Thread: Scratches Galore: Advice needed

This blade looks to me that somebody tried a Dremel on it already. I use a magnetic jig to hold my blades when I'm working on them. If I was restoring this blade I would use a hard felt wide wheel and simichrome to level the blade surface and smooth out the marks. I would the use my buffing lathe to bring all up to the desired finish.

I also whole heartedly agree with mark. Make sure the rotation of the Dremel will not catch the edge.

Thanks for the advice given so far.
Kenrup, if you talk about a "hard felt wide wheel", do you mean a stationary polishing wheel, or an attachment for the dremel?
I'm also interested in that "magnetic jig" your talking about. Could you elaborate on that a bit more?

I agree that it looks like someone tried to dremelsand it already. Looks a lot like the results you get from sanding with those small rotary sandpaper cylinders that attach to a dremel. I believe they are approx. 300 grit. Do you guys think I should hand sand to a higher grit, before polishing?
The problem with hand sanding is, that is is going to be impossible to prevent the sanded area becoming larger, and I still would first like trying only to deal with the problem locally. Would a fine, yet fairly aggressive abrasive like chromium oxide be able to remove those scratches (within a reasonable time frame)?

Thanks again,

Bart.

Is this the Bartmann that was listed for sale on Ebay fairly recently and had/has multi-colored marble like scales mainly browns, yellows, etc?

I think I bid on the razor you have and if it IS the razor I'm thinking of, you paid a healthy price for it. I don't recall the seller's description, but I'd be peeved if I bought it and later found that it had the issues you speak of.


Chris L

Originally Posted by Chrisl

Is this the Bartmann that was listed for sale on Ebay fairly recently and had/has multi-colored marble like scales mainly browns, yellows, etc?

I think I bid on the razor you have and if it IS the razor I'm thinking of, you paid a healthy price for it. I don't recall the seller's description, but I'd be peeved if I bought it and later found that it had the issues you speak of.


Chris L

I think you are referring to this one:
http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/old-german-B...QQcmdZViewItem

I bid on that one, but did not win it.
A few weeks later, another one turned up:
http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/ws/eBayISAPI...m=260237445976
If you look very close at the pictures you can see some evidence from the scratches, but of course, knowing that it are scratches, makes it easier to recognize them as such. I would have probably bid less, knowing what I know now.

Originally Posted by Bart

I think you are referring to this one:
http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/old-german-BARTMANN-SOLINGEN-STRAIGHT-RAZOR_W0QQitemZ310039891716QQihZ021QQcategoryZ3599 0QQcmdZViewItem

I bid on that one, but did not win it.
A few week later, another one turned up:
http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&it em=260237445976
If you look very close at the pictures you can see some evidence from the scratches, but of course, knowing that it are scratches, makes it easier to recognize them as such. I would have probably have bid less, knowing what I know now.

You're right, Bart, I was thinking of the first one you provided a link to.

Chris L

When using the Dremel, make sure it's rotating away from the edge. If you want a mirror finish, you'll have to go at least as high as 2000 grit.. For that you have 2 options..
1) Jason (Toxik) has a great tutorial on how to make your own sanding drums. (Thanks Jason )
2) You can get radial bristle discs. The 3/4" ones should fit a Dremel mandrel without any problems.

Thanks for the advice given so far.
Kenrup, if you talk about a "hard felt wide wheel", do you mean a stationary polishing wheel, or an attachment for the dremel?

The felt wheel is the 1/4" or so, cylinder Dremel attachment.

I'm also interested in that "magnetic jig" your talking about. Could you elaborate on that a bit more?

I use an articulated hobby vice as the base then I modified a magnet bar and mounted it in the vice. It works great.


I agree that it looks like someone tried to dremelsand it already. Looks a lot like the results you get from sanding with those small rotary sandpaper cylinders that attach to a dremel. I believe they are approx. 300 grit. Do you guys think I should hand sand to a higher grit, before polishing?

I would try and level out the sanded area to try with the felt wheel. Simichrome is a bearing polish so it's a touch courser then MAAS. Then I would use chro ox.

Well I did it.

I first sanded those scratches out by hand. I started out at 220 grit, after half an hour of hard work, decided to drop down to 150 grit, and another half hour later, took a deep breath and dropped down again, to 60 grit. Even there it took me over 10 minutes to remove those grind marks, made by one of the previous owners. Then I gradually moved back up, all the way to 6OO grit.
Earlier that day, I had visited the tool store, to renew my supply of sandpaper, and my eye fell on a set of polishing wheels for attaching to a drill. There was a sisal wheel with some brown stick of "pre-polishing" paste and a felt wheel with a white stick of "normal polishing" paste. It cost no more than 11 euro, and I decided to give it a try. Back hone I polished an old Pearson&Co and was very pleased with the results. After sanding the Bartmann, I took it to the wheels. I have polished with a dremel before, but I found the stationary wheels (I placed the drill in a vise) much more convenient to polish razors.
After the wheels I polished a bit further with "OOO" steel wool and Peek polishing compound. I am pleased with the results.
The etching has become a bit paler, I think about retouching the original gold and red colors, but I'll have to figure out what's the best way to do so. I'd welcome all suggestions.

I thank all gentlemen that have given advice in this thread.
Tomorrow, when I have daylight again, I'll shoot a picture and post the results.

thanks,
Bart.