Thread: What are you working on?

Originally Posted by outback

Crude....but one of these has crossed my mind a few times. I know I could make a insert

Awe yes, good idea! I just saw a bunch of these at the flea market for cheap! Also they would be hard for a 2yr old to open. Can't remember if they can be locked..?
I think I'll go with these
The next consideration about desiccant is : How dry does desiccant get it? I'm thinking about whether or not it will be too dry for my natural scale materials..?
If I remember correctly anything above RH40 or so will rust, but too dry hurts natural scales..?
What RH do you guys shoot for? or do you not trip out on such details?

A have a few old ammo boxes and they all have some means of securing the lid. I presume there was a manufactures seal on them originally. If you oil you natural scales, they should be fine. The oils won’t get dry in low humidity. I use light mineral oil. Tom has a product he puts on celluloid scales to keep them from drying out and decomposing, and off gassing.

Originally Posted by RezDog

A have a few old ammo boxes and they all have some means of securing the lid. I presume there was a manufactures seal on them originally. If you oil you natural scales, they should be fine. The oils won’t get dry in low humidity. I use light mineral oil. Tom has a product he puts on celluloid scales to keep them from drying out and decomposing, and off gassing.

Auh yes, thank you that is a good idea, and so the low RH will not be a factor if you protect the scales.. *So by material: Wood? Ivory? Horn and baleen? Celluloid?
You reminded me of the dangers of decaying celluloid destructive effects on other materials... do you guys separate these from other blades? Watch closely for scales becoming a danger to blades and other scales?

Originally Posted by MikeB52

You can, in a toaster oven or regular oven, @170 or so.
Ideally open the sacks to see the desiccant itself. Bake until Blue colour is restored.
Water absorption will occur until Blue is gone again. Then bake and repeat.

Air compressor systems sometimes use large stacks of desiccant in vertical columns as their air dryers. These dryers re usually sold in pairs. When one is in use the other goes through a heat cycle to bake off the collected moisture. Then they switch. Gets couple years life out of them befor the entrained oil in the compressed air renders the desiccant useless.

We use desiccant dryers at work. A refrigerated dryer can only get around 38'F RH range. The desiccant ones get to around -72'F.

I have also worked with wheels of desiccant that rotate slowly from the exhaust to intake air for dehumidifying rooms. Candy wrapping rooms and the sugar dust did them in.

Hope your enjoying time with your toddler Mike. My little girl turns 2 on October. I need to get something more secure to keep my razors in....
If any of you guys want small silica packs let me know. I work retail so there is plenty of them whenever they get freight. I don't work weekday mornings so I can't get them as easily as I used to. Fire safes have silica pouches about 3-4" long but I usually leave those inside.

Hitting the road before long. 6hr drive home.

I don’t have many wood scales. A lot of bone, ivory, and horn.

Air exchange is advisable for celluloid.....One bad apple.

Originally Posted by 32t

We use desiccant dryers at work. A refrigerated dryer can only get around 38'F RH range. The desiccant ones get to around -72'F..

I've got a vacuum pump in storage, i could get a steel tube with sanitary end caps, vacuum it down while heating it up.. that would bring the RH to very low levels but I guess probably overkill.. when considering all the other projects with limited time.. hehehe

Originally Posted by JP5

Hope your enjoying time with your toddler Mike. My little girl turns 2 on October. I need to get something more secure to keep my razors in....
If any of you guys want small silica packs let me know.

Thanks man, it's a combination of the most wonderful love and joy and total frustration! Lol my hairline has receded and I've got very little sanity left.. but I wouldn't trade it for every mint straight razor ever made! errrr uh well let me rethink that.

Hey, on another topic, I sent out razors and scale materials a couple years back and never checked to see the results. I don't expect, but was hoping that good things were made and restored.. that I might see the results. Been a long time though so..?

Originally Posted by MikeT

Hey, on another topic, I sent out razors and scale materials a couple years back and never checked to see the results. I don't expect, but was hoping that good things were made and restored.. that I might see the results. Been a long time though so..?

Here’s some of the stuff I made with the bog you sent me. Did one set of scales out of it too. Can’t find a pic though..

For a fellow member.

Pens on the ends, for new family members.

Donation to the Movember movement.

Lithophane trinket box trim for the missez..
Looks way cooler lit up from within..

Anyway, been a while coming but thanks for the goodies Mike. Still going to good uses with restraint and measure..

Yup....outback Mike made some Bog oak scales for my Henckels 17.
Intentionally left rough and natural. SWEET!