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I love the look of the clear and translucent scales some of you guys do, and I'm wondering where I can get some of these materials. Are they available at any brick-and-mortar stores, or do you have to order online?
Also, what tools to you use for cutting and polishing them?
Thanks,
Josh
Josh,
I didn't find any neat colored sheets at the usual places and never fully explored the brick-n-morter world of plastics. But, there are lots of websites that carry this stuff. Some are: http://www.ridoutplastics.com, http://www.usplastic.com, and http://www.modernplastics.com. There's usually much more of a choice with acrylic sheet, but you need to be careful not to let it get too warm and melt. One thing I've done is to use a finer tooth on the jigsaw. Sometimes the stuff will just chip and act up. There are special bits and blades you can buy for working with plastics too. Some of the knife supply houses carry beautiful marbelized acrylic blanks, but it's usually a little too small (and often too thick) for us razor dudes.
Good luck and have fun,
Steve
Hey Josh,
I like clear handles too. In middle school we worked with acrylic and it's not too hard at all. of course that was when I was younger and had taken less blows to the head.
I was thinking about starting to re scale some of the ebay specials that I had recieved with less then perfect scales using acrylic. Let me know how your projects come along.
Also, anyone know what thickness I should try?
I used Plexiglas for mine. The thickness was around 1/8". you can cut the outline shape with a copying saw, but it is difficult and time consuming. The material melts and catches up on the blade if you go too fast.
The fastest way is to visit your local, uhm, the shop that makes key chains, nameplates, e.t.c?? and have them cut the shape with a laser.
I have shaped mine with power grinder, and then progressed with 80, 150, 320, 500, 800, 1200 grit sandpaper. You can go to 2000, and polish with your favorite metal polish...
The absolute easiest way is to visit Bill Ellis's web site, and get a pair or two of the plexi scales I did for him a while ago. For 20$, they are good buy... They are satin finished, and if you want them polished, you can sand them down with some 800, 1200, 2000, and polish...
http://straightrazorpalace.com/image...atinedge_2.jpg
Nenad
Any place out there just to by them polished.Quote:
Originally Posted by superfly
Well, actually, no. But you can ask Bill to put them on the buffing wheel for you...Quote:
Originally Posted by Taz
Nenad
I bought some clear plexiglass tonight at Home Depot--looks like the right stuff.
I'm thinking of trying to cut it with my Dremel. Maybe just rough out the shape and then sand down to the finished shape, either by hand or with some kind of Dremel attachment. Would that work?
Nenad, your scales are jaw-dropping. They're what made me want to give clear scales a try...
Thanks,
Josh
Watch out for the dremel Josh, even on the slowest speed it will generare WAY TOO much heat.
When cutting detail in plexi glass I often use a very fine toothed jigsaw or hacksaw blade and do it by hand... though this takes some patience and dedication.
Thanx Josh, I'm glad you like them... Yes, they are interesting change from the usual wood/celluloid ones, and although I made around 15 pairs, some as a gifts, some commissioned by Mr. Bill Ellis, I don't have them on any on my razors. My only pair broke, and I broke the bearings on my power grinder doing them, so I cannot make some more, lolQuote:
Originally Posted by JoshEarl
About the Dremel, whatever works... That is how you learn, by trial and error. Try it out, and let us know.
have fun,
Nenad
Thanks for the warning, Lancer. I think I am going to give it a try--the plexiglass only cost $4, so I won't cry if it's ruined.
I'm thinking of sandwiching two pieces together and resting them on a block of wood, then cutting both at the same time, going very, very slowly. If I start to melt the plexiglass, I do have a hacksaw that I could use...
I'll let you know how this fiasco in the making goes... :)
Josh
Lancer was 100 percent right about the Dremel melting the plastic. I put the Dremel on 1 and slowly lowered it into the plexiglass, and it made a nice hole with a blob of plastic fused to it.
Dang, I was hoping this material would be easy for me to work with simple tools.
So it seems my options are:
1. Hand sawing it with a jig saw (is this the same as a coping saw?)
2. Using a power grinder, which I don't have right now
3. Getting it cut by some kind of specialty shop
Are there any other ways of cutting this stuff that I might be overlooking? Would a Dremel grinder bit work for shaping it? How do you avoid melting it on a power grinder in the first place?
Thanks for the help,
Josh
OK a couple of options...
flex extention shaft on the dremel + water bath = cool clean cutting + mess + shrotened life of shaft (DO NOT attempt this indoors... dont ask)
coping saw: you will need to clamp the pelxiglass firmly and dever work more than 1/2" away from the clamped section (or the plexiglass could crack)
fine tooth hacksaw blade: this will need to be clamped too.
Scroll saw: slowest speed and only cutting on the downward stroke, TAKE YOUR TIME!
Unfortunately I am yet to find a rapid, mechanised, method of production that DOES NOT require the application of some form of coolant when working on plexiglass.
Josh, a coping saw is a hand saw, a jigsaw is a power tool. Jigsaw is not going to be ideal- too big to allow you to see what you're doing even if it could be slowed down enough.
Based on my woodworking experiance I would saw the only likely powered tool is going to be a quality scroll saw with a slow variable speed option. Dewalt and Delta make good ones with low speed.
I would suggest double tooth blades - they have 2 teeth together then skip a tooth.
Think of these as very thin wood for scroll work and most of the techniques will apply and should work.
You also need a really slow buffer for plastics- couple hundred RPM- dremel is in the thousands. How about trying a soft buff wheel in a variable speed hand drill?
That's the recomended for refinishing plastic and acrylic headlights, windshields, aircraft canopys, etc.
Thanks for the suggestions, guys. After a couple more experiments last night, I've decided to lay off on this project for a while.
I read online that you could cut Lexan with a soldering iron. I have a $10 soldering iron that I didn't care if I ruined, so I gave it a try. It does cut the plastic, somewhat slowly, by melting through it.
I figured I could grind off the blobs of melted plastic. Wrong on that one. This stuff is really, really hard. It was shreding my flap wheels, and the Dremel grinding wheels don't seem to faze it.
I'm moving soon, anyway, so I really don't have time to work on it. :) In the mean time, I'll watch Bill's CD.
Later,
Josh
I would second the scroll saw. They are hand to have around as they will do smaller thing well. I even cut through some 1/2" purple heart with one once. I was using it for a jewelry box. It took a while, but it did it. If you get a good one then it should suffice for must cutting needs you would find in making scales, at least that is what I am guessing. Grizzly is another brand. They aren't quite par with delta or dewalt, but they are still a good option on a limited budget.
Band saw may also work, you can get the small ones for more detailed work - I would imagine that this would perform much like a hack saw, no?
Jeff