One Piece Wooden Scale?

**toovira** · 06-24-2012, 08:37 PM

Anyone done one before? I have a good chunk of mahogany and thinking of trying to do one piece. I'm thinking the tricky part is how to get the spread (wedge) like the traditional scale.

**honed** · 06-25-2012, 12:51 AM

I've seen it done, Bill Ellis & Devin Thomas comes to mind, probably others less famous too.

**Doc226** · 06-25-2012, 03:14 AM

I have seen is described and the jig to make them posted. I could not find it right now, someone with stronger google-fu than I will be along.

**mdunn** · 06-25-2012, 04:56 AM

my zowada has one.

the right kind of wood, and some careful cutting should do it

**Kentos** · 06-26-2012, 09:16 AM

Hart Razors also have 1 scales.

**ladykate** · 06-28-2012, 08:52 AM

As Kent said, the Hart has one-pin scales. I wanted to make a novelty item (a cigar razor) and didn't want an extra pin in the back so I carefully set up the table saw and put two passes into the wood (edit: actually 1 standard pass and a 1/2 width pass). Then used a saw blade and evened out the back. Cut the whole thing to length and mounted the blade and pinned it.

Oh... and it is a PITA to get washers and blade all aligned. PITA... PITA...

I'm also considering repeating it for another blade that I have (or maybe a GD to make damn sure it works). But it seems fairly straight forward. Use good wood and be sure the slot is wide enough and the solid wood deep enough because there will be a tendency for the back to split out if the front is bowed out too far. Once pinned, it should be fairly secure.

Here is the novelty one that I did:

Click image for larger version.

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**xMackx** · 06-28-2012, 08:55 AM

It's a lot easier to make scales and a wedge. You have a lot more control over the dynamics of it as well. To me the contrast of the scales and wedge looks nicer to me, even tho solid single cut scales still look nice.

**toovira** · 06-28-2012, 09:01 AM

Problem I have is that I have a nice piece of wood that's about 3/8" thick. Guess I can go buy a thin kerf blade and split it in half. I don't have access to a band saw, only table saw.

Cigar looks pretty cool!

**dreaded_rust** · 07-03-2012, 07:30 AM

Originally Posted by ladykate

As Kent said, the Hart has one-pin scales. I wanted to make a novelty item (a cigar razor) and didn't want an extra pin in the back so I carefully set up the table saw and put two passes into the wood (edit: actually 1 standard pass and a 1/2 width pass). Then used a saw blade and evened out the back. Cut the whole thing to length and mounted the blade and pinned it.

Oh... and it is a PITA to get washers and blade all aligned. PITA... PITA...

I'm also considering repeating it for another blade that I have (or maybe a GD to make damn sure it works). But it seems fairly straight forward. Use good wood and be sure the slot is wide enough and the solid wood deep enough because there will be a tendency for the back to split out if the front is bowed out too far. Once pinned, it should be fairly secure.

Here is the novelty one that I did:

THAT IS FRICKIN AWESOME!! also happens to be one of my favorite cigars. well played good sir

**Krodor** · 07-03-2012, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by toovira

Problem I have is that I have a nice piece of wood that's about 3/8" thick. Guess I can go buy a thin kerf blade and split it in half. I don't have access to a band saw, only table saw.

several times I have used a coping saw and a thin blade to "resaw" a 3/8" thick slab. Takes a bit of work and time, but clamping one end in a vise and sawing it lengthwise works. Once split, I clamp a vise to my small drill press table, and put a flat board into that vise. Chuck a sanding drum in the drill press chuck and start it up. Feed one of the split slabs between the drum and the board...make sure that you are pushing against the direction of the drum, and watch your fingers!!!. Once it goes smoothly through, skootch the vise a little (tiny tiny) bit closer to the drum, and feed it through again until it goes nicely. Skooch it closer again, repeat. Do this until the little slab is a little thinner than 1/8" (3/32" is about right). double-sticky tape both sides together, and shape and sand the pieces until they are the shape and surface you want. Drill your pivot / wedge holes when fully sanded and matched, and only then split the pieces apart (carefully).

Doing it this way enables matching scales, since they came from the same board. I've done this with cedar, olivewood, and kingwood.

Good luck!

**honed** · 07-04-2012, 04:37 AM

Originally Posted by ladykate

**Mordstrom** · 07-04-2012, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by xMackx

To me the contrast of the scales and wedge looks nicer to me

+1
a beautiful piece of mahogany might redeem a one-piece set of scales, with the right blade of course, but nothing beats the beauty of a nice contrasting wedge.

All that aside, you might have luck with a hand file. My grandfather did the same thing many moons ago, cut a straight line about 3/4 the way through one piece of wood, and filed an angle into it the rest of it by hand. That way he ended up with a really slick looking one piece scale.