Restoration Tools

Hello all,

I am wanting to get started on restoring straight razors. Should I invest my money in the tools listed here

What are the most used tools for restoration....

to get started or can I use a rotary tool with the right accessories?

I have been looking around and I have read that some people say stay away from rotary/dremel tools because they will ruin the razor. But then I see some other people using them and say they work great. Any imput is welcome. I want to know what the best option is.

Thanks :)

I'd recommend to start out as simple as possible, you don't need all "the big stuff" to begin with, you can get a long way with some wet/dry sanding paper, a jigsaw or a jewellers saw.

A Dremel can be handy to help shape scales, I'm not going to recommend it, but if you plan on using it on razors, be very, very carefull, within the blink of an eye you might have ruined the razor.

The reason for my advice is if you find that restoring isn't for you, you haven't spent all that money for nothing.

Of course, all these tools can be used for other things as well :)

Thanks Zephyr,

I'll take your advice and start with sand paper first. It wouldnt be wise to spend all that money on the tools just to find out I dont like it. Maybe I will use a dremel to help with making the scales.

I agree, all you need is 600 grit at coarsest, up to 2k or higher if u can find it for blade restoration. If you do use a rotary tool use it only on cheap blades, and buffers destroy blades and remove fingers and turn razors into 70 mph sharp objects.

If I had to choose between all my tools id take sand paper, a coping saw, a vice to hold scale material while sawing, and a good polish. Most importantly a good pair of dupont kevlar gloves will save you stitches at the er, they are thin and easy to work in but save you the cut youll recieve on a daily/weekly basis if you spend much time working on razors, I promise youll thank me.

Power tools are unnecessary but help on occasion. Belt sanders, band saws, buffers, rotary tools, etc all have their place but slow work and patience with hand tools turns out better a finish honestly.

Thank you Dennis for the tips on saving me on getting stitches! I think ill steer away from using a rotary tool then on razors. I am about to order some sand paper so I can get started. I will also look into getting those gloves you mentioned. I need a small drill press to drill the pin holes on the scales, correct?

Sanding a razor will slice off a fingerprint pretty easily so a $10 or less set of gloves is well worth the investment unless youre a wanted fugitive in which case, carry on. Lol

As far as a drill press ive drilled holes using a drill bit and my bare hands when I left my dewalt drill at work, just eyeball it being straight and make sure it stays that way

As stated above, you can get by with very minimal materials. I don't have a drill press yet and as long as you have a good level drilling surface, pay close attention, and score/punch something to keep your bit in place you can use a hand drill just fine. A simple wire brush is good for cleaning up any jimping, some various grit sandpaper and a polishing compound. Oh, get electrical tape and a file for depinning. I use very small files I got from harbor freight on the cheap. If you're going to pin scales you'll want a small ball peen hammer, 4 or maybe 8 oz with the ball end polished up. Some flush cutters are nice for cutting 1/16" rod for pins, which you can find at wal-mart or hobby lobby near the beads/jewelry areas.

Ok, I have a drill and some bits I can use for now. I just ordered a set of wet/dry sand paper and some polish. I will work on gathering the other tools you mentioned. What is the electrical tape used for when depinning? I havent seen that used or talked about yet for depinning, i have only seen it used for honning.
Thanks!

I really like old wine corks for wrapping my sandpaper strips around. I have a buffer that I never use for razors. They have a learning curve and I refuse to pay the price, so I hand sand. I have a Dremel and I use it too, but not on the blades. I have a little wire wheel for it and it works great on jimps. How much space and cash you have is an influence for sure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by razorPresley

What is the electrical tape used for when depinning?
Thanks!

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Put it on the scales to avoid scratching the scales while filing

Oh ok, I see now.

Even better than sandpaper for the courser grits are EDM stones ( i like them up to 400). They come in all different shapes and porosity and can be easily shaped for the piece or area you are working on. An hour with sand paper is fifteen minutes with these stones. I like sandpaper for the finer grits for the finish but for removing pitting and such these stones work so much better. A quick Google search will find many stones for a few buck each. Good luck.

Definitely gloves while sanding! Just tried my first restoration a few days ago.. Will get back to it once this deeep gash on my thumb heals lol with gloves this time of course!

Ive got at least 10 permanent scars on my hands from this hobby over the years. A customer of mine brought me like 20 pairs of kevlar gloves a few months ago id forgotten about, then it just hit me one day how well they might work, ive tried cutting them, only the latex coating cuts and even it is pretty durable.

I drove a drill bit almost half way through a finger today while trying to drill a pin out, guess a drill press would be kinda handy. (Wasnt wearing gloves)

Yeah lol the sad part is I was wearing welding gloves while using the bench grinder then took them off to hand sand..

I'm more alarmed you were using a bench grinder

Well bench buffer/grinder and was just using the buffing wheel

Well after hearing all of the stories, I will be ordering some gloves today at some point!

To prevent cuts when hand sanding just get a 8X11 piece of 4mm craft foam, couple of buck at Wally Mart.

I cut it into 3 in strips so as not to hog up valuable bench top real estate. As you apply pressure to the razor onto the foam the blade edge is buried into the foam, holds steady and cannot cut you. You can sand/polish right up to the edge without any danger of cutting yourself.

If I am degreasing or de-rusting, I place a paper towel over the foam, hose down with WD40 and cut off the rust with a single edge razor blade. The towel will absorb the oil, rust and grit. Or just keep a couple foam pads on the bench for cleaning, one for polishing and not worry about grit scratches. They clean up with Simple Green or 409.

Also work well on the drill press to hold a razor or scales steady without moving or scratching.

Gloves are a PIA and can be dangerous with some power tools. If you need grip, finger covers are a great solution, if snagged they slip right off, available from Smokey Mountain Woodcarvers as are some other interesting items. Nice folks too.

Thanks for the valuable information! I'll pick up some foam next time im in walmart. I was wondering what to put my razor on when I started working on the blade.

I lay mine flat on a 10x6 inch scrap piece of laminate flooring

I have not tried this but it seems like a good idea

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...ing-howto.html

He uses a wood jig with a leather piece on the end for sanding. Although some feel would be lost

I read up on that before I got started. It is very helpful.