Thread: Step by step restore of a Wostenholm for a member

Originally Posted by souschefdude

now support the scales over a gap, and tap out with a nail. slide a blade behind the scale and use to lever the scale off the pin. Go easy, grasshopper.

A couple of Hints:


Home Depot

get a set of steel drift (punch) pins to carefully tap out the pins, honestly it is WAY safer

Dasco Pro Small Pin Punch Set (3-Piece)-34 at The Home Depot


I pretty much use the 1/16 almost 99% of the time but the price difference for the 3 pin set vs just one punch was minimal

For really stubborn rusted pins I use Kroil to loosen it all up

Harbor Freight I buy several of these every time they go on sale for $1.99 they last me about 6-8 months each, I polish the bottoms up a bit better before use

Search results for: 'flush cutters'


There are of course many others like these available but honestly I have tried using the "Better" read more expensive ones, but they last no longer and work no better


Using these two tools and patience I can pop safely over 90% of all the pins that come across the bench, for the other 10% I do much like you have outlined here but with small a Hand File

Hi Glen.
For us neo's I have found that filing the one side of the pin and washer off completely works best for me . That is especially true on really dry scales that I wish to save. I use a small 6" "smooth" file.
I then very carefully drive the pin out with a straight pin punch. I do that while the scale and washer are supported on the back side. There mush be a same size hole in the support for the pin to go into on the back side.
I have not had good luck with the Flush cutters, even the good ones. They are great for saving one scale that has lost its mate along the way.
~Richard

Just a quick update.
I am working all weekend, and won't have time to work on the restore, but I did attempt straightening the set of black horn scales I had for practice.
Not having much luck. I started out using hot water out of the tap....not hot enough.
I then used near-boiling water....softened them up. I pressed them between a sheet of glass on granite, with a slab of flat marble on top, weighed down with an additional gallon of water...
Didn't really do much. Did it twice, still no good.
I then used near boiling water, steeped for about 1 minute, just so it was flexible, and manipulated them by hand.
looked good, but as they dried they warped again.
I'll try again Monday.....

So this is what I have so far on the practice scales.
Question for the restorers, any chance the delamination will be made worse by trying to straighten them with hot water?

Now to practice on the inscripted scale from The Old English, which is in a similar condition to the one I am restoring. You can see the warp and delamination.

Originally Posted by souschefdude

Question for the restorers, any chance the delamination will be made worse by trying to straighten them with hot water?

Yes very much so,, even working with Celluloid & Bakelite you stand a chance of doing more harm then good


I like using steam rather then boiling water with Natural scales a bit better, but either will work or harm

Very cool thread, can't wait to see how it turns out.

you've got me following it too.

I have straightened a couple of sets now, both on the razor using cut up credit card for packers against the blade, the other fully removed & stripped I clamped together between 2 pieces of 5mm Stainless flat bar both done in boiling water over them & left until cooled worked fine for horn scales
Regards D

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