Thread: Latest project - 7 day set of Bengalls in acrylic

Here's my latest commissioned project, with more to come... Five of a seven day set of vintage Bengalls scaled in black acrylic with green acrylic spacer and copper 'racing stripes', finished with bronze pins. I'd like to think they're channelling a British racing Jaguar.





I've heard mixed reports but I found acrylic very nice and easy to work with, at least after the initial cutting process. It sands and polishes up beautifully, and my only complaint is that the green spacer doesn't show up particularly well in the photos.

Enjoy!

Very nice project. I am a big fan of Bengall's of all flavors. A seven day set would be wonderful.

Try lighting the razors from below to get the green wedge to pop in your photos.

Neat! I can imagine making scales, but making 5 the same has to be a challenge. Nice job!

Originally Posted by Suavio

I've heard mixed reports but I found acrylic very nice and easy to work with, at least after the initial cutting process. It sands and polishes up beautifully, and my only complaint is that the green spacer doesn't show up particularly well in the photos. Enjoy!

Thank you!
I like the shapes.
I would caution anyone working with acrylic that it can develop internal stresses when buffed hard and the surface heated and may crack at a later date or when rapidly cooled like from aftershave splashing. The surface loses some solvent (plasticizer) and then shrinks over the interior. It is somewhat like the effect of water quenching a oil hardening tool steel,
If possible buy the cast material and not the extruded. Then the is no internal stress to begin with.
I have quite a few acrylic scales which have stood the test of time. Stress is not always the case in making a set of scales.
Again those are very nice scales you have done.
~Richard

Very Beautifully turned.
Thickness 3mm acrylic ???
Maybe it was necessary a little round out, for the classics.
But it's just thinking out loud. very nice

Originally Posted by GVIkzn

Very Beautifully turned.
Thickness 3mm acrylic ???
Maybe it was necessary a little round out, for the classics.
But it's just thinking out loud. very nice

i do agree with this, rounding the edge would reduce the "bulky" look.

But nice work on getting the repeatability on the scales.

They look great.
Very nice work.

Thanks everyone for your comments. Mike, I'll definitely try lighting from underneath and hope to have better photos up soon.

Geezer, thanks for the helpful information on acrylic. I avoiding any kind of mechanical buffing, preferring to do as much as possible by hand anyway. I find that gives me much more control, particularly with a matching set. I used files followed by wet/dry sandpaper, then polish with a rag.

The acrylic is 3mm, which is a little bulky to begin with - the wedges in particular are all thinned, and the edges of the scales are slightly rounded but not too much given the scale shape I was going for. They're actually not too bulky in the hand because the scales are as small as possible in their other dimensions, but I would like to try a slightly thinner acrylic in the future.

Nice work sir.
I appreciate the challenge of trying to make matched scales.
I've only made a couple weekend sets thus far and have not had the success you have with respect to identicalilty. But I was able to invent a new word in my reply so that's something, hehe.
Again, nice work!
Mike.

Gorgeous work can't wait to see the hole set