Thread: What are you working on?

I find a blast of brake cleaner will remove all grease and crud from washers or blades. I use a tea ball for holding the small parts to do it. Outdoor process only!!!
Do not do it after a final buff when the pin is in place.
~Richard

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Nice razor! Looks like AJKennes collars. Did they have the little undercollars?
Curious, why would you need to sand them?

I stick them on a pin-vise and take them to the buffer a bit, such as the example below. This is nickel-silver prior to buffing.
Shine-up brilliantly fast.
Nice collars, I think!

Attachment 260768

I was thinking (here we go again) maybe you could also use the pin vise as a bit in a hand held drill. Less rpms and less chance of damage to the washers. Another way to do the same thing.

More than one way to skin a cat. The Dremel attachments with the little screw in the end works good as well. Tilting them slightly against the buffer works OK for me. Lightly goes!

I use my 1/16" tapered pin punch with a fingertip at the end just in case. About a 45 deg angle and lightly tap, tap, tap against the buffing wheel. Doesn't take much at all. And when your done with one washer it just slips off and another one put on the punch and off ya go.

has anyone tossed them into the vibrating tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner?

Originally Posted by RezDog

has anyone tossed them into the vibrating tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner?

I don't own either and I polish 'as needed' as I would presume that the brass washers would begin to develop a patina and both the SS and brass would get dinged up if they were put into a container. But there again, what do I know

Originally Posted by RezDog

has anyone tossed them into the vibrating tumbler or ultrasonic cleaner?

They really don't need anything aggressive at all, like sanding or tumbling.
The lack of shine is due to being stamped and everything moved and compressed.
Someone could simply screw them down to a Dremel mandrel and run them slowly against a pad with polish on it.
You could stick them on the end of a pin-vise and rub them on a cloth with polish by hand if you want to.
The buggers just need a bit of polish and it is hard to do without a way to hold onto the things!

Skinning Cats R Us!

I started this one a few days back, but got distracted with a couple other projects. I got back to it and finished it up today and it came out better then I had expected. It's stamped "Henry Koch, made in Germany" on the front, with nothing on the back. I cant seem to find anything on this maker but I assume this is a late 19th century blade. I was able to salvage the horn scales and lead wedge. The scales have a few defects, but with some slight reshaping and lots of sanding, they came out pretty nice.

I put some of AJ's collars on this one too. I took Sharptonn's advice with the pin vice and buffer but I think I get about the same results polishing after they've been pinned.

Looks as good as new.!
Nice save, BeJay

Great job there BJ