Thread: Why did he waste his time? Scales and Razors.

Though in my area it is nearly 2 AM , my usual time to post, it seems as good a time as any to chime in.
First , contrary to some popular opinions I wish to say thank you to many who have posted here, sent PMs and the emails.
As far as Thank Yous go I looked over so many of my past posts looking for THANK YOU'S I have written and each and every post has at least one. If I posted more than than I imagine I'd then be accused of bumping a thread. And once I gave a " now I'm speechless, and dumbfounded" which in translation means I didn' t know what to say in response to a compliment.
Every post has at LEAST one thank you to a compliment. Go look. You'll see them too.

Maybe there is a nerve about GD's. My comment, tongue in cheek since I do favor doing restorations, is I'd be run out of town playing with these things as opposed to doing vintage blades. Really, look at what I built. That's not normal but at times the artist in me likes to come out and play. That's my living, art.
But I was asked to show examples in a thread the various other scales I have built.
So I posted them. Trust me , there were lots more. But I can't post every razor I build even if it's not a plaything.

I have read that I don't post enough of how I did it. Yet at the same time I have read to "post things that haven't been done before. Don't tell us "Sand on the X plane then on the Y ....."
OK, I won't. Because that's exactly what I do.
Looking for a short cut? Don't want to hear about sanding but think there is some Magical Pro Tool I have that i can just wave a razor in front of and Presto,, it's restored?
My magical PRO TOOLS are rather esoteric . It's called Sandpaper.

To get the final shine? More esoteric tools. It's a buffer with rouge on it.
Want me to tell you you'll get the same results using a Tumbler,, or go straight to a buffer? Some short cut method?
I'll tell you that but if you expect the same results as the blades I restore I'd just be lying to you. In my PERSONAL estimation those blades come up short. I see it a mile away.
Want me to lie to you too?

Maybe I took the title of the Thread too literally. Custom Builts and Restorations..... Show off what you've built.

I thought it was simply a showcase of razors that have been built for others to see examples of work being done.
Good , bad , indifferent. Doesn't matter one bit. Show it and spur others on.
You have questions ,, ASK.

Truthfully I haven't seen on many posts a detailed explanation from many vendors how they built, restored , whatever, done to the razor they are showing.
My usual posts are ,,"Cleaned up the blade, refreshed the scales".
Who wants to read over and over,, sanded with 220 ,, worked up to 600,,, then buffed?
You want that with each post then I'll post them that way.
And has each and every vendor posted a tutorial on how they built ,, or restore a razor.
I have after Glenns request. Took a while considering what has been written because truthfully,, there is nothing new under the sun.
Everyone seems to think there is a short cut,, a magical tool,, a recipe that is kept secret.
Trust me,, there are no secrets.
The same process works whether you are working on wood, metal,, plexi,,Whatever!
Watch the pros at finishing a car. What do they do? Start with a buffer on rust?
No,,they sand away the damage. Would a buffer be appropriate? No,, at least not in my opinion. You want shiny rust and pits then by all means go ahead.
You want my results then you sand,, then buff.
Finish the paint on that once rusted car what happens. Yes,, it gets sanded ,, then buffed to get a mirror shine.

Don't put the cart in front of the horse. The results will be a shiny piece of metal,,but not a restored razor IN MY OPINION only. You like that,,, then do it.
But what happened after my tutorial? I was criticized for posting MY way of doing it. No discussion.
Well,, it is my way,, I've tried the others, I gave valid reasons in my mind since I have tried them and failed and posted the process that has given me proven results time after time no questions asked. It works.

Here is another PRO TOOL. Do I use a Dremel? No.
Why?
I burned up 6 in one year. I'm hard on tools.
What do I use?
I have three micro motors. They do the same thing.They spin a stone, wheel , polisher etc. Just as a Dremel does.
But they don't do it themselves.
As the old adage goes, a craftsman never blames his tools.
Spend any amount of time in a store,, look around ,, see things and buy them. Play with them and see just what they can do. That's how you learn and discover how to do things.
I buy dozens of bits just to try them and see what works. Some do some don't. Maye you can get them to work. Try them and see.

Acrylics. I've spent over $500 buying stuff to play with and spent countless hours experimenting with to toss it in the trash.
Have you made the first attempt. Or do you want me to just tell you everything I have discovered about working with the stuff.
Go spend $100 a gallon and play.You're serious about razors,, or building Butterscotch brushes get some. What you find that doesn't work is just as important if not more,, than what does. How do I teach you that?
I've put in my time.
Have you tried? Do you really want to?

Well now it's nearly quarter to three.
My time is at a premium. I have little of it to spare. That's why my posts are at 2,,,3,,, 4 AM. Because I'm just wrapping up my day after starting at a late 9:00.

I'm sure this is the same schedule you keep but I find it hard to pour a cup of coffee, sit back for the evening to chat about razors endlessly. I'm in my shop building them,,experimenting,,,trying new things to see what works.
Are you? I don't have time to talk about razors,, I just build them. That's what teaches me what to do. And how to achieve whatever results I get.
A brief summary of why I don't have time to post endlessly on any number of threads.
I'm a self employed custom wood carver. That in itself eats time like you wouldn't believe. Between clients, bidding jobs, emails, specs, drawings , designs,, the day is toast. Weekends? Whats that all about. I truthfully have no idea what day it is.
In addition to that I have multiple properties that need attention . Grass, maintenence, painting ,, new tenants etc. Real Estate is a business in itself responding to just tenants.
Now lets add razors to the mix.
Besides the emails ( 375 in 4 days just for razors not including my other jobs) I have to build them,, photograph them, respond to clients . Build my own? Yeah,, right.
But I get it done. The expense for this. Well,, I don't get to spend an evening , or a morning chatting about razors over a cup of coffee and contemplating the pros and cons of buffing. Or how to unpin.
That stuff has been covered ad-nauseum. If the process you are using isn't giving you the results,, stop doing what you are doing. Try something else.
Look,, there are so few parts and real estate on a razors it's not like you''re rebuilding an engine with hundreds of parts to consider. A blade, scales and a couple of pins. No mystery there. The process of prepping this stuff has been solved in any number of professions as I have said. Automotive,, woodworking,, metal finishing, home repair. The steps are , for the best results always the same. Follow a proven sequence that has been show to work in any of these fields ( again, there is nothing new under the sun) and go for it.
Find what works for you and just do it. Over and over again. Restoring razors should be boring. You don't have to try and design a new mouse trap every time.
If it doesn't work ,,, ask. If you don't like the answer,don't shoot the messenger.