Freedom Kilt customer service

[The Frumious B.]

All this talk of kilt pins makes me wonder.
I bought a brace of pins from Aquajock a while ago, but as I have not had a kilt to wear them on, they remain in the original package.
is there a chance these are of the same run as those that failed?
if so, how much to repair them? Thanks

[The Wizard of BC]

If you look on the back of your X Marks Pins and see two "tie-tack" style studs with spring fasteners pull off the fastener. Now look at the area around the base of the stud. If you see what looks like a streak of soot - that is just what it is. The studs were soldered on after the pin had been laquered and to prevent harming the laquer they used a very low flame to solder the stud to the pin.
Consequently many of the pins from run 2 and 3 have what is called a "cold solder". Cold solder joints are very weak and can fail from just a small amount of shock or movement. Hence why the stud I had not repaired on Lucky's pin came off in the mail.

If you lose a stud, any jeweler is capable of soldering it back on. They just need to use a very low heat solder such as that used by silversmiths to attach clasps to brooches after they have been polished. I use #2 silver solder.

However, even this will sometimes require enough heat to blister or distort the the finish of the lacquer on the front of the pin. If this happens, pour a small amount of ammonia in a shallow dish or saucer and place the pin face down for two or three minutes to soak. This will remove the laquer and allow you to lightly buff the surface back to shiny and apply a new, fresh coat of lacquer from a spray can.

The entire cost should be less than $5.00. If you want me to do it OK, but it will probably cost more in postage back and forth than the repair itself.

Good luck and feel free to e-mail or PM me if you need more or more specific help.

[ccga3359]

I hope to be doing a photographical essay of converting kilt pins to the magnetically attached variety including a perfectly good XMarks pin. Although the initial cost would be gretaer than $5 (for one pin) I shall be doing several at the same time to defray the cost.

[The Frumious B.]

Steve, you are a gentleman and an engineer...if that isn't contradictory...(re: Garumphy Old Fart posts).
If i have you do the work, will you thrown in that $7 kilt you are getting for free?

[The Frumious B.]

If you look on the back of your X Marks Pins and see two "tie-tack" style studs with spring fasteners pull off the fastener. Now look at the area around the base of the stud. If you see what looks like a streak of soot - that is just what it is. The studs were soldered on after the pin had been laquered and to prevent harming the laquer they used a very low flame to solder the stud to the pin.
Consequently many of the pins from run 2 and 3 have what is called a "cold solder". Cold solder joints are very weak and can fail from just a small amount of shock or movement. Hence why the stud I had not repaired on Lucky's pin came off in the mail.

If you lose a stud, any jeweler is capable of soldering it back on. They just need to use a very low heat solder such as that used by silversmiths to attach clasps to brooches after they have been polished. I use #2 silver solder.

However, even this will sometimes require enough heat to blister or distort the the finish of the lacquer on the front of the pin. If this happens, pour a small amount of ammonia in a shallow dish or saucer and place the pin face down for two or three minutes to soak. This will remove the laquer and allow you to lightly buff the surface back to shiny and apply a new, fresh coat of lacquer from a spray can.

The entire cost should be less than $5.00. If you want me to do it OK, but it will probably cost more in postage back and forth than the repair itself.

Good luck and feel free to e-mail or PM me if you need more or more specific help.

Mods or Steve or whomever?
Might this be a good post to save in Tutorials?
Just wondering.