Thread: Scale restoration question

Originally Posted by skald

Oh, excellent! To save Mike some keystrokes, about how long for each soak?

All depends on the state of condition, the scales are in.

But average...week or two.

I like to do the scales, first. Then put them to soak, while I work on the blade.

Originally Posted by outback

All depends on the state of condition, the scales are in.

But average...week or two.

I like to do the scales, first. Then put them to soak, while I work on the blade.

I'm also a little nervous soaking these with the penning - do you think it's likely that a two week soak will have any effect on the silver pins?

Thanks again for all of the help.

I have soaked that style of scales in the past and zero effect on the pins. I was warned not to buff those scales, manual only on the clean and polish.

Originally Posted by RezDog

I have soaked that style of scales in the past and zero effect on the pins. I was warned not to buff those scales, manual only on the clean and polish.

Haha! Happily, I had planned to do this all by hand, so no worries there!

I think that's everything I need, except maybe to try to try out that baking soda and CA trick on a chopstick or something just to get a feel for the rate of feed, etc.

Thank you for all of this.

Absolutely we need to experiment with non valuable items first. I have a lot of scraps and misc bits and bobs that I experiment with.

Soaking in oil with pins can cause a loose pivot. Meaning if it's just tight enough to hold the blade open then you lube the pivot...
Not a bad thing, just watch for it and your fingers. With a little cleaning in the pivot, it can be just fine. Or tighten just a little.

Originally Posted by Gasman

Soaking in oil with pins can cause a loose pivot. Meaning if it's just tight enough to hold the blade open then you lube the pivot...
Not a bad thing, just watch for it and your fingers. With a little cleaning in the pivot, it can be just fine. Or tighten just a little.

Good point! But I was referring to the penning - the pattern of pins that decorate the scales, rather than the functional pins that hold the parts together.

Originally Posted by skald

I'm also a little nervous soaking these with the penning - do you think it's likely that a two week soak will have any effect on the silver pins?

Thanks again for all of the help.

No, not at all.