Thread: What are you working on?

Thanks, Jerry-Either Mike or myself will eventually own all the Wostenholm IXL's is the plan, I think (and Ern Ators for me!). I'm about to finish up the WM Elliott in African Blackwood with the TruOil finish that I hope will put all my previous efforts to shame; at this point, I'm just blending in the reworked wedge end back in with the rest of the finished scales on each side-a few more steps and I'm done.

To keep me humble, the razor gods made me screw one up today, though. I think I made a mistake in trying to get that red mallee burl down close to target thickness BEFORE epoxying to G10 liners. I was wiping the burl blanks off with an acetoned rag when one of them just separated near the pivot end just around a birds-eye weak spot-d'oh! I tried to epoxy it back together while simultaneously epoxying it to the G10-they're under clamps now. I'll lose a big bet with myself if that actually worked! We'll see tomorrow. All is not lost, though: I do have 1 more stabilized set of mallee burl blanks from that order. This time I will epoxy them to the G10 backing BEFORE final thicknessing.

You guys who do the G10 backing-any other tips? Mike-Does the Flex-Coat you recommended to me some time back work okay for this? They do need to flex after all. Thanks-Aaron

Oh, and this just popped up on my ebay feed: https://www.ebay.com/i/333164069022?ul_noapp=true: Rosewood Guitar Headstock Veneers.

I'm fixed for life with rosewood especially, but they make these headstock veneers in some neat tropical hardwoods now, and they're almost the perfect size for razor scales at Size: Approx. 200 x 88 x 2mm/ 7.87 x 3.46 x 0.078inch (though at 2mm, they might need a backer for stability). StewMac has a great selection of these, as do some other online suppliers. $10.62 for 3 pieces and free shipping-someone ought to take one for the team and try these out for razors!

Id jump on it, but with 0 previous sales from a person Im not taking the chance.

Originally Posted by Gasman

Id jump on it, but with 0 previous sales from a person Im not taking the chance.

Jerry-I might get a set at that price in a wood I actually want just to prove my point (or make a damn fool of myself, whichever). If I get some and they work out, I'll send you a set-no risk.

By the way, a certain Mentor made me change to this avatar, someone who is a really bad influence on others. He has dirt on me, knows I like my ribs falling off the bone (hangs head in shame). I'm gonna indulge him for a little bit longer before I report him to the authorities.

I noticed the pic change. But I don't know who it is. Those blanks look really nice for sure. A little thin but as you said, with a backer they could be really nice. there is nothing wrong with going a little extra thin on your scales too if they are strong enough and I bet that stuff is plenty strong. I'd be happy to get a set from ya if they work out. I'd even throw some funds your way, you taking the risk and all.

Originally Posted by Gasman

I noticed the pic change. But I don't know who it is. Those blanks look really nice for sure. A little thin but as you said, with a backer they could be really nice. there is nothing wrong with going a little extra thin on your scales too if they are strong enough and I bet that stuff is plenty strong. I'd be happy to get a set from ya if they work out. I'd even throw some funds your way, you taking the risk and all.

Been a bit since I've posted:
I had intended on posting my progress on the John Cockhill British military razor I'd been working on. I'd finished the shaping of the second scale and was quite pleased with it...until I put them together and realized I'd flipped the scale and made two fronts

While waiting for some replacement horn to make two new back scales I realized I'd been having a lot more of these d'oh moments than normal. Visit to the doc and my BP had crept up, so dosage adjustment and all better right? Turns out I was sensitive to one of the components and it set up a cascade of electrolyte dump. After 4 days hooked to an I.V. machine and 23 blood draws (my hands and arms are a mess) all is balanced again and things are good. Gotta big extended family vacation we've been planning for over a year in a couple of weeks so razor projects are on hold while I enjoy the big picture. And yes the first thing I did when I got home from the hospital was soak in hot shower and have a luxurious shave with one of my best blades (thanks Boushie). I'll be back when I get the new rear scales cut out.

ScoutHikerDad: man my heart went out to you on those broken mallee burl scales, that had to hurt. Couldn't "like" anything on my phone, had to wait until I got back.

Originally Posted by JellyJar

Been a bit since I've posted:
I had intended on posting my progress on the John Cockhill British military razor I'd been working on. I'd finished the shaping of the second scale and was quite pleased with it...until I put them together and realized I'd flipped the scale and made two fronts

While waiting for some replacement horn to make two new back scales I realized I'd been having a lot more of these d'oh moments than normal. Visit to the doc and my BP had crept up, so dosage adjustment and all better right? Turns out I was sensitive to one of the components and it set up a cascade of electrolyte dump. After 4 days hooked to an I.V. machine and 23 blood draws (my hands and arms are a mess) all is balanced again and things are good. Gotta big extended family vacation we've been planning for over a year in a couple of weeks so razor projects are on hold while I enjoy the big picture. And yes the first thing I did when I got home from the hospital was soak in hot shower and have a luxurious shave with one of my best blades (thanks Boushie). I'll be back when I get the new rear scales cut out.

ScoutHikerDad: man my heart went out to you on those broken mallee burl scales, that had to hurt. Couldn't "like" anything on my phone, had to wait until I got back.

Jelly-Enjoy your vacation; we look forward to seeing what you do with that Cockhill when you return. By the way, I have done that exact thing (make two front scales!). There are more of us, I guarantee you! Take care of your BP, too.

As for the mallee burl scales, I'm still just letting them sit and harden some more to see what I've got. I'm not heart-broken if they don't make it. I'll just take my lessons learned to the other set. The trick moving forward is to start anticipating these potential problems and coming up with a fix BEFORE messing up expensive materials, I think. Take care.

Well, after taking them out of the clamps and being amazed that I couldn't even see the epoxy repair, as I was cleaning them off-yep, they broke at the same spot (as expected-I didn't even cuss).

Well, I immediately flattened the other pair on one side (but left them at near full thickness this time), cut my G10 to the size of the blanks, then rough-sanded and scored both the wood and the G10 liner on the gluing surfaces before smearing evenly with epoxy, making them into wax-paper sandwiches and clamping them hard between flat wood pieces in my vise-not even gonna look at them before tomorrow, but I feel pretty good about this technique. I've got everything else done (wedge, pins, blade, etc.); hopefully I can finish and pin her up tomorrow-more later.

Originally Posted by ScoutHikerDad

Well, after taking them out of the clamps and being amazed that I couldn't even see the epoxy repair, as I was cleaning them off-yep, they broke at the same spot (as expected-I didn't even cuss).

Well, I immediately flattened the other pair on one side (but left them at near full thickness this time), cut my G10 to the size of the blanks, then rough-sanded and scored both the wood and the G10 liner on the gluing surfaces before smearing evenly with epoxy, making them into wax-paper sandwiches and clamping them hard between flat wood pieces in my vise-not even gonna look at them before tomorrow, but I feel pretty good about this technique. I've got everything else done (wedge, pins, blade, etc.); hopefully I can finish and pin her up tomorrow-more later.

First time I tried doing a g10 liner on scales that were already made it did not go well. Sounds like you adjusted course and are going to get it taken care of.

I bought some wax paper since Mike uses it, but I just haven't had the chance work with it. I'm lucky if I chance to do any honing without interruption. Getting the stuff out to work on razors and putting it back up out of the reach of little hands usually takes up too much time on its own!