket to the Board of Ordnance on the 2nd May 1781 18th century card table . The Board appear to have been favourably impressed, for they directed `that two Musqueis be delivered to John Hennet [sic> for him to alter according to his proposal’ english baroque pottery . Arrangements were made for Hennem to carry out experiments near Woolwich, and he was engaged on these for the next two years antique meets modern furniture . Trials were apparently concluded successfully by the 18th October 1783; for on that date the Master-General of the Ordnance issued instructions to the Board ‘That zoo locks be provided by Mr imperial gateleg table . Hennem of his own Construction and that an Imprest of C70 may be granted to him towards Compleating the Order, the said Locks being found of great Utility in his Majesty’s Service’ swiss walnut art deco motif .
A short time later a celebrated London gunmaker, Henry Nock, made an apparently surprising intervention clear glass trinket boxes or powder boxes . On the 8th November 1783, he presented a bill for twenty’Musquet locks of Hannim’s Construction’, for which he charged 9s utensils used in britain for cooking . 6d paris style art deco desk . each sheraton +antique +gaming table . In view of the 18th century austrian porcelain . fact that Nock himself, as will appear later, was engaged in somewhat similar experiments he may well have taken Hennem under his financial wing leather revolutionary war writing box .
Finally Hennem sent in 400 locks, or four times the original order, and was consequently able to lower the price kedleston hall birds . Of these 400, 201 were coloured black and 199 were polished, presumably for comparative trials cedar chest genoa 16thc .
The 2oth Foot (now The Lancashire Fusiliers) was chosen to carry out trials with the Hennem locks 1900 era drop leaf gate leg table . The regiment was about to embark for Ireland on active service and it was already short of muskets; though if these were the reasons for issuing it with new and untried weapons, the former particularly seems to have been a pretty weak one art deco stemware . Anyhow, they received 308 of them, and in July 1784 Hennem was given permission by the Commanding Officer to instruct the men in the use of the locks the development of art deco . Hennem duly arrived at Plymouth only to find that the regiment had left for Ireland ming porcelains . He then obtained permission to follow it, with the proviso that his stay in Cork must not exceed three weeks fiddle shape flatware . This limitation proved, however, impracticable, for the 2oth was split up over southern Ireland in widely scattered detachments, and the roads and unsettled conditions of the time made travel slow and hazardous glass/wood art deco designs .
There was little in the appearance of Hennem’s lock to differentiate it from the ordinary flintlock bugatti furniture range . There were no screws, of course, and the mechanism was secured by pins riveted to the lock plate islamic influence 18th century . By means of a tool which Hennem called a ’spring lifter’, the lock could be completely dismantled in a few seconds antique trends .

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May 13

Presenting the Plan d3sf4wr6gk

Joe had created a business plan for a new gourmet mustard venture. He had spent a great deal of time developing the business initially and very little time putting together a business plan itself. It took Joe a good long while to learn the importance of the look of the plan. It almost cost him everything.
Joe’s plan was a visual mess. The margins were only half an inch wide. Joe had learned in school that wide margins on term papers meant you didn’t have anything to say. In the world of academia, the narrower the margins, the more words per page. More words per page meant more content, which to his professors meant that more work had gone into the effort. And by this measure (instead of an actual reading in some cases) a better grade was received. And so, consequently, Joe felt that with narrow margins and a cramped style the brilliance of his plan would be revealed.
Instead, the opposite was true. The first venture capitalist to receive the plan took one look at the tightly spaced and crowded first page and set the whole thing aside. All Joe received was a letter saying the investment didn’t fit their profile. He never learned it was the presentation of the plan itself that didn’t fit their standards.

