First restore.minus honing

[USCGME3]

Got this razor off the Bay for $18. Joseph Allen and Sons Non XLL. Made the scales using a coping saw, dremel, and sandpaper. The scales are acrylic and the wedge is red linen micarta. The blade is slightly uneven and I will be sending it out to be corrected and honed.

[smalltank]

nice work!

[HLS]

Very nice work. The wedge and scales fit flush against each other, demonstrating perfectly flat surfaces. Well done. I still struggle with that sometimes. If you can build scales that nice you can hone that blade too.

[fast14riot]

Nice work for a first! Some little tips, try for more of a wedge shape, but the spacer you have in there now does look good. Also if your concerned about abilities shaping, I have several factory sets of scales that are not too different from yours, but the edge is angled slightly. Adding just enough to really make it look hand worked rather than just cut and put together. Think of the cross sectional view of the scale, like it was cut in half and you look at the end, it would be more like a trapezoid. Doesn't have to be a huge angle maybe 20* or so, but it adds a lot to the look.

I do like the art deco look you have going on there, it fits with the scale material well.

Always strive to make the next one better than the last!


-Xander

[UKRob]

Xander said a lot that I was also thinking. The overall finished thickness of scales should be around the 3/16" mark or 5mm but it's not easy getting an evenly flat surface especially with acrylic. However, that's really good quality work - especially for a first attempt - I really like the shape. You will find that using that shape as a starting point you can make slight changes at the toe and heel ends that will completely change the look.

I hope you keep it up - post some more when you do.

[Gamma]

Very nice, excellent effort. I like the shape of the scales a lot.
You should be proud, that's a very cool looking razor.

[Alum of Potash]

Looks very nice. I like the choice of surface texture, angular shape, and especially the colors. Yet I am wondering about that line on the scale on the show side (2nd photo down from the top).

[fast14riot]

He used too much fill flash when taking the picture, it looks like a reflection from the surface it is on.


-Xander

[Alum of Potash]

Only our OP knows for sure. The line is fairly sharp and does not run parallel to the surface shadow below.

[USCGME3]

Looks very nice. I like the choice of surface texture, angular shape, and especially the colors. Yet I am wondering about that line on the scale on the show side (2nd photo down from the top).

Just the lighting...does not actually exist on the scale itself...Xander, you hit the nail on the head regarding the flash.

[USCGME3]

I did want to shape the scales a bit more but was getting a little frustrated and wanted to get the razor out for honing before I left for three weeks. I figured if I needed/wanted to I could shape the scales a bit more when it comes back. UKRob...noted regarding the thickness...I definitely do not have to worry about them breaking though! Next time I will sand them down to reduce the thickness...I think I could get them even by sanding on a very flat surface, making sure they were the same thickness would be more of a challenge in my opinion. I've never been too handy or craftsy, so the fact that it did not fall apart when I put it all together was a win for me!

[drfong]

I've never been too handy or craftsy, so the fact that it did not fall apart when I put it all together was a win for me!

I have to ask.. what did you use the dremel for.

Teach me sensei.

[fast14riot]

Here's a handy little tip for reducing thickness by hand...

1.Get a FLAT surface, heavy glass, polished granite/marble, maybe even a formica counter top.
2. Tape a full sheet of sandpaper down to it, grit depends on what the material is.
3. You'll need a flat plank of wood or aluminum or steel or anything like that. I have used aluminum angle iron 2"x7" (50x175)
4. Metal rods in the desired final thickness of the scale material.
5. Double stick carpet tape or white glue. (PVA as its called outside th US)

Take your metal rods and glue them or attach them to the plank/angle iron so the run the short direction across the plank at either end. Then put a strip of double stick tape between them and put your scale blank on it, or glue it. You now have a flat sanding jig with height guages built in. As you sand down the scale material if your uneven you will reach one guage before the other. Once both are touching remove the scale and start on the next one.

This will give you a nice parallel surfaced scale without dips or rounded edges.


-Xander

[fast14riot]

Here's a handy little tip for reducing thickness by hand...

1.Get a FLAT surface, heavy glass, polished granite/marble, maybe even a formica counter top.
2. Tape a full sheet of sandpaper down to it, grit depends on what the material is.
3. You'll need a flat plank of wood or aluminum or steel or anything like that. I have used aluminum angle iron 2"x7" (50x175)
4. Metal rods in the desired final thickness of the scale material.
5. Double stick carpet tape or white glue. (PVA as its called outside th US)

Take your metal rods and glue them or attach them to the plank/angle iron so the run the short direction across the plank at either end. Then put a strip of double stick tape between them and put your scale blank on it, or glue it. You now have a flat sanding jig with height guages built in. As you sand down the scale material if your uneven you will reach one guage before the other. Once both are touching remove the scale and start on the next one.

This will give you a nice parallel surfaced scale without dips or rounded edges.


-Xander

[USCGME3]

I have to ask.. what did you use the dremel for.

Teach me sensei.

I used the dremel with sanding drums to speed up evening out some of the "waviness" created by using a coping saw to cut the material out of the sheet...particularly on the concave, curved portion of the scales. When I made the wedge, I used micarta, which is much harder than the acrylic and sands down more like wood would. I made the wedge larger all around and then used the sanding drum to remove material until it was almost even with the scales, then went to sandpaper on top of polished granite to flush the surfaces. I also used a cutting disc to remove metal from the pins to get them to a more appropriate length for peening than I was able to achieve with wire cutters.

Last Saturday I started on another set of scales using G10 and found it easier to use the cutting wheel to cut the pattern out of the G10. Unfortunately, at one point it bound up and broke. I was able to get the scale out of the sheet with a coping saw and sanding drum as I was almost done and then used the sanding drum to even out the waviness in the concave portion again and to put a bevel around the edges of the scale. I really need to get a band saw and drum sander if I want to make this a frequent endeavor. It would speed up the time to cut the scales from the sheet and allow me to shape them much more efficiently. I only got one side of the scales done before I ran out of time and had some other things to take care of and have not been able to start working on the other half and the wedge. I will try to finish them up in another week and a half or so. It is blaze orange G10 and am debating what color I should use for the wedge...I may have to order something white to use so I can have a Tennessee Volunteer razor! The one finished scale looks fantastic, though (it is the same basic shape as the one in this post...experimentation with shapes to follow after that). I have an Angstrom and a Wostenholm which need scales...one will go in these and I will have to build another set following that which I will attempt to get a bit fancier with.

[USCGME3]

Here's a handy little tip for reducing thickness by hand...

1.Get a FLAT surface, heavy glass, polished granite/marble, maybe even a formica counter top.
2. Tape a full sheet of sandpaper down to it, grit depends on what the material is.
3. You'll need a flat plank of wood or aluminum or steel or anything like that. I have used aluminum angle iron 2"x7" (50x175)
4. Metal rods in the desired final thickness of the scale material.
5. Double stick carpet tape or white glue. (PVA as its called outside th US)

Take your metal rods and glue them or attach them to the plank/angle iron so the run the short direction across the plank at either end. Then put a strip of double stick tape between them and put your scale blank on it, or glue it. You now have a flat sanding jig with height guages built in. As you sand down the scale material if your uneven you will reach one guage before the other. Once both are touching remove the scale and start on the next one.

This will give you a nice parallel surfaced scale without dips or rounded edges.


-Xander

Excellent advice, Xander!