Thread: Need some advice on how not to buff away part of a toe

I've spent the past few weeks learning how to use a buffer. I keep running into a problem: if there is heavy pitting toward the toe, buffing eats away a millimeter or two on the thin bottom half of the blade at the toe. Here below I'll post pictures of an example from an Ern Snake/Eagle 7/8. I haven't finished buffing the show side of the blade yet.







Actually, I have two questions: (1) how to avoid doing that to the toe? and (2) what to do with the toe once that is done to it?

My only recourse at the moment is to use a grinder to reshape the upper part of the toe. Alternatively, I could leave the dent in the lower part of the toe, just live with it, but I don't want to do that.

Has anybody had this problem?

I thought maybe the problem came from running the blade lengthwise along the buffing wheel and letting the wheel run over the end of the toe. I switched to holding the blade parallel to the ground and running it across the buffing wheel from side to side. That was what I did with this Ern, and as you see, I got the same result.

I've been using 4" and 6" wheels.

Joe

You are "Leaning the Blade"

The edge and end of the blade CANNOT contact the spinning wheel at an angle or the wheel will eat the steel..

There is a thread on here where i took pics of this common error let me see if I can't find it for you..

At least you didn't create a super frown and wreck the razor and the point can be re-contoured rather easy if you take your time

I should have asked sooner. Thanks for the clear, definite answer. I'll concentrate on keeping the blade level.

Joe

Here it is Joe this should make it even more clear

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...-question.html

Carroll, what is the speed of the buffer, what compounds are you using, what grits?

It does look like you are using too much pressure and you did run the blade off the end of the toe.
More importantly, you have to decide before you begin how you want the razor to look, given the condition of the steel.

Hollow ground razors are very thin, and if pitting is deep, removing it completely will heat the blade very quickly and risk the temper of the steel. With deep pitting and a hollow grind, it is often best to decide to live with the pitting.

As said many times, good restoration… begins at purchase.

I would re-shape the toe with a diamond plate or file, like the EZ-lap files. Do not use a grinder, there is not that much metal there.

Small, slow wheels, light pressure, and frequent water quenching are keys to good buffing.

I would hone the razor and see, if it will still hold an edge before investing more time.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Carroll, what is the speed of the buffer, what compounds are you using, what grits? . . .

I would re-shape the toe with a diamond plate or file, like the EZ-lap files. Do not use a grinder, there is not that much metal there.

Small, slow wheels, light pressure, and frequent water quenching are keys to good buffing.

I would hone the razor and see, if it will still hold an edge before investing more time.

Thanks for that advice. I'm using 1725 rpms on the buffer and working with grits running from 80 through 600, then emery and polishing compounds (green, red). I use the highest grit I think the razor needs. Sometimes, I use only 600 grit. But for deep pitting, I start at 80.

I keep a thermos of ice water by the buffer, and as soon as I feel the blade heat up, I douse it in ice water and wipe it clean with a towel. (Thanks to Undream's 12-part video for that tip.)

Good reminder on not having to remove all the pitting. I've left some pitting on some blades but have tended to aim at a smooth blade. For the thin blades, that has a cost.

I'm glad to get the advice on reshaping the toe with the diamond file. I'll definitely do that rather than use a grinder.

When you say "hone the razor and see if it will still hold an edge," do you mean see if it will take an edge at all? Or whether it will keep an edge for several shaves?

I've been wondering what happens when a blade loses its temper.

Joe

Here is the link to the Castwell’s buffing tutorial and the link to English Custom Metal Polish, a good resource with great tutorials.


Two, good buffing guides.

Most of the time, I break out the Dremel for those areas. Gives me a lot more control, but I also have severe tremors in my arms and hands.

Once a razor begins to pit, the steel is weakened. If the grind is hollow and if the cause was due to Cell rot, the steel may be compromised and not hold an edge. Add to that an overheated thin blade that may have caused the blade to loose temper the edge may crumble.

It is good that you are quenching in ice water, but to have removed so much of the toe, it could have gotten hot.

If you hone it and you see micro chipping on the edge, the steel or the temper is compromised and will be un-shaveable. These are considerations you want to know about, before you invest many hours in a restoration. It does not take long to overheat a thin blade especially if you are using 6 inch wheels on a 1700 rpm buffer.

Here is a link to a surface speed calculator… a 1700 rpm buffer with a 6 inch wheel is running at almost 2700 sfm (Surface Feet per Minute) more than enough to heat a thin razor.

4 inch wheel work fine, if you use little pressure and quench frequently, Glen did a nice tutorial displaying his technique with the finger behind the blade. I use this technique and quench at the slightest feeling of heat on the skin, it will get hot quick at high speed.

You can use a Dremel to reshape the toe, but there is so little metal, why risk it?

Dremels can get away from you quickly and easily. Be very careful with them. Any one that has used them for any period of time has a horror story.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/custo...ded-boker.html
This was my first blade, and this is what happen when i tried to clean it up. Wow this was a really piece of junk. Go easy on trying to loose those pits.