Thread: Illustrated Guide to Fixing Warped Scales..

and here is a view from the pivot side to illustrate how the Red and Blue should be wider than the scales and what I meant by clamp points in the first diagram. and because now i'm enjoying MSPaint again.

Originally Posted by TwistedOak

and here is a view from the pivot side to illustrate how the Red and Blue should be wider than the scales and what I meant by clamp points in the first diagram. and because now i'm enjoying MSPaint again.

Thanks Twisted Oak...I went out today to buy some small c-clamps to start this project with. I'll keep you posted...

WP34

sounds good man, you posting the results here or in the other thread you had for your issue?

I'll probably post in both threads...

WP34

Just saw this and figured I would throw in my 2 cents. I have been doing this slightly different. Less stuff and no water. I have been taking SWMBO's blow dryer and heating up the scales then putting it between two heavy books. works great and fast also. other thing is to make room between the scales is take a small screwdriver and put it where needed to prevent a rub then heat and let cool..... done...

I'm grateful to this thread, for it has given me the impetus to hunt down something that I only remember from my schooldays in the 1960s:

Hoffman Compressor Screw Brass Clamp TUBING Open JawNew | eBay

Note that the baseplate unlatches on one of the pillars, so that you can slip it between the scales. I think that if you want to try to straighten an inward bowed scale without removing the rivets, and without imposing pressure on the opposite scale as inserted wedges would do, you could pull it against a rigid piece of wood on the outside, while heat is applied. I think it would work best if that wood is slightly concave in a lengthwise direction, or spaced from the outside of the scale at either end, since the process would work best if the scale is flexed slightly beyond straight, in the opposite direction.

A hair-drier can be used to heat only one of the scales at a time. An electric heat gun will provide more heat, and would be safe if carefully used on a low setting and a little further away than you would for paint stripping etc.

Note, though, that what you are doing, in straightening a riveted scale, is softening the curved piece of plastic enough to shorten it. I would much sooner do it with the wedge rivet removed, and the blade stop rivet if there is one. You may then find the rivet holes slightly out of line, but I doubt if it would be too much to conceal by filing slightly, and perhaps using a bigger rivet-head and washer.

Somebody dug this old thread out on FB

This is another easy peasy improvement on the system

The funnel directs the steam to make it even easier to shape warped scales,, I came up with the idea when I remembered how they used to shape Cowboy Hats at one of the clubs I ran

Watch yer fingers steam carries a lot of heat energy

Hi Str8shooter: Thanks for sharing this. Very clever! I have several straight razors that I purchased on Ebay that have warped scales where the blade scrapes/touches the scales when closed. On one of the razors the edge is messed up where it has been hitting the scales. I got them cheap, they're all cheap and ugly. I was wondering, and if it has already been addressed here and I missed it I apologize; you mentioned that you put the scales in the fridge for cooling. Is there any risk of the plastic type scales cracking when they are put in the fridge or should I just let them air cool? Great post, thanks, Joe

Sorry, couldn't figure out the "Edit" function! Will your boiling technique also work with horn scales? Joe

Originally Posted by wildfirejoe00

Sorry, couldn't figure out the "Edit" function! Will your boiling technique also work with horn scales? Joe

"Hey Joe"... ( I always loved the Jimi Hendrix version of the song!)

I always use this method ( I prefer the hair dryer method) on decades old horn scales and it works great, and YES I always put them in the fridge to cool quickly. As a side note...clean the scales first (before you apply heat) to get rid of all dirt and grease etc. I like to use a rotary tooth brush and grease cutting dish detergent.