Vladimir

Hello Bob.
Thanks again for the detailed photos.
The oak leaves are most likely soldered on.
Acorns are made up of three parts. The stem of the acorn is soldered to the calyx. Then the top part of the acorn is soldered on top. The acorns and stems are most likely made of brass. What you've mistaken for aluminum is the top layer of tin. Either specially coated or during soldering. In one of the photos you can see the brass on the acorn stem from under the paint.

I think you're wrong. The emblem of Jagdgeschwader 54 "Grünherz" (JG 54) was a green heart.
Most likely the chandelier was made in the workshops serving the Luftwaffe Fighter Group II./JG 52
The emblem of Jagdgeschwader 52, JG 52 was a red and white shield with a sword in the middle.
Luftwaffe Fighter Group II./JG 52 was based at the airfield near the village of Bagerovo (45.378148, 36.293716) in 1942-1944. It is 14 kilometers from the city of Kerch.
The pilots of this group flew Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighters.
On the chandelier are single-engine airplanes. Most likely the owner of the candlestick was a fighter pilot.

It may well be that this candelabra belonged to Erich Alfred Hartmann, the most efficient pilot in the history of aviation, or Gerhard Barkhorn, the second most efficient pilot in the Luftwaffe. They both served at this time in Jagdgeschwader 52 at Bagerovo airfield.

The candelabra is exceptionally well designed. There are three airplanes on each side. The three airplanes made up the unit.
Note the parallel short and long stripes on the base of the candelabra and on the wavy bands. I believe they depict the markings on the navigation ruler (see picture).

With such care and attention to all the details of the chandelier, I think that the number of crosses stamped on the wavy parts most likely represents the number of planes shot down. You can count the number of crosses and then it is likely that you will be able to identify the owner of the chandelier. Internet should have data about shot down airplanes by each pilot by years. All the data was recorded.

Hello Bob.
Thank you for photographs. They show everything perfectly.
This chandelier is a great example of blacksmithing and metalsmithing. The entire chandelier is assembled on screws.
The candle cups are secured with screws through the bushings.  The plates under the cups appear to be made of brass. It looks like the cups are soldered to the plates.

The airplanes are soldered to the cross, most likely with tin or tin-based solder. Nice work. Heated for soldering carefully so the airplanes soldered on the other side wouldn't fall off.

The cross is most likely soldered to the shield. It's just not clear what kind of solder it's made with.
You're right, the acorns seem to me to be soldered to the oak leaves. If the acorn stems are made of aluminum it was hard enough to do that. Aluminum is very poorly solderable because of the strong oxide film on the surface.

The chandelier was most likely made as a gift. You can see an attached plate on the base. There should be an inscription on the plate. It is unlikely to have been used for lighting on a regular basis. The airfields were usually quite far from the front line and had electric lighting.

Could you take another picture of the oak leaf attachment areas if it's not too much trouble for you? It looks like the oak leaves are soldered on too.

Hello.
That's a great piece of work. Thank you for the pictures.
I think you're right. The base of the chandelier is most likely made of a piece of metal soviet time with a mark.

Judging from the photos it is most likely that some parts of the candlestick are made of brass. For example, airplanes and oak leaves.  There is no shortage of brass cartridge cases during wartime. Perhaps later or maybe immediately the brass was painted.

It's unclear how the airplanes are attached. Probably riveted on.
Could you take good resolution photos of the airplanes to determine how they are attached? I think everyone would be interested.

Also a photos of the candle cups from inside and underneath?
There is much to learn from such excellent work.

20 hours ago, Frosty said:

Excellent Vladimir, thank you. Even if the original poster doesn't come back I sure appreciate picking up what I just learned. The Cyrillic alphabet has always been confusing to me and reading about it only made things worse.

I knew someone on the forum would answer the question eventually. 

Frosty The Lucky.

Thank you, Frosty.
I happened to see this post and thought I should help.
I don't actively participate in discussions, but I do read the forum.

12 hours ago, gewoon ik said:

Cool we have 2 russians/russian speakers here.

