Thread: When Things Go Bad

Well today wasn't my day. I figured I would work on a some scales for a few razors that have been sitting here. One set was a really nice curly Koa wood that happened to tear out a chunk when I was rough sanding them and I couldn't save them. Another set was a beautiful curly Cocobolo that the curl and figure stood out really nicely, but once I got it shaped I went to drill the holes and crack right at the pivot. The crack went through half the scale. The only set that I was able to use was a piece that I really wasn't concerned with since it was some scrap Koa sapwood that I was just messing around with last night adding an inlay and some pin decorations. I guess I will finish them and see what they look like. I feel like I need to accomplish something from todays debacles. I like the creamy white color of them, but they have no weight to them so will have to use a heavier wedge or find a light razor for them if I decide to use them. I have some razors that need to be honed, but I think I will just wait on those considering how today went so far. Here are the scrap scales that I was experimenting with. I am going to have to figure out what finish I want to use cause I don't want to darken or change the color of the creamy white. Looks like oils might be out of the question then. Figures that the one set that I didn't care about turned out to be the only ones that I can actually use when the one set that I wanted to turn out was the Cocobolo.

We have all had those days. All you really can do is shake your head give a few tsk tsks and take another run at it another day. Sorry your day hasn't been great. On the upside the inlay and pinwork looks like it is starting to take some once form. Lead wedges are the easiest to make so you can balance those no problem.

What about filling the cracks with epoxy resin and sanding smooth? May not be flawless, but if it looks good, and works well, it would be nice not to waste good exotic woods

I thought of that, but tt would never look right after that. Atleast not with this set. Besides I already got rid of them. I have some more Koa and Cocobolo that I will have to use. I just hated spending the time to make them just to have them not work. Was looking forward to finishing a couple razors. Guess they will have to wait.

Koa is such a nice looking wood.
The piece I have is pretty good but there are a lot of "voids" in the wood itself.
It is really beautiful if you get a good piece though!

Koa and Cocobolo are tough woods to work with for scales. The best way I've found to make scales out of the weird hardwoods has been the Mastro Livi one-piece method in which you draw your design on a block of about 3/4" thick wood, cut it out on the bandsaw, then drill your pivot/pin holes. From there, you scribe a center line and run the bandsaw down it up to the point you need the razor to clear. After that, you slide the center cut onto the belt grinder and give the scales some outward taper and final shape.

This one is lignum vitae, which is a real pleasure to work with

If you're doing the traditional scales and want to do Cocobolo or Koa, I'd say go for something stabilized. You can fill voids with superglue and sand smooth, then final finish with whatever and you won't be able to tell.

This one is stabilized buckeye and I filled several voids on it.