Thread: Replacing scales

Nice work Phanta-Does it close okay without biting into either scale? Looks like it might have to be guided (as occasionally a few of mine still do, no big deal as long as you are aware of it).

I was/am fascinated by your beautiful Eucalyptus trees (or Gum trees as the Aussies called them) when we were driving around the South Island about this time last summer (your winter). I will never forget driving through a few sleepy villages and smelling gum tree fires from people's homes-just an enchanting smell. Those pine trees with the giant cones really blew me away too-beautiful country you Kiwis call home.

Paul, I like your Live Oak scales as well.

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

That has a very nice color to it. I'm assuming that is just either naked or with clear on it and no stain is that correct?

Here is an example of that ancient southern live oak that I mentioned before.

Attachment 308760

That has no stain. Just three coats of clear

It has only clear polyurethane on it - out of a spray can.

Originally Posted by ScoutHikerDad

Nice work Phanta-Does it close okay without biting into either scale? Looks like it might have to be guided (as occasionally a few of mine still do, no big deal as long as you are aware of it).

I was/am fascinated by your beautiful Eucalyptus trees (or Gum trees as the Aussies called them) when we were driving around the South Island about this time last summer (your winter). I will never forget driving through a few sleepy villages and smelling gum tree fires from people's homes-just an enchanting smell. Those pine trees with the giant cones really blew me away too-beautiful country you Kiwis call home.

Paul, I like your Live Oak scales as well.

It pretty much slips in between the scales okay at the present time. When the camera battery charges up I'll see if I can take a couple more 'explanatory' shots.

I found another source for horn. I've been looking for honey and it seems like everything is either heavily streaked or the sellers were out.

I got these from guitarpartsandmore.com These four pieces were $34 including the shipping which comes out to $8.50 each. That's a sight lower than some of the other pieces I've seen. In fairness there is a certain amount of warping to a couple and one piece has a a little delamination on the edge but I can work around that. They are 2 in x 8 in by .15 in which comes to about 3/16. It's always good to have options.

As a side note, when I took them out of the package my dogs were begging for them. Something to keep in mind. If you have razors with horn scales your dogs may view them as a treat if they can get to them.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

... a thrift store clipboard will make several scales, great for making scale templates.

Great idea... so I've been looking around for a suitable clipboard to chop up. I found some in the perfect material, a hard glossy plastic which would pass as an imitation of celluloid, but the colours were wrong, they were all transparent pastel shades. Others I've seen have been a different, softer plastic, maybe polyester? It didn't look suitable for scales.

Anyway, the question is, what is the name of that hard glossy plastic I'm looking for? It is noticeably harder than acrylic sheet, for example.

You said it....acrylic.
Another would be, lexan. Very strong stuff, and takes a bit more to shine up.

Stores that carry school supplies should have an array of colors, I'd think.

Maybe large hardware stores would carry sheets, or cut offs from custom jobs.

Originally Posted by outback

You said it....acrylic...

So it is acrylic? The plastic I have in mind is the hard, brittle one that feels cold to the touch. Not sure if that is a kind of acrylic, but in my memory acrylic is not so brittle and not so cold to the touch. I am looking for plain black, seems I can find every colour of clipboard under the sun except that... maybe it is time to consider pastel pink scales...

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

...

Here is an example of that ancient southern live oak that I mentioned before.

Attachment 308760

That has no stain. Just three coats of clear

Though I am not often a fan of wood scales on razors, I have to say that looks really good.

Thanks Monty. I love this wood. It stands up like a big skeleton in the woods. This is what the logs look like.



It's not easy to work with. First of all as you can see it is not something you can cut planks out of with all the crazy cracks and twists. Also it is so hard you will smoke a 10" carbide saw blade with it. I have a cabinet shop professional table saw and it makes me nervous cutting it. One because it's treacherous and two because it bogs the motor so much. I have started using the band saw and just let it take the 10 minutes to cut a piece. Here's another set I made from it. I thought it fit well on this blade with all the patina.