Frederick Reynolds Wedge

As discussed over here: http://straightrazorpalace.com/aucti...-just-won.html

I just received my frederick reynolds wedge purchased on the bay.

I unpinned it, removed the active rust, cleaned and polished the mottled horn scales and repinned.

Here's the pic. Feedback is HIGHLY welcome, especially on my pinning.

(Please ignore the crack in the scales. It wasn't there before unpinning the razor, and is fortunately no structural)

http://stevecoonsphoto.com/resto2/FRwedge1.jpg

http://stevecoonsphoto.com/resto2/FRwedge2.jpg

http://stevecoonsphoto.com/resto2/FRwedge3.jpg

http://stevecoonsphoto.com/resto2/FRwedge4.jpg

It actually looks good Steve, the only hint I could give and it might not make any difference is the higher the polish is on your Ballpeen hammer the higher the polish will be on the pins...

Sometimes scales crack and you didn't do a thing wrong, they can be bent they can be crud locked or rust locked to the scales and when you pop them they just crack....

I snapped a scale last night in fact, the Crushed Emerald ones I did on one of the guy's Fillys... Was putting in the pivot pin and just one tap in the wrong place and snap, I had to make a new one today it happens to all of us...

I have a couple of sets of those same FR scales if you want to try cleaning one of them up they are not in great shape but with some work they could be....

i like it :)

All Right!!! :tu

Glad to see you put that doming block to use, and also took the plunge to make your own pins! :rock: Those domed washers really look cool.

Love the tortoise-shell look of those scales, even if it isn't tortoise shell.

In conjunction with Glen's tip about a highly polished hammer (that tip helped me too - thanks Glen!) my very limited experience has shown me that once I get the razor pinned tight enough to hold together, many many many light taps while moving the hammer head around all sides of the pin while you work will make the pin heads even smoother. It also helps to rest the other side of the pin in a drilled depression (it doesn't have to be deep) on your work surface rather than on a dead flat surface when you are smoothing out those pins.

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

....the higher the polish is on your Ballpeen hammer the higher the polish will be on the pins...

...I snapped a scale last night in fact....

I have a couple of sets of those same FR scales if you want to try cleaning one of them up they are not in great shape but with some work they could be....

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I've thought about the polish on the hammer. This one is new, but not very even. I think I better ball peen might help. In the mean time, perhaps some love from the dremel.

I would take you up on those scales, but I've got a brand new set of shapton hone that should be on my doorstep tomorow. If you still have some laying around after the new-toy-joy wears off from the hones, I may take you up on it.

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Originally Posted by mrbhagwan

All Right!!! :tu

Glad to see you put that doming block to use, and also took the plunge to make your own pins! :rock: Those domed washers really look cool.

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What's funny, is that I bought a few sets of these: Straight Razor Maintenance & Repair Needs for my first attempts at pinning because I was a little intimidated by pinning.

For anyone else considering them, my vote is not to bother. It only took a little longer to do it myself, and I think they turned out MUCH better.

Very nice ! & I like the hammered look on your pins.
Shame about the crack but as Glen said it happens. Just enjoy it as is.
Will likely hold together a long time & if not, Super glue sticks to horn pretty well.

I really like it, need to get me one of those Sheffield wedges...

Regards

I like the work and the use of original material. I can't seem to find any of those scales that are in good enough shape to fix, so great job! For me the trick to smooth pins is a norton 320 grit sanding block. I use the block and run it gently over each pin after pinning is complete and then use a dremel felt pad with jewelers or white rouge that you can get at Home Depot made by Ryobi. You can also carefully use a dremel sanding disk and go over the pins quickly and lightly to avoid heat.
I only say this if you want the pins to look polished. With those original scales and the age of the razor, I think hammered pins look better.
You can see some of my pins in my albums, but Max and Glen do the best and most consistent pin jobs. I think what you have is great, and I love the domed washers.
Again, great job!

It looks quite nice,

I like it too Steve. You did what you had to do and proud you should be.

You could easily take a small piece of high grit sandpaper and carefully sand the brass mushroom pin flush. Lay the sandpaper flat on a surface and carefully in circle movements try sand your way on the brass peened mushroom. Make sure not to touch the scales on the sandpaper. A 12K micromesh puts a final high mirror polish on those babies.

Enjoy your Reynolds!

Nice job on the razor! Besides what has already been said about the pins, I'd only say this: Honestly I think the flat washer underneath the domed washer looks to be out of place. It isn't centered and takes away from the look IMO. Also, you could do a little more work around the edges of the pin to flatten it out more. Try to have a goal in terms of where you want the metal to move to when doing this.

First of all, WOW, TONS of feedback on the pinning.

That's all VERY much appreciated. With this razor, I'm happy with the pins having a slightly "hammered" look. With old horn scales and less than mirrored blade, I think it's more appropriate.

That being said, I had looked at my pins and wondered just exactly how I could make them smoother. Sanding them never even occured to me.

The only other thing to point out, is that the crack, and texture of the pins are both FAR more subtle in person. Those photos were taken in a lightbox with over 1000 watts of light hitting it, using a 90mm macro lens. In person, the pins look more satin, and you can't see the hammer marks unless you prety much hold it up to your eyeball.



All this really has me thinking though. As I move along from razor to razor, I'm going to have to experiment with the pins. There will be plenty of razors I want to shine the pin up using some of the techniques you guys listed, but I can also imagine trying to exaggerate the "hammered" look.

Very Nice Job Vee !:)

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Originally Posted by Philadelph

Nice job on the razor! Besides what has already been said about the pins, I'd only say this: Honestly I think the flat washer underneath the domed washer looks to be out of place. It isn't centered and takes away from the look IMO. Also, you could do a little more work around the edges of the pin to flatten it out more. Try to have a goal in terms of where you want the metal to move to when doing this.

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I have mixed feelings about the wide washers underneath.

First of all, I do need to be very careful to pick ones that are well centred.

One of the reasons I used them on these scales, is that these scales are quite old, and were not in perfect shape around the pin holes. I felt like they would give more support.

So far, I've actaully done a pretty bad job of deciding when to use or not use wide washers underneath. I didn't use them when I pinned some scales I had made from mahogany, and I really should have because the small domed washers sunk into the wood.

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Originally Posted by VeeDubb65

but I can also imagine trying to exaggerate the "hammered" look.

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Great minds think alike, I was thinking about using a Tack hammer and patterning the head, so that it gives an exaggerated hammered look

One obvious way to exagerate the look comes to mind.

We always stick to 1/16 pins, but I bough a razor from holi4pirating a while back (all he did was hone it up for me and stick it in the mail) and someone had previously redone the scales (badly) and used 1/8 pins.

With 1/8 pins, you'd have a lot more room to hammer the pins, and as an added bonus, it would help to tigheten things up with you've got a razor with an oversized pivot hole.

Steve, that's a gorgeous blade. Love it. Someday, I will have a Sheffield wedge.....someday (daydreaming).

It's just a matter of being patient. I paid less than half the cost of the cheapest new dovo for that. Just keep an eye out, and you'll find one eventually. Only took me a few months.

She's a beauty. How bad were the scales when you got her?