The second venture capitalist to receive the plan was a stickler for consistency, neatness, and grammar. Joe’s plan was inconsistent in the formatting of tables, charts, and section headings. It was stapled together in a fairly sloppy fashion. Joe had not bothered to spell-check. By the time the second venture capitalist saw his second spelling error, he had had enough. The whole plan was set aside, and Joe again received a letter saying the investment did not fit their profile.
Joe was perplexed. He had done a great deal of work putting everything in place. He was ready to start shipping cases and cases of the product. He felt like he wasn’t getting a straight answer. He needed to know why the venture guys didn’t relish his gourmet mustard.
One of Joe’s friends offered to hook him up with a venture capitalist who would give him a straight and honest appraisal of the plan. Joe jumped at the offer and overnighted the plan that afternoon,
In three days, Joe met with Jessica, a well-dressed, no-nonsense professional investor. Jessica got right to the point. Joe’s plan was a disaster. It was difficult to read because it was too cramped, without any relieving white space. It was a jumble of type styles and inconsistent formats. The binding with off-centered staples was not neat or professional. Jessica said the entire product reflected poorly on Joe and his business. And in a game where first impressions are crucial, Joe’s current first impression would never lead to a second one.
Joe was crestfallen but thanked Jessica for her candor. He muttered he would probably lose his orders for 100,000 cases. Jessica immediately picked up on the comment. What 100,000-case order? Joe elaborated that he had received several purchase orders from the likes of Safeway and Wal-Mart. The buyers loved this gourmet mustard and were awaiting shipment.
Jessica asked Joe why the purchase orders weren’t included in the supporting materials. Joe didn’t realize the documents themselves were important. He had mentioned the orders at the bottom of page 27. Jessica scoldingly told Joe he was hiding his light under a bushel. Orders of that magnitude should be mentioned on page 1 and attached as supporting material exhibits.
Joe smiled. Did she think he had something? Jessica was now tearing through the financials, the management section, and all her other favorite parts of a business plan. She was starting to appreciate the opportunity in front of her.
As it turned out, Jessica’s firm invested in Joe’s business. And in the process, and very  fortunately, Joe came to fully appreciate the importance of plan presentation and the inclusion of important supporting materials.
Your First Impression
The first impression many people will get of your business is your plan’s appearance. Do you think a potential investor or lender will look differently at a business plan that is neatly bound and formatted for ease of understanding compared to one that is written margin-to-margin in purple crayon? What impression do you want to give? Here are a few hints for a good-looking plan:
•    Use white (or very light-colored) paper.
•    Margins should be at least one inch (but less than two inches) all the way around.
•    Font styles should be kept to a minimum (no more than three).
•    Colors should be used conservatively (photos and complicated graphics are exceptions). Black print and one or two accent colors are best.
•    Pages should be printed on one side only.
•    The entire document should be single-spaced with double spaces between paragraphs.
•    Don’t be afraid of white space.
•    Use bulleted points whenever you can.
•    Be consistent with formatting of tables, graphs, charts, titles, and section headings.
•    Use neat, professional binding—no staples.
•    Use a spell-checker.
•    Get someone you trust to look through and read the plan.
•    Include a table of contents at the beginning and an index at the end.
Your cover sheet should include all the information a reader will need to get ahold of you (company name, address, and phone number; names, titles, addresses, and phone numbers of owners) as well as the company logo, the date the plan was prepared, and the name of the person who prepared it.
Length
It’s ironic that it takes a 200-page book to explain how to write a succinct business plan. Typical business plans average between twenty to forty pages, including support materials. (Others, of course, maybe longer.) On the surface, it may seem unnecessary to do all the research and planning and organization we suggest, but think of your business plan as a crucible. The research, planning, and organization are the components you focus on in order to create a successful business. A winning business plan not only maps out the keys to a successful business but, more important, addresses the unique aspects of your business in a way that will serve your unique temperament, goals, and experience while simultaneously meeting the needs of investors and financiers.
So how long should your business plan be? The answer is simple: as long as it needs to be. How do you know how long it needs to be? You do the preliminary footwork. This book is an excellent first step. Then start writing. As you write it all out, you’ll get a sense of how long feels right. And again, have trusted friends review your work. They’ll help you determine which areas need to be fleshed out and which ones need to be pared down.
Presentation
Business plans are meant to be seen. Whether you wrote your plan to attract funding or to help with management, you will need to show the plan to someone.
•    The plan’s appearance reflects your commitment to creating a winning business plan.
•    The plan’s content is far more important than its appearance, but it won’t be read if it lacks a professional look.

