Thread: First Restoration! W&B

So I finally did it. I restored a razor. This was a great learning experience for me. I think my next one will be better. That said, this turned out well for a first try. And it shaves like butter. If butter was an extremely sharp razor. The scales are Oak of my own design and the spacer is bird's eye maple. I had to make new ones because the horn broke when I was removing the old broken pins. I mostly used a scroll saw and a table sander. Then a dremel going up the sanding grits. Epoxy resin finish with brass finish nails as pins. Yeah, I figured out they were steel too late. Oh well, it peened fine, I just had to go slow so they wouldn't bend. Please give a beginner some feedback. Thanks.

Looks very nice!

Isn't that a satisfying feeling?

Nice and shiny

Originally Posted by alpinmack

That said, this turned out well for a first try. Please give a beginner some feedback.

For a first attempt it looks great! I am sure you learned a lot already from just doing it once, I think it would be best to reserve any critical feedback until after your second razor. As long as it shaves the rest is just details.

Keep up the good work.

Since you say you WANT feedback, I'll supply some...
The spacer doesn't fit perfectly. To corect this you should consider making future spacers at the same time as the scales. Consider working with 3 layers when sanding and shaping. Drill the holes on a press as 3 layers also, then disassemble and cut the middle layer before a ligh sanding followed by finishing. One must be creative when working with scarce/small spacer material. Personally I plane down some pine until it's the right thickness and then form a composite middle layer so as not to waste expensive spacer materials like brass, horn or ivory.

The finish is nice, but perhaps a little overboard. A clear gloss finish need not be that thick.

Your lines are nice, no changes needed in that department are needed.

You used nails as pins (at least that's how it looks) so fess up and show us the other side.

Floppyshoes, Thanks, that's exactly what I'm taking about. Making the spacer was the hardest part because I had already finished the scales. The epoxy is too thick because when I was doing the spacer, I tried to touch up some air bubble dents on the scales and ended up putting too much on and not spreading it as evenly the second time. The back of the pins really doesn't look that bad but I don't have a picture to get up right now. Maybe tomorrow. And did you see? I used your maple for the spacer. Thanks! Like I said, it was a great learning experience and I look forward to my second one. Thanks for the feedback.

Way to go Floppy!!!

The sand with 3 layers tip is semi-spectacular. (obvious after someone tells you). You have just made my life much easier.

I have been fussing and adjusting by hand with adequate but not great results. This is a far simpler process with better results.

How do we get this added to the FAQ ? ( I wonder if a wiki might help ? )

Thanks,
-Bob

Good job! Carry on the good work!

OK Dan here is the other side. Keep in mind peening steel is hard and it was my first time doing pins ever.

On another note, my workplace has a new firewall that blocks sites with forums so I won't be on here much during the week anymore. What am I going to do all day!