Thread: First time wood scale mistakes

Originally Posted by Gomerpile

My sister city. I would love to come see your work shop. Sadly I can't trust international travel right now. World is too crazy! I will keep working off the kitchen counter and the easing machine top for now.

Birmingham UK is known as the city of a thousand trades. At one stage it did have a small razor making community but no-where near the size of Sheffield which is 80 miles to the north. It is famous for guns, jewellery and at one stage was heavily dependent on automotive and associated business - it still has the two main Jaguar and Land Rover manufacturing plants.

Sadly, what was once a city centre (downtown) of fine Victorian architecture was destroyed partly by German bombers in WW2 but moreso by city planners in the 1960's who decided that they should be knocked down so that cars could travel freely at ground level, while pedestrians were made to use tunnels underneath the roads. You can imagine the pleasure of using these tunnels last thing at night.

In recent years, this has begun to be reversed and, while it is still not a city you would admire for its beauty, it is getting better.

Birmingham Alabama's, Steel City, history has been lost to the more controversial history of the civil rights movement. I hope in time it will become a thriving metropolitan center again. Untill then we will be known for some great suburbs still. I would love to see it become the new Sologen or Sheffield of the world but I am only one man. LOL! I will do my part, one blade at a time. As soon as I figure out what I am doing.

Originally Posted by UKRob

Birmingham UK is known as the city of a thousand trades.

According to FOX, it's also know as sharia country

Wide and think scales can be hard to strop and shave with, as can extended pins.

I like the look but they may be hard to hold.

Try making the washer and pin head more symmetrical or just use one washer. You can make the washers the diameter you wish, by chucking them in a drill with a nut and bolt and run them on a diamond plate or file and sandpaper.

Polish them before you pin.

Try filling the wood grain before staining and finishing for a smooth finish, you can also use contrasting filler for a unique finish.

As said, we all learn by doing. Nice work, keep at it.

I am thinking about the colored filler and a ca finish. I have to try a few different things before the next set is done. It seems to me that I can peen the pins and then file them down for a flush with the washer look. Like the dubl duck pins. I have already learned a few things and I'm sure there will be more. Can someone put me another day in the weekend so I have more time to work on my razors!

Very good first try.
It took me about 10 times before I finally got the size right, the thickness right, the wedge right, the pins right, and the pivot hole right. It is a lot to bring together at once, but I learned something from every mistake I made. Now if I could just remember not to make the same mistake again...
Last night I chamfered the inside edge of a scale instead of the outside edge

I was working on two sets to begin with and started to chamfer the wrong side on one set. I Might revisit them. They may be just the right size now!