If you wrote your business plan in order to attract funding and/or investment, you will need to get the plan into the hands of the people who can decide whether or not to give you money Most of us are uncomfortable when it comes to talking about money. Many of us were taught that it is rude to talk about something so crass. But if you want someone to give you a loan or invest in your company, you will have to get over your upbringing because you can’t just mail out your plan and hope for the best.
If you want loan or investment approval, you will need to schedule meetings to present your plan. Don’t think that just having the meeting and leaving the plan for the decision makers to read will cut it. Don’t leave something as important as your business’s future to chance. Decision makers may promise to read your plan and give it consideration, but you can’t be sure they actually will. The only way to be sure that your potential investors or funders get your message is to present it.
The presentation of your business plan should be a business meeting, a formal presentation. Even if the potential investors are your parents and your little brother, you want to present your plan in a serious and professional manner. (Remember, you can’t advertise for people to come to this meeting.) But for your preexisting audience—your friends and family and any professionals you’ve been in touch with—you might want to use a conference room. This room can be at the potential investor’s or lender’s office. If not and you lack the facilities, try borrowing space from a friend or renting a conference room. You might want to use presentation equipment, such as a computer/projector for your PowerPoint presentation. You should give your audience hard copies of your plan as well. When is up to you.
You can have the plan delivered before the meeting so that your audience will have time to formulate questions, though you run the risk of them making a negative decision before you have a chance to highlight all your positive points. Try having the plan delivered just the day before the meeting so your audience can become familiar with it without enough time to make a decision. Or you can hand out the plan at the beginning of the meeting, though here you run the risk of your audience reading while you are trying to present. Either way, have copies of your presentation slides to hand out so your audience can follow along.
Your slides and their corresponding handouts should contain short, bulleted points and be in the same visual style as your plan. Your presentation should be less formal than your plan in that you don’t want to sound like you are reading. Try to make it as much like a story as you can. Practice your presentation and get feedback from people you trust to give You honest opinions before you go before people who can make or break your business. Keep in mind that your audience can read—your slides and your handouts—so you don’t have to. Let your slides be reminders for your talk. Let them remind you what points you want to make and then expand from there.
If you wrote your business plan to aid in management, who sees the plan will depend on your business, your style, and your goals. Obviously, if the whole business is comprised of you and your spouse, there don’t need to be a lot of secrets. But if yours is a business with a rigid hierarchy with decisions made only at the top level, you might want to limit access. You might choose to share your plan with management only or show employees on a need-to-know basis. You might distribute a version of the plan (say, a version without financial detail, but with graphs and percentages instead), or you could include sections of the plan in your employee manual. It is entirely up to you. Odds are you will want to consider the twin needs of protecting sensitive information and building a sense of ownership, and only you know how to do so.
While people involved with money will have a pretty good idea why you are showing them your business plan, employees might not. You might include your business plan presentation as part of a company retreat or have a special meeting just for the plan. Maybe you want to introduce the plan to everyone at once or department by department. Wherever you choose to have your plan unveiled, be sure you are present. You may choose to deliver the entire message yourself, or you might be better served using a team approach, with appropriate managers discussing different sections. Again, it comes down to your particular approach and your particular business. Regardless, be sure to explain what a business plan is and how it should be used, why you are showing it, and what you expect listeners to do with it. Similarly, if you use the plan as part of your training program for new employees, be sure that they are not just handed the plan cold but are given the same message you gave the others.

