Thread: First Crack at Making Scales

Originally Posted by engine46

There ya go Doc! Nice work. Now you're on your way to making scales for whenever you need some. I like the look of streaked horn. I have black horn, streaked horn, honey horn, rams horn, bleached white bone & some cocobolo for scales.

I am certainly looking forward to upgrading my tools, and getting started on the next set. I expect that my SRAD will only worsen now that scale condition is less of a factor.

I only have one piece of advice. Never use the word "crack" in the same sentence with scales!

Nice job.
Love your show.

Looks good!

I think you did a great job! I've got a nice vintage razor with cheap scales and would love to replace them with something like you did.
Inspired now!

Originally Posted by DocMartin0321

I am certainly looking forward to upgrading my tools, and getting started on the next set. I expect that my SRAD will only worsen now that scale condition is less of a factor.

It will worsen but in a good way! You will see that you can make some beautiful scales.

Thanks all! There is certainly a sense of accomplishment when you see them all finished.

Originally Posted by DocMartin0321

Thanks all! There is certainly a sense of accomplishment when you see them all finished.

There is not a better feeling than the one you get when you have accomplished something you didn't think was possible. You never know unless/until you try!
Than you very much for your contribution!

Those look great! I've been a little intimated to start a horn scale project. Don't know why, I'm definitely inspired!
I wonder if different kinds of horn are harder than others to work with. Also want to know more about warping.. I'm gonna go see if I can find some posts about horn!

Originally Posted by MikeT

Those look great! I've been a little intimated to start a horn scale project. Don't know why, I'm definitely inspired!
I wonder if different kinds of horn are harder than others to work with. Also want to know more about warping.. I'm gonna go see if I can find some posts about horn!

I've worked with a lot of horn & there isn't much difference in hardness. I actually like working with it. It can come out beautiful when done! Here are some honey horn scales I made from scale blanks or slabs. The first pic is when I finished them but then a day or so later, one of them had some cracks in it after I tried mocking up a razor so I had to duplicate one scale which is in the second pic. the third pic shows the Jonathan Crooks FBU blade I was mocking up.




I start out by cutting out my scales from a pattern I make. I then use some double sticky sided carpet take & put both pieces together as even as possible. I then g out to my belt sander & from one end to the other I slowly take some of the horn off at the long edges until both are nicely & evenly rounded. I then have some wet or dry sandpaper & i wet sand them starting in this order, 240, 280 , 320 , 360 ,400 ,500 , 600 ,800 ,1000 ,1200 ,1500 ,2000 ,2500 & 3000 grit & on the insides of the scales too, to get a nicer transparency to them. I then use some Maas polish with a soft rag & hand polish them out, then I use a clean soft rag & then they are shining so beautifully.

Thanks! The more I see these horn scales the more I look forward to working on them.
I thought that maas polish is for metal...? If so, I wonder if maas polish would dry the oils out of the horn. Errrr Ofcourse that is if horn is oily. I wouldn't know given my lack of experience. Is there a favorite polish among horn enthusiasts?
Will be looking for good horn now.