Highlighting engraving in lead

[NickM]

A bit random this, and not really wood related, but I'm sure the UKW collective will have some bright ideas for me...

We had our house re-roofed around 18 months ago. We and the roofers found quite a few places where previous roofers had scratched their names and the date into the lead. Being a sentimental type, rather than simply scrapping it, I cut out the sections with the engraving with a view to mounting and framing them.

My question is whether anyone has any bright ideas for ways I can highlight/"bring out" the engraving. Some of it is quite indistinct and you can only see it in a raking light.

Here's an example (taken in a raking light):

 

[MikeG.]

I would just wipe the whole piece of lead over with patination oil.

 

[NickM]

Thanks Mike. Does the patination oil darken the lead a bit? Would the idea be to let it pool a bit in the engraving?

 

[MikeG.]

Yes, it does darken it a bit, and it cleans up the surface at the same time. I don't know that I'd let it pool, though. You wipe it on and off with a rag.

 

[Myfordman]

Maybe consider engravers wax to help hightlight the writing too?

 

[Droogs]

A mix of coldcast resin and bronze powder

 

[Rorschach]

Rub over with some dark furniture wax. It would build up in the scratches.

Whatever you do, get a bit of lead sheet and do some tests first.

 

[novocaine]

spray paint. spray on, wipe off straight away. it will stay in the lines. means you can do any colour you want.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Thanks Mike. Does the patination oil darken the lead a bit? Would the idea be to let it pool a bit in the engraving?

If you do use patination oil, do take care with any rags used - a main constituent is linseed oil which can cause spontaneous combustion (DAMHIKT ). I think that the lead is fairly well patinated already, so it may not respond as well as hoped.

PS I quite like the wax idea - esp. tinted black - and it's reversible (ish)

 

[Rorschach]

Actually black shoe polish is probably best as I expect you have some on hand.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Or maybe a wax crayon - if softened...?

 

[Rorschach]

The pigment level in crayon tends to be quite low as they are just cheap items for kids. I tried them for engraved plaques and it looks rubbish.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

The pigment level in crayon tends to be quite low as they are just cheap items for kids. I tried them for engraved plaques and it looks rubbish.

Too waxy?

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Konig soft wax or hard wax Wood Scratch Filler Repair Stick BLACK RAL 9005 The soft version?

 

[Rorschach]

Too waxy?

The wax part was fine, it actually filled the engraving quite well, the problem was the pigment wasn't strong enough so the black just looked translucent grey.

 

[NickM]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have a play on a bit of scrap.

 

[sunnybob]

Its a piece of lead. it has scrap value. A free standing piece of lead has no history, could have come from anywhere.
Not like its carved into a lintel or something permanent to the house.
I have been called callous in the past mind......

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Its a piece of lead. it has scrap value. A free standing piece of lead has no history, could have come from anywhere.
Not like its carved into a lintel or something permanent to the house.
I have been called callous in the past mind......

Bob I think you might be being a little bit provocative...

I have made a little frame - which hangs on the wall alongside some very old photos of our place - to enclose a small piece of the original front door frame which has the original chippy's name and exact date of when he installed it, written in pencil. Firewood of course - but as part of the house, priceless IMHO! A neighbour was having her house re-roofed a year or two ago, her roofers found a clay tile with the maker's name and the date scratched in before firing - I looked him up on the 1871 census and found out exactly where (a short ox-cart journey away!) the tile was made as well.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

The wax part was fine, it actually filled the engraving quite well, the problem was the pigment wasn't strong enough so the black just looked translucent grey.

That's sort of what I meant but couldn't find a better word - maybe I should have put "looks more like wax than black stuff?".

 

[NickM]

Its a piece of lead. it has scrap value. A free standing piece of lead has no history, could have come from anywhere.

There are different ways of measuring value than with pound notes. It'll hang on the wall of the house it came off and if we ever leave the house it can stay there.