As your business and your business knowledge grow, take some time to check back in with employees to see how the plan is being used and how employees feel it is working. Get suggestions and comments from employ ees and then use that input to improve the plan. Let the plan work as a road map, a checkpoint, and a management tool.
Your Plan Is a Living Document
A business plan is an ever-changing, never-completed document. It is always in a state of revision. With the passage of time, expertise grows, markets change, customer bases alter, and technology continues ever onward. Anyone who reads your plan should get the most up-to-date and complete information you are capable of providing. This means that even after you write the last section of your plan, you need to continue to study the markets and stay abreast of industry, market, and economic trends. Just as your business will be in a constant state of flux, so, too, should your plan be.
Anticipating Problems
Ideally, any business plan, whether written for management purposes or to attract funding, will help anticipate problems that could strike your company. Are costs of supplies going up? Is technology getting cheaper? Is competition increasing or decreasing? What is the motion (if any) of your labor pool? What advertising trends seem to be coming around again? Where is the economy in its current cycle? Are your best-selling products peaking, or are they on their downward slide? Which products are showing new strength? Use your plan to draft alternate budgets so you will have some sort of road map if good times get bad or bad times get better. Use your plan to assess whether or not your current circumstances (good or bad) are short-term or long-term.
Supporting Materials
Supporting materials are all the documents that can help convince readers of your business plan that your business is worth their time and/or money.

The documents should be introduced or referenced in the text of the previous sections so that they can stand alone in this section. These documents should need no introductory or explanatory text in this section and therefore can be simply arranged and attached to the final plan or offered as a separate document to serious investors or appropriate personnel.
As you go through the process of writing your business plan, you will think of a host of materials that can help you make the argument (to yourself, your management team, or potential lenders and investors) that your business is a good risk. These documents give credence to your arguments, and they back up your numbers. They help show how you came to your decisions and how you will make your plan work. As you prepare the plan, you should keep a notebook close by to jot down the supporting documents you reference in other sections or that you think you might want to include. Be sure you include every document that you mention in your plan. Don’t make your readers search for the information they need in order to make an informed decision (ideally, the positive decision you want them to make). Some of the support materials you should consider are these:
•    Resumes. Ideally, resumes are one page and include work history, education, professional affiliations and honors, and special skills. Include resumes for all owners/partners and corporate officers (whatever applies to your corporate entity).
•    Letters of reference. Your letters of reference can come from past investors, lenders, or business acquaintances (people you’ve worked for or with, suppliers, distributors, etc.) or from nonbusiness acquaintances (but avoid letters from friends or relatives) and should be assessments of your business skills.
•    Personal finances. While some practitioners suggest including a balance sheet of your personal financial history as well as that of other owners/partners, I am not keen on it. Keep your personal information as private as possible.
•    Leases. Include any lease agreements you have for your business (such as those for buildings, vehicles, equipment).
•    Contracts. Include any contracts for your business (such as loans, purchase agreements, service contracts, even maintenance agreements).

Remember Joe’s 100,000-case gourmet mustard order? That type pe of business validation is well placed in this section.
•    Other legal documents. Include any other pertinent legal documents, such as copyrights, patents, trademarks, insurance policies, and articles of incorporation.
•    Other attachments. Include any other documents or information that you have referenced in the body of your plan but that do not fall into any of the above categories. These would include demographic information, maps, and the like.
Depending on your business and the information available, you might also consider attaching:
•    Glossary of industry terms
•    Product information
•    Additional or more specific marketing data
•    Marketing materials (brochures, catalogs, etc.)
•    Financial analyst reports
•    Newspaper or magazine articles
•    Company history
•    Press releases
•    Web pages
Not all plans will need the same information. Those written for management purposes will not need the resumes, letters of reference, or credit reports. Even plans written to attract funding will differ as different lenders or investors will want to see different information. It is best to prepare as much information as you can so that you can easily tailor copies of your plan for various readers and institutions. And please note that the plan found in the appendix is a somewhat abbreviated version for reasons of space. Your plan may have much greater detail.

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