Thread: Stabilizing wood razor scales

Originally Posted by Michael70

I think that that will be too thin for scales even stabilized but like RezDog stated you could get it stabilized which would make it more sturdy then use a thin liner like G10 to stiffen them a bit more.

As far as stabilization and depending on the method the person uses but most are immersed in acrylic to fill voids and then pressurized for a time to really settle into those cracks and crevices and voids then allowed to harden.

I have worked with stabilized for some time now and in doing so, I like the end product. My latest was a set of scales from buckeye burl that was stabilized to give a German razor a facelift from the plain and mundane black bakelite scales. Here is the final product with brass bullseye stepdown washers and brass pins as well as nylon internal friction washers and ivory acrylic wedge.

Attachment 241702

I was thinking the same thing when I got it and especially for a 7/8 quarter inch thick spine Wade and butcher. I figured if push came to shove I couldn't just adhere it to a piece of brass. Either way this won't be a easy project.

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Originally Posted by aaron1234

I was thinking the same thing when I got it and especially for a 7/8 quarter inch thick spine Wade and butcher. I figured if push came to shove I couldn't just adhere it to a piece of brass. Either way this won't be a easy project.

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You can do it! Let your imagination run with this for sure. I usually buy stabilized pieces in the range of 3/8" to 1/2" thick and dissect down on the band saw to get it in the ballpark of the thickness that I need for scales then put it on the belt sander to smooth out and take a tad more off. But the scales you have can be done in a few ways like the suggestions given. The one suggestion to double up the material and epoxy together to get a 2/16" would be great and would definitely work. That way you would not have to purchase or acquisition a new material as a liner.

Looking forward to seeing the final product which I know will be a nice piece. Just take you time and think it through. Good luck my friend.

Originally Posted by Clayglen

Some of the custom fly rod guys stabalized all sorts of things to make reel seats. Apparently it machines much like plastic when done. They were using CA in a vaccum. This makes me wonder if the wooden boat resoring epoxy would be good too. It's supposed to pennetrate wood well. They used a glass pickle jar and vaccum pump untill the bubbles stopped with lots of warnings about pickle jars in vaccum exploding. They stabalized birch bark. If you can make a reel seat out of that you've done something.

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Yes. The product is still available.
Its called Git- Rot. You apply it, it soaks in, drys like concrete.

+1 on using 0.5mm G10 as a liner for fragile woods

For you guys that want to stabilize more wood etc, an vacuum pump will deliver high quality scales that are easy to work with. An neighbor was throwing out a pump unit, heavy duty, I snagged it and gave it a flush with flushing oil, Good As New. Look up Vacuum bagging for the idea to use it, use caution, made all the difference in the task for me.