Thread: Recycling old scales

I've recently gotten my hands on some very nice vintage razors, however some of them have sadly seen their last shave. Although the blades may be totally beyond help, I've noticed that the scales are very nice in many cases. The problem is popping off those darned pins. Does anyone have any tips or tricks for removing pins in order to reuse some nice old scales? I've tried on a few already and sadly (and I mean cursing tirade sadly) broken some gorgeous vintage scales. On that same note, any tips on fixing some broken scales would be welcome also...

I would try using a center punch lightly, just to make a small dimple, then take it to the drill press with a bit smaller than the pin. You shouldn't have to drill all of the way through, just deeper than the washer.

Disclaimer : I have not tried to unpin a razor but this is what I would try. I'm sure someone with experience will come along shortly with a proven procedure.

Originally Posted by crazy4str8tsinnc

...take it to the drill press...

Now I have another reason to buy a drill press. That does make a lot of sense. Any ideas for someone with almost no power tools? I have a dremel and a hand drill. I do all my restoration work by hand at the moment.

I think if that's what I had to work with I would still start with a center punch. I would probably use a tiny drill bit in my Drexel at a low speed and pretty light pressure. Be very careful because the drill bits can bite and throw the razor out of your hands. After you have a small hole, move up to a larger bit. I think a hand drill might be too unwieldy. Good luck and let me know how it turns out.

When i de-pin a blade i use first a small file to flatten the dome on the pin. then a depending on the circumstances i either use a center punch or take it straight to the drill press. i use the smallest bit i can find for the first hole the go to a slightly larger bit to remove the rest of the mushroom head. i do this now with my 2.0 readers and a head band magnifying glass to be more accurate. Don't skimp on the drill press. some of the cheaper ones will wobble and be difficult to start the bit in center. also ajust the bit as close to the chuck as you can and raise the press platform as to minimize the distance the press has to go before starting the to cut. when you remove all the pin dome stop and soak in penetrating oil this will make the pin easier to remove. I then put the smaller bit in the drill press and adjust as to use it to press out the pin. This works for me others may use a better method.

My drill press came from Harbor Freight. a small desk top model. My belt sander came from there also.

I do it by hand if I don't want to save the collars. I have a domed piece of wood covered with EVA foam, so I got it stuck on the vise, protect the scales with tape, put the razor on the EVA dome and proceed to eat out the mushroom part of the pin with a high precision small file. After that is soaking in water and tapping it out with a pin removal punch.
I just put a razor near power tools if absolutely necessary.

I really try to save the old collars as well. It's a better look than what is available today IMO. I use a ball end bit and make a divot in the pin with a dremel. Then use a 1/16" drill bit in a drill press and drill out the pins. You can usually save the collars and the scales this way.

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I very, very carefully use a burr on a Dremel and an Optivisor with a 6" focal length to drill a tiny pilot hole in the top of the center of the pin. Did i say very carefully? No i said very, very carefully. If you slack up on the burr while its near the pin it will run out of the hole and put a nice ding in your scales which will forever be a reminder that you weren't very, very careful. Be quick about it too. The less time the Dremel spends near the scales the better.

Now the easy part. With a Pin Vice and a 1/16th split point bit drill directly down into the center of the pilot hole, into the pin until the collar spins freely. It takes a minute and some elbow grease. Once the collar is free you can knock the pin through the other side with a 1/16 punch. If you use this method and the pin is bent it will crack the scales. In my experience the pin is almost always bent, so if you want to do it right you flip it over and hand drill the other side as well. I almost always save the collars using this method, which was taught to me on this forum (thx Rez!)

One thing i learned is power tools and scales don't get along to well, and when they fight the scales always lose. The pilot hole can be set with a file and a center punch as stated above, and would be a safer method for preservation.