Thread: Polymer Clay Canes & Scales

Windcalmer

I am waiting to see the finished scales, the clay/glow in the dark is a really innovative way of making scales.

_____

pcmoe1000

Those blue scales are really cool I did not know they made pen blanks that were long enough.

Charlie

Originally Posted by poona

How's the memory on this material?

Or are you gonna reinforce it with another material?

I'd just be worried that the scales may be too bendy and warp easily. How they going?

Originally Posted by Windcalmer

I have some brass for a liner and brass pins for it.

And the bendy part...They are quite soft, but with a liner, there is no problem with them bending enough to cause a problem.

I'm glad you are following through, I have been involved with so many things to make progress.

Originally Posted by kaptain_zero

The wildest pattern making I ever saw was actually in a book about the history of the Browning firearms company. One of the fellows working there made himself a set of damascus barrels for a shotgun... when one viewed the seam under high magnification it was the fellows full name in script, over and over.... really wild! Too bad it's so hard to do or that would have been neat to have on a damascus blade.

I have got to see a picture of this!!!!!!

Do you have one you could share.

^^^ I have spent at least 30 hours since I read that look for a picture or even a write up on it. Nothing. So I want to see the pics too!!!!

I know, it's killing me too! There was a copy of this book at the gunshop where I worked (it had a most delightful library). I don't know the title anymore and the gun shop owner has since passed on, and the other gunsmith is no longer around either as far as I know, but it was a book about the history of Browning and the firearms they created. It was a rather oldish book, hardbound and this is going back about 25 years ago when I read it. I'll have to ask one of our collector customers whom I just bumped into a few weeks ago... seems he is now employed by one of the current gun shops in town as he is semi-retired.

Christian

Back on topic... Got the liner epoxied in tonight. Turned out better than I thought ((Considering that I have never done scales before)).

I ground down one spot to make sure that the brass and the polyclay were fitted up nice and tight with no gaps. It seems to be fine, so tomorrow I will sand them all down and do the final shaping to the polyclay bit. Then its just gloss coating them and waiting for my stuff to get here from microfasteners.com LOL. ((I am doing adjustable pins on this one. That way if I want later I can make another set of scales.)) Once I get it done I am sending it to Lynn to get honed and then giving it to a buddy of mine that wants to try shaving with a straight.

UPDATE:

After being sick for three days, I got out all my stuff and decided to finish up the scales. I get everything to the point of fitting up the spacer and I nicked my hand and dropped the whole thing. The polymer on one side of the scales too the brunt of the fall and cracked in half. Had I had the second pin in it would have been fine, but with them all flailing around like mad on the way down it was OVER.

Here is what it all looked like about five minutes before I dropped it. And then after I dropped it. LOL

I am going to salvage the brass liner and make another set of the scales. This time I am gonna try not to drop the damn thing.

Sic Vita Est!

When you're done, let us know how shaving in the dark works for you!

I'm a night shaver myself... those are (were?) some pretty nice looking scales, good luck on the 2nd pass!

dude those looked awsome! were they glued to the liners when you dropped it?