Thread: My first attempts at DIY scales

I'm reallllly new to SRP and it's only been about a week or so that I've been in the DE-Straight transition. After some nicks, cuts, quite a bit of blood loss, and some wicked close shaves, it is going well. I'm confident that my technique will get better, and I'm really enjoying using a straight.

This post might look familiar to some of you since it's also posted on another forum...anyway.

OK.. I've picked up far too many straights (eight) in the last week or two offa the `Bay and I've assigned myself the task of cleaning up the blades and/or rescaling a few.

Let me say this.. I am a total newbie at woodworking. Armed with sandpaper, sanding blocks, and my trusty Dremel, this is what I did.

First, a Herm Konejung (Solingen) that I rescaled.. I bought this a while back and I decided to give it some new scales. I purchased some .25" thick Amboyna Burl and sanded, sanded, sanded and shaped it up. A few coats of Tung oil and some brass microfasteners, and...

Second, I got some Double Arrows from our friend stamps and thought I'd see what I could do with one. I ground down the tail of the blade to a sharp, pointy horn. Then the wood. After a couple near-disasters with the Burl, I decided to go cheap. Dirt cheap. Basswood cheap. Went down to Hobby Lobby, grabbed some 1/8" basswood for two bucks, drew a funky scale design, and cut and sanded away until I had some quick-n-dirty-n-cheap basswood scales. Again, brass microfasteners and a nasty crazy-glue spacer (yah yah yah I know...) due to impatience and the experimental nature of the project...mostly impatience.

Anyway, here you go, guys. They may not be especially purty but they'll do for now, and they're a hell of a lot easier to use than a scale-less blade.

Enjoy. Or wretch...vomit, perhaps.

You are right! They are not particularly pretty to look at, but they show considerable potential! I like the shapes, and I am betting that with a little experience, you will blow away the best scale makers on this site!!

Thanks...I think!

Yes..thank you. I gotta start somewhere, and I've been having a lot of fun grinding and sanding. Time sort of disappears when hunched over a Dremel.

I can't wait to get started on my next couple of sets. I've got some ebony and some more burl, and I'm slowly learning what to do and NOT do when trying to shape these suckers.

Razors are a very personal thing and being able to design and make and construct your own is a great feeling.

You are obviously on your way to joining the ranks of some of the vets here. Original scale designs that follow form to the balde mounted in them and function of how they feel in your hand while shaving is a delicate balance.
As well the feedback they give while controling the balde as is runs across your face is most important IMO.

Congrats on your work so far .... I am looking forward to seeing whats next !

Great work and keep pushing the envelope on the design end.

It's posted all over the forum, but wear a mask when using power tools on wood. Some woods are toxic, and you don't want to be breathing in the dust.

J.

Thanks. I did a LOT of reading before going into this and purchased a respirator and safety glasses to keep things on the safe-ish side.

I appreciate the heads-up, though!

Originally Posted by jfreaksho

It's posted all over the forum, but wear a mask when using power tools on wood. Some woods are toxic, and you don't want to be breathing in the dust.

J.

Beast - Great username.
I think the potential is obvious - Interesting scale design and great taste in timber choice, the Amboyna ie.
Small critique & only obvious fault- looks like you finish sanded across the blade. You should finish your blade with a scratch pattern 90 deg. to the spine but otherwise great start.



Patience is worth cultivating , especially handling straights

I'll work on that... It's actually not as bad as it looks, but the light REALLY caught a bit of foggy-different-direction polishing/grinding.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Beast - Great username.
I think the potential is obvious - Interesting scale design and great taste in timber choice, the Amboyna ie.
Small critique & only obvious fault- looks like you finish sanded across the blade. You should finish your blade with a scratch pattern 90 deg. to the spine but otherwise great start.



Patience is worth cultivating , especially handling straights

I know what you mean mate but I can't judge your photography skills coz mine suck bad.

Those scuffs are easily fixed and as you say prolly not even noticeable in a different light.

Moved this to the Gallery forum.