Thread: What are you working on?

Originally Posted by MikeT

Gonna have to find the scale material..

GIYF

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Incudo-C...-/191837290069

Check with a nearby musical instrument repair shop. The celluloid can be too thin and requires laminating. The sheets I bought were too thick or too thin and very dark.
JMHO
~Richard

Modern plastics to match is doable. That is how I would go. Celluloid is nobueno for me. I already have too much of it!

The blade looks great, Mike.
I was thinking how that is one of the most full Reaper blades I had seen. You did it justice.
So I hope the inlay thing goes well. Post some pics if you can along the way.

I always chop things up a bit instead of dissolving it all wholesale.
Cut that scale right above the reapers head. I use one of those heavy glass candle tops. Comes out and cleans up.
You want to have the least amount of scale in there as possible as you will need to have it thin enough to rinse off completely.
Do them one at a time!

So you see, I am expert on removal and nothing on installing.

Thanks Tom, I hadn't thought of that, good idea on cutting it down. To make the removal of the inlays easier, and to avoid bending... Can I leave them in the acetone to completely dissolve? Will it?
Definitely going to put some effort into pics and process. This is a big one for me, as it's one I've wanted to do for years, gotta document it!
Though I'm not a plastics guy. I'll be using bog oak. Black as night, with a texture of the natural wood grain to give it an ancient look. Bloodwood wedge I think.

You will need some good tweezers and a wad of paper towels to wipe them off with.
Dissolve no more than you have to. Swish it around until the inlay floats-off. Discard the cell and be delicate with getting the inlay ashore on a paper towel to dry.
Toss the stuff ASAP out of your glass. Wipe it down with aforementioned paper towels. Done!

Lots of ventilation. Acetone is stout!

Another way is to pop the scales in simmering hot water & the inlay will come off pretty quick.

Woodturningz is having an across the board sale. They carry some nice exotic woods and a bunch of acrylics that are in blanks long enough to make scales out of. (Look up 'Big Blanks').

Also you can ask for them to use their huge band saw to custom cut the blanks into thinner pieces for a minor charge. HOWEVER there are some woods that they won't cut down due to concerns about warping.

I hope this link works for all:

2019 New Years Sale!

Just a reminder, be sure that you are buying the 6"
length of the blanks!
Their service is great. A good look at the tools might be fun,also.
JMHO
~Richard

Well time was not available yesterday, but I did get it apart.
Didn't come apart easy at all, kind of a PITA.
Traced some outlines.
Today I'll remove the bolsters.
10Pups may be interested to see that the mystery piece of aluminum is in this scale too! Very strange. Now on 2. Not just a factory error??? I'm stumped on that.

I have missed the previous mention of the mystery piece of aluminum.

If it is not attached to the inserts I can think of two things.

A weight to hold the inserts in place while the celluloid is added.

Or a heat sink, heat holder to control shrinkage of the celluloid while cooling.

#3 added strength to the scales. Break the other in half while you are at it to see if anything is there.