Thread: What are you working on?

Originally Posted by outback

If you have a dappling block, you can reshape the collars, make them look new, again.


And yes...those are the original scales, after restoration.

A tip for you:!

Clean the collars the best you can, before you remove the pins. Once removed, their hard to hold on to.

Some of us use a pin vice, and a piece of pinned rod, to hold them for cleaning, after their removed.


Just pin the collar into the vice, for a tight grip.

That one looks beautiful, nice work Mike . You can tell it was looked after by the condition of the support collars..A good tip is to take it easy on the Dappling Block because a good whack can split old collars

Originally Posted by Skorpio58

Really a great Job...!

Thanks for your hints!

Did you also sanded the scales or just used neatsfoot oil?

They were sanded and repaired. Then a long soak in Neatsfoot oil.



The bugs had almost ate thru the scales, real fun getting it to come apart in one piece. Well, two pieces.

This is how they were, after the oil bath.

wow


I've also a couple of Bengall Cast Steel whose scales needs to be repaired & restored... and these too are waiting for us to move freely.

Put them in hair dye, after sanding. Then soak in oil.






The last two pics are of what happens if you do a repair with CA, before the hair dye. You have to use epoxy, before dye

So, if I've correctly understood, the procedure should be:

1) Sanding
2) Repair (if needed) with Epoxy Resin
2b) Sand again/finish
3) Hair Dye (the scales will be of the color I'll choose... right?)
4) Neatsfoot oil

Yes.

You can use different color dye's, only on honey horn, or something transparent.

If I sand a set, then find out their honey horn, and in good condition. ( little to no bug bites, and delamination ) I'll restore them in their natural state.





If they need a lot of repair work, I like to dye them to hide/ blend the repairs. Typically done with bog oak dust, and epoxy.

Hey Mike, if you are polishing them do you seal the epoxy with CA so it will take a polish?

After what I've seen here... think I'll have to buy the necessary to restore & repin the scales ASAP!
Can't wait to await to free move and meet my experienced friend...!

Yep.! Just like clear coat, on auto finishes.

All respect to you Mike. You know way more than I do but maybe you can give me correction. The last pair of horn scales I tried to dye in hair dye wouldn't ever darken. I soaked them multiple.times, one time at least for a couple of days if I remember and they would get tanned but not brown. I wound up using some RIT fabric dye and they browned up nicely first try. Am I doing something wrong?