Interessting, the alphabet changed after wo1. You know the reason?

The Russian language was reformed after the 1917 revolution.
Reform had been in preparation long before. The most significant development was the removal of the "yat"  sign. There were very complicated rules for writing it. The Russian language has become much easier to write since the reform.

7 hours ago, Nobody Special said:

I believe there was a bit of a slight change in the way the country was governed...a slight change...just a nudge. Same way the metric system came out of the French Revolution or people started deliberately using different spellings for American English post 1770s and 1812.

Nominal reason provided was to modernize the language by cleaning up the alphabet. There are other theories, but those swing into some rather nasty politics, real fast.

Priviyet, cok de la?

You are absolutely right. The revolution of 1917 triggered many fundamental changes in Russian society. Some of them with a plus sign and some with a minus sign.

Hello.
If the word Kerch is written the way you wrote it with a "Ъ" at the end it means that the inscription was made before 1918 year. In Russian, this sign was called "yat" and it was canceled to writing in 1918.
If the word Kerch is written like this: "Керчь", it means that the inscription was made after 1918. The "Ь" sign is called a soft sign and means that the letter after which it stands is pronounced softly.
If the word Kerch is written like this: "Керчь", it most likely means that the candelabra was produced at the State Metallurgical Plant - Государственный Металлургический Завод (Г.М.З) located in the city of Kerch
If that's true, then the number 3 is not a number, it's the letter "З". It's an acronym for "Рlant" (Завод).  
Then the number 19 is the year of manufacture. There should be two more digits: 19** .
Sometimes only the first two digits of the year were cast on castings. The other two digits of the year were applied by hand. By using hand stamps.

It's unlikely the chandelier was made in 1942. The factory was evacuated in 1941. Kerch was liberated in 1944. In the same year it was decided to restore the plant.
A photo of the branding could clear up any ambiguities.
The photo shows the factory mark on a rail made at the Kerch State Metallurgical Plant ( Керчь Г.М.З ) in 1932.

1095 steel. Water quenched. No tempering. The temperature is selected so that there is maximum hardness and no cracks.  Only the working part of striker is hardened. The hardness is checked with a file. The file should slide over the hardened surface without removing metal.

Nails.

Adults and children without any experience can make from the first time  nail of decent quality.

Nice work. But It will be better make rounded corners on the hooks. Sharp corners is not good for  coat loops.

Puddling iron.Usually soft. Well forged, very good for  forge welding. For work usually not suitable because when heated  splitted. Sometimes it is can be use for working. You have  to heat and try to forge. If  iron splitted you can  weld it again by forge welding.

1.  The coal must be of high quality. Coal should contain minimum amounts of sulfur. Most suitable for forge welding - charcoal.

2. In fire pot should not be a slag.

3. The flame should be "soft." Without large amounts of oxygen.

4. The smaller the percentage of carbon and alloying elements in the steel, the easier it can be welded.

5. Steel should be heated to welding temperature. If you are welding for steel without  flux, welding temperature can be determined by certain signs. Steel begins to "cry" and there are some sparks. Flux dissolves oxides on the steel surface and  flux allows make welding at lower temperature.

6. Heat the steel to a red glow. Sprinkle with flux. Fluxes may be different. Borax, pure quartz sand, sand mixed with salt, sand mixed with soda, special fluxes. Borax has a melting point lower than that of sand and it is better held on the surface.Then heat the steel to welding temperature. The color is white. Molten flux shines like a wet candy. There may appear some sparks. Do not overheat  steel. Do not let appear a lot of sparks.

7. Quickly move the heated bars on the surface of the anvil and the first light, and then a more powerful blows weld them together.The first blows of the hammer does not have to be strong. Molten metal from the surface will scatter in different directions and  bars will not be welded.

I did not remove  flux with a wire brush before welding. But you can do it if you want and can do it quickly.

It's my way. Maybe not the best.

Thanks.

Hello from Russia. My name is Vladimir. I work as the blacksmith.I am glad will join your community.