Thread: Fix W&B wooden scales

I found a great W&B meat chopper and will begin restoring
the blade soon. I also want to keep the scales, which are made
of wood. They are generally in good shape, except for a small
crack near the far pin (away from the tang). Anyone have any
advice on how to fix this, and how to restore the wood in general?
The crack does not go all the way through the scales.

Sorry for the blurry pic, it is from my cell phone.
E

You're going to think I'm being a smartass... but I'm not...

Are you sure those scales are wood?
W&B's of that era were typically scaled with Buffalo Horn

When it gets older and starts drying out... it can appear grainy, like wood.

Greg Frazer

GREAT Razor, but Dem's be black horn! (not wood)

You could use an epoxy, and sand the area smooth (those horn scales clean up nice with sand paper up to a high grit). ALSO, if you can salvage those bullseye washers, and use them for when you repin that puppy

Personally, with a repair like that I'd be inclined to us a support liner/backing....

There is PLENTY of that covered here in the restoration section.

Good luck, and ask questions! This is the place for it!!!

C utz

Cool! At first glance it looked and felt like wood. I'm slightly embarrassed now, but it's good to know what I've got. I'm looking forward to working this razor into shape.
E

Dont be embarressed mate...

Ive seen dozens of these on ebay described as wooden scales... and when they're old and dried out that's exactly what they look like... painted wood.

How to freshen them up is the big question... and other than the advice C Utz already gave I don't have a good answer. Like other (once) living material, once horn removed from it's source of nourishment it starts decaying and this is impossible to reverse.

I'd try polishing with micromesh and repairing any chips and cracks with epoxy and see how it looks... you may be in the market for replacement scales if that doesnt work too good.

Good news is that there are dozens of these scales laying around the place... most anyone who restores old razors ends up with a collection of old horn scales... either singles or pairs of good ones.

Greg Frazer

I will try gently sanding with high grit and some epoxy for the crack. I will post pics once I get her cleaned up. I'm thrilled to have found one in such good condition!

Thanks!
E

Yep, no need to be embarassed. It has grain like wood, and if you didn't know it was horn, next guess is wood. At least you knew it was a natural and not a synthetic material!

One more trick for when you clean these up....

Sanding will work out most of the issues with this. And if you can, work up to 2000 grit (start around 320 or 400, and don't over do it....), if you have neatsfoot it will recondition the horn nicely, olive oil if you don't. Whip down, add renaissance wax if you have it. Let it dry out a little.

OH yea, the trick
Since polishing this up will bring it to a glassy or near glassy surface, If you use a little black paint and a clear epoxy (I use T88 for this), mix it up, and dab it in the spaces (e.g. chips, spaces in repaired cracks, etc...), and you can be jeanerous. Some epoxy's might settle a little and leave dips in the area of repair. Let it dry well. The excess you can sand down flush and match the sanding of the rest of the black horn.

The most easiest trick is to just replace the scales all together, but that's not nearly as challenging as restoration of the originals.

Keep us posted!

C utz

Originally Posted by C utz

The most easiest trick is to just replace the scales all together, but that's not nearly as challenging as restoration of the originals.

Depending on the new scales... or is it?

Originally Posted by C utz

Yep, no need to be embarassed. It has grain like wood, and if you didn't know it was horn, next guess is wood. At least you knew it was a natural and not a synthetic material!

One more trick for when you clean these up....

Sanding will work out most of the issues with this. And if you can, work up to 2000 grit (start around 320 or 400, and don't over do it....), if you have neatsfoot it will recondition the horn nicely, olive oil if you don't. Whip down, add renaissance wax if you have it. Let it dry out a little.

OH yea, the trick
Since polishing this up will bring it to a glassy or near glassy surface, If you use a little black paint and a clear epoxy (I use T88 for this), mix it up, and dab it in the spaces (e.g. chips, spaces in repaired cracks, etc...), and you can be jeanerous. Some epoxy's might settle a little and leave dips in the area of repair. Let it dry well. The excess you can sand down flush and match the sanding of the rest of the black horn.

The most easiest trick is to just replace the scales all together, but that's not nearly as challenging as restoration of the originals.

Keep us posted!

C utz

This is some fantastic detail! Thank you. One last question -- do you remove the scales and replace them after the restoration? I don't know how to remove and replace the pins, and guess I would probably damage the scales or razor if I tried. That being said, if you don't remove the scales, do you do anything to clean or restore the inside hard to reach areas?

Eric

Originally Posted by ericm

how to remove and replace the pins, and guess I would probably damage the scales or razor if I tried. That being said, if you don't remove the scales, do you do anything to clean or restore the inside hard to reach areas?

Eric

I'd remove the scales. Otherwise, to me it would be like trying to make a ship in a bottle.

There are MANY posts here in the restoration section on removing pins. Some can do great things with a drill press and a small bit, drilling out the pin and keeping the collars. My dremel drill press does not have the accuracy or gumption to do the trick without sliding off the mark and ruining the collars/scales.

I use a small metal file and work down the pin until it's flush with the collar (you might need to go a little further), and then add a dab of oil to the area to ease any tight/dirty areas (I use truoil), and using a 1/16 nail tap, I tap the pin through. Using a pair of nippers, I grab the pin from the other side, and "Unscrew" the pin out of the area. The reason I 'unscrew' the pin is that if the filed side is still slightly mushroomed out (from previous peening), the wider portion will split the scales if just pulled through. By turning it out though, this will widen the hole as you pull the head through.

I highly recommend adding masking tape to the blade edge and taping the razor closed during this ordeal.

Since you are just learning this, you will most likely have to lose two of the bulls eye collars to remove both pins. However, the sides you don't file, you can save those collars for when you re-pin the blade. You might be able to find a matching set from one of us.

When you get that far, repaired the blades, and cleaned everything up, you'll need to check back for 'How to repin a razor'.

If you want to clean in between the scales, with out repinning the razor, Qtips soaked in rubbing alcohol, or a cleaning oil (again, I use truoil), dental tools, or using a strip of fabric (again I soak it in tru oil) and buff/floss the inside of the scales, will remove a LOT, if not everything. Also a tooth brush and mild dish detergent works well to, but make sure to dry the whole razor (pivote area too) very well after....keep the blade open until you know the scales and everything is dry.

C utz