EK 1914 Vaulted cast iron 1914 EK1 cores

[Mike K]

Hi,

Contrary to a lot that I've read, I personally believe that almost all vaulted EK1s have pressed/stamped steel/iron cores, rather than true cast iron cores. Imo that goes for Godet, Meybauer, AWS, KMST, Hansen, Werner, blued-core styles and many of the variously unmarked or silver marked examples in circulation.

How can you tell a cast iron core from a stamped/pressed iron core? Probably the only way is to examine 1870EKs and early 1914 flat-back EK1s (and EK2s). I like to look for that fine rough sandpapery and irregular effect that you can tell is in the metal, not in the paint or rusting underneath the paint.

Here are 3 examples that I feel are cast-iron cored EK1s genuinely manufactured with vaulting. The vaulting is only very slight to moderate. They all share similar hardware but there are two subtle different core types, which can be most easily differentiated by the tops of the crowns and the 4s. One is marked for 900 silver, one has an "o" mark I have not seen elsewhere (this one came cased from a recently split - grrr - Saxon grouping) and the final example is unmarked.

Regards

Mike

[Mike K]

Reverse...

[gregM]

Interesting theory. I know that some cores are stamped rather than cast. The blued

sheet metal core are a prime example of this. But I never considered that ALL or most

all vaulted crosses being stamped instead of cast. It will be interesting to here what

others will bring to this discussion.

[Tom Y]

This one appears to me to be a cast core.

Explosion not my doing.

[Tom Y]

Some better pics of the denuded core.

[Tom Y]

Just a few spots that make me think it's cast.

1. casting bubble?

2. casting dimple?

3. another dimple?

4. sprue?

possible sprue from the edge

[Tom Y]

possible sprue from the back and, wonder of wonders, something I never noticed before!!!

[Eric Stahlhut]

tom, can you elaborate on the area that is circled?

[Tom Y]

tom, can you elaborate on the area that is circled?

If you mean the !!! oval, it's KAG. There's an 8 on the top arm, too.

[Mike K]

Hi Tom,

Certainly an interesting core. I'd have guessed "W S" from the first pics.

For me, it's still too hard to say whether that core is cast or stamped due to the oxidisation, however I certainly would not rule out casting.

Regards

Mike

[Eric Stahlhut]

If you mean the !!! oval, it's KAG. There's an 8 on the top arm, too.

yeh, dat vun. sorry--- hadn't had my coffee yet. doh.

anyways: cool beans! quite interesting... and certainly worth the !!!

:beer: