Thread: Should I work on this TR Cadman?

If you wouldn't mind my jumping in here (apologies if this is considered rude), I too just started work cleaning up my first, which happens to be a TR Cadman (and not as fancy as the OP). Does anyone have an idea whether there is a chemical that can be used to clean the stamped letters without having to sand down and lose the depth? When I was taking off the rust, I already went a little far on some of the letters. imgur: the simple image sharer Thanks.

Originally Posted by Hubris2

If you wouldn't mind my jumping in here (apologies if this is considered rude), I too just started work cleaning up my first, which happens to be a TR Cadman (and not as fancy as the OP). Does anyone have an idea whether there is a chemical that can be used to clean the stamped letters without having to sand down and lose the depth? When I was taking off the rust, I already went a little far on some of the letters. imgur: the simple image sharer Thanks.

I wouldn't see it as rude at all. What you are asking is along the lines of what this thread is talking about. And, I never thought of cleaning out the stamped lettering beyond what a tooth brush and hot soapy water can do. That way it leaves a contrast and you're not destroying the stamp. That is just my opinion of course.

Regards

Chasmo

I've tried scraping inside the letters with the point of a knife. It's tedious and cannot completely clean it, but it's a start.

For cleaning the etching on the blade, stampings on the tang and jimps, I use a brass brush, tooth brush type (paint dept Home Depot) with the WD40 then some metal polish to remove the rust and gunk.

A spray down with Simple Green or 409 type cleaner will remove the WD40 and the smell from the blade and scales.

You can heat the blade with hot water, wipe off then with a Q-tip apply white vinegar on the stamps and etch. It will darken the lettering, remove excess darkening on the blade with ooo or oooo steel wool, don’t wait too long or it becomes difficult to remove. If you want it darker hit it again. Simple Green will remove the vinegar smell.

Little sanding jig I whipped up.

Started work on the blade this afternoon. The 240 and WD40 has got most of the worst off. Bunnings had no idea what a crocus cloth was so wet'n'dry it is!

Should I keep going with the 240 further?
where the hinge is I cut little strips of sand paper.

I have scuffed the scales slightly when sanding will that come out with a polish?

How is best to use the Autosol? Just rub with a cloth and rub off turtle wax style?

Originally Posted by nonick

Started work on the blade this afternoon. The 240 and WD40 has got most of the worst off. Bunnings had no idea what a crocus cloth was so wet'n'dry it is!

Should I keep going with the 240 further?
where the hinge is I cut little strips of sand paper.

I have scuffed the scales slightly when sanding will that come out with a polish?

How is best to use the Autosol? Just rub with a cloth and rub off turtle wax style?

That's starting to look good Whether you go on with the 240 depends on how badly you want the last little stains to disappear vs how badly you want that great etching to be left intact. If you're careful, you can sand the spots at the toe a bit more without touching the etching, but there's a change it will leave the finish uneven. If it were mine, I'd move on up the grits and give it a nice polish, leaving the last patina intact.

As for the scales you hit, just polish won't take out the scratches. Try some fine sandpaper, start in the range of 600-1000 and move up to the highest grit you have, then polish. Of course, do this when the blade is at the same sandpaper grit, or you'll be going backward and forward everytime you slip up.

Originally Posted by nonick

Started work on the blade this afternoon. The 240 and WD40 has got most of the worst off. Bunnings had no idea what a crocus cloth was so wet'n'dry it is!

Should I keep going with the 240 further?
where the hinge is I cut little strips of sand paper.

I have scuffed the scales slightly when sanding will that come out with a polish?

How is best to use the Autosol? Just rub with a cloth and rub off turtle wax style?

Bunnings often have no idea.
As advised ,move to 400 now & progressively polish the scale scuffs as you go.
Rub the Autosol well in & polish off till cloth comes clean. Watch your fingers !

Originally Posted by Hubris2

If you wouldn't mind my jumping in here (apologies if this is considered rude), I too just started work cleaning up my first, which happens to be a TR Cadman (and not as fancy as the OP). Does anyone have an idea whether there is a chemical that can be used to clean the stamped letters without having to sand down and lose the depth? When I was taking off the rust, I already went a little far on some of the letters. imgur: the simple image sharer Thanks.

Hubris2,

What grit sandpaper did you use? I never use anything lower than 220 when sanding a razor unless I need to clean up deep pitting. For the stamped letters (as well as the rest of the razor), I find that using 220 and then progressively going up (220, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1000, etc) cleans up the razor well. The trick is that on each higher grit of sandpaper, you "erase" most/all of the scratches that you had created on the previous grit. The higher grits scratch less. Once your work you way up, the stamped letters should be clean with the scratches mostly all removed. Also make sure that you use a combination of horizontal, vertical, and circular swirls when sanding. This makes the scratches blur together and be much less noticeable to the eye.

I used this technique on my own TR Cadman to good effect. However, I did sand up to the 12,000 grit (using micro mesh pads). The Bengall letters are clean but not scratched.

One trick I like to use for cleaning up grime is to use sandpaper with a dab of metal polish. I use Brasso. I am not sure what is available in New Zealand. The polish and sandpaper work together to get a slightly deeper clean of tarnish.

Hey Nonick,
I was just admiring your handy work in your pictures again. That sure is a really nice unveiling of a treasure. It truly does look nice especially in a rustic old fashioned way, definitely with character. The tang looks to be of the oval verity rather than the sharp cornered versions. You are going to love that when you put it on the strop. I have an Engles like that and it strops like it is in a stropping machine. You're going to be proud of that razor, every time you shave with it. I'd work to clean up the 240 scratches with progressively finer abrasives until you can go to the polishing method I mentioned earlier and be done with it.

Keep us posted.

Chasmo