Second re-scale - Lots of pictures

Howdy,

Here's my next scales project. I was actually working on another one when I found this very nice little piece of wood in a corner.

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...ojects/GD1.jpg

I suddenly had the urge to re-scale my GD208, who's scales are ugly as sin (you know the ones - fake carbon fiber). BHChieftain had shown me his Livi, which had one piece scales, and I was quite struck by the design. Off to the bandsaw! This one is a lot deeper than my first project, because the blade is a 7/8.

With the outline roughed out to my liking, I tackled the slot:

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...ojects/GD4.jpg

That was a bit difficult, and it turns out that I needed to add some relief in the first inch or so to allow clearance for the tang. Then plenty of time with 120, 220, and 400 grit sandpaper, then 000 steel wool. I'm not sure what wood this is, but it sure finishes nicely.

Lesson learned from my first project - finish before pinning in the blade! As with last time, Homer Formby's Tung Oil Finish. Love the stuff.

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...ojects/GD5.jpg

A few minutes with the ball peen hammer, and we're done! I didn't add washers on this one, because I'm unhappy with how they worked out on my Shumate.

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/IMG_1714.jpg

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/IMG_1719.jpg

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...s/IMG_1715.jpg

Like my first project, the pressure was low, as this was a blade I wouldn't weep over if it got wrecked. (No comments about silk purses out of sows ears, please!)

Fred

Very nice. Maybe some day I will find the confidince to try it. I also have the 208(just got my 80 back from Rup, you da man Rup ) and love them(don't know any better?)

That's beautiful. I might try this with my 200. Any tips for making the slot?

That turned out well.

Congrats!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by burns420

That's beautiful. I might try this with my 200. Any tips for making the slot?

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I used a bandsaw with a fence, did one pass to set the thickness of one wall, then flipped the blank upside down and did a second pass to get the other wall the same thickness. Setting the wall thickness was just a matter of meauring.

I then drilled down into the blank with a bit the diameter of the slot width. That was problematic, as the bit wanted to walk as it made its way through the wood. Came out pretty close though.

Fred

The wood looks to be either a straight figured Cocobolo (not all of it has all those eyes) or perhaps Kingwood...

I thought Kingwood too. I'd expect rough sawn cocobolo to be more orange than in the first picture, though of course the colour balance may be deceptive. My compliments on an interesting, tidily executed job, Fred.

very cool... I was just working on a piece of kingwood this afternoon, and it looks just about the same as that (maybe a touch more purple, but you never know from pictures).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arrowhead

I thought Kingwood too. I'd expect rough sawn cocobolo to be more orange than in the first picture, though of course the colour balance may be deceptive. My compliments on an interesting, tidily executed job, Fred.

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Thanks! I think I'll go with the Kingwood ID. I've worked with cocobolo before, and the pieces I've used have been more dense than this, in addition to being more red/orange. This piece took a finish really well.

A very serious woodworker down the street, who was moving, had a big stash of hardwood leftovers from various projects. (Got a very nice set of golf clubs from him to - another story, however.) My grandfather taught me never to pass up a good deal on nice hardwoods, so I took all of it. My first and third sets of scales (pics of the third shortly) were from some Bubinga scraps.

Fred

Fred,

It looks like you scored. Those scales look really nice. I'm looking forward to seeing some more of your exotic wood razor rescales in the future.

It sounds like you've got the same timber hoarding habit as me, Fred. Part of the reason why I got interested in razors (besides shaving with them, obviously), was because rescaling is a nice small scale project for using some of the really small but special offcuts that wind up under the bench. I've got materials for a lot of scales now, but I'm not doing so well for blades to marry up to them up to, yet.