Thread: Recycled electronics components for scales

It's a neat looking razor, but it's not a new idea, and not as well implemented as this one: http://straightrazorpalace.com/custo...ers-blade.html (which wasn't the first one ever dressed in circuit board either)

Originally Posted by HNSB

It's a neat looking razor, but it's not a new idea, and not as well implemented as this one: http://straightrazorpalace.com/custo...ers-blade.html (which wasn't the first one ever dressed in circuit board either)

That is the one I remembered. Beautiful job.

I'm not impressed. I have worked with circuit boards and it just doesn't seem to me they'd be suitable for scales.

I'd like to remind you all that I don't know what I'm talking about most of the time.

Thanks for the above kudos!

I would agree that an untreated board may not be a good scale material.
Untreated wood may not be ideal either. Heck, horn, bone, ivory, mop straight from the source wont look or last as we want. IMO all have beautiful detail when they are treated and/or finished with attention.

Fully sealed, I think the circuit board is an interesting material. When I sealed these, I used SystemThree MirrorCoat, and am very happy with them.

Hmmmm - I wonder if Bill Gates or Steve Jobs shaves with a straight after seeing these.

Originally Posted by dirtychrome

Thanks for the above kudos!

I would agree that an untreated board may not be a good scale material.
Untreated wood may not be ideal either. Heck, horn, bone, ivory, mop straight from the source wont look or last as we want. IMO all have beautiful detail when they are treated and/or finished with attention.

Fully sealed, I think the circuit board is an interesting material. When I sealed these, I used SystemThree MirrorCoat, and am very happy with them.

I have seen scales made out of circuit boards in the past and was not impressed. These on the other hand look great! Thanks for sharing.

Originally Posted by dirtychrome

<snip>

Fully sealed, I think the circuit board is an interesting material. When I sealed these, I used SystemThree MirrorCoat, and am very happy with them.
<snip>

Those look nice! I suspect you did more than seal them . They look thicker and slicker than circuit board, which is not the way the ones on Etsy looked at all.

It seems to me that it's the difference between trying to use a butterfly as a paperweight and using a block of lucite with a butterfly in it.

Whether or not one appreciates the the look of circuit boards around a straight razor is one issue, but the truth is that circuit board material is fairly well suited for razor scales. The stuff is waterproof, dimensionally stable and has just enough give to take a bit of a curve. In particular, some circuit boards are made with phenolic impregnated cloth and are quite the same thing as Micarta if you can ignore the copper clading, wire runs, soldering pads and a myriad of holes.

I actually saw that razor when it was listed on e-bay, and I have seen some others with circuit board scales. Pen makers have been doing this for some time and you can buy blanks for pen Turing that could be used for a smaller razor or laminated to make a larger piece. I think the nicest one was one a knife where the maker had taken a circuit board and poured a clear epoxy over the board to cover the components and add thickness/produce a smooth finish. It was really quite nice and a great recycling job of what must be a huge wasted resource of phenolic board.