Thread: My first! – A Renovated Pyramid

Originally Posted by Ditch Doc

Your razor looks great! I really like the color texture of the scales. In your opinion is the tumbler better than a bench grinder with buffing wheels? I saw this kit, and am sorely tempted to order it.

Caswell Inc. - Buffing Kits

Ditch Doc:

I have that exact same kit from Caswell and a Delta variable speed 6" grinder. I also have a tumbler with corn cob and walnut medium. Now what I really need is to find MORE TIME to actually use this stuff to its fullest potential!!!!!

Since I have both and even though I've only worked a bit with both, I can state the obvious.

Buffing with the various wheels is faster. BUT: It's been said before by many others and it's so true. The buffer can be an amazingly dangerous tool. If you're not cutting or polishing on the safer areas of the wheel, those wheels can grab that blade faster then you can blink. Thankfully I only sustained a cut that went in about 1/16" on a finger but that was still a bleeder. Now I wear those kevlar cutproof gloves. I've found even with the black emery stick which is pretty coarse, you still really have to sand for heavier pitting just like you do if you tumble. All I have to say is be very careful around the buffer.

Tumbling is cool (Thanks Glen!) with its "set it and forget it" ability.

Chris L

First retore? That looks awesome!

Originally Posted by Ditch Doc

Your razor looks great! I really like the color texture of the scales. In your opinion is the tumbler better than a bench grinder with buffing wheels? I saw this kit, and am sorely tempted to order it.

Caswell Inc. - Buffing Kits

Originally Posted by Chris L

Since I have both and even though I've only worked a bit with both, I can state the obvious.

Buffing with the various wheels is faster. BUT: It's been said before by many others and it's so true. The buffer can be an amazingly dangerous tool. If you're not cutting or polishing on the safer areas of the wheel, those wheels can grab that blade faster then you can blink. Thankfully I only sustained a cut that went in about 1/16" on a finger but that was still a bleeder. Now I wear those kevlar cutproof gloves. I've found even with the black emery stick which is pretty coarse, you still really have to sand for heavier pitting just like you do if you tumble. All I have to say is be very careful around the buffer.

Tumbling is cool (Thanks Glen!) with its "set it and forget it" ability.

Chris L

A great big +1 to Chris L's message. I don't have a buffer - I have to keep reminding myself to slow down when I work as it is (note the hand drilled scale holes ) so I can't make a meaningful comparison.

Looking at the worst case scenarios with each machine, I saw the alternatives were either coming home to a tumbler-induced fire, or having someone find my bloodied razor-impaled corpse in my basement, so I chose to eliminate the possibility of the latter.

A hearty thanks to all who commented. Please keep them coming.

I really liked the scales material and color. It was fairly easy to work with, and I hope to try other patterns soon. Perhaps I'll give this one a few tweaks later, but I wanted to post it as is to see if I can make progress from here. I hope to be able to learn more from and do better with each one.

Great job & nice work on the peening.
Wasn't keen on synthetic scales but you've just changed my mind.

Fantastic restore....Congrats and enjoy that beauty.