Thread: Wedge material and design

Hi All,

I am having some difficulty determining how the wedge should be designed for my Wapienica re-scaling. How do you determine what shape does it need to be and what are some of the best materials for it. For instance, Is using brass for the wedge purely cosmetic or does it have a functional purpose?

I would appreciate any advice you could give me.

Cheers,

Rafal

As far as I know, the wedge is there for shape and weight. Brass might be used because of how it looks, but also to balance the blade.

Wapi's do have some kind of wedge, don't they? Perhaps you could reuse it, or pattern a new wedge off the existing one.

Balance, is a major factor here, also the big problem with the Wapi to begin with...

Open a vintage razor straight out, put yer finger straight out about 1 inch above a soft surface place the razor tang on the top edge of yer finger and see where the balance point is.... it will be very close to the pivot edge of the scales... Maybe those guys knew a thing or two back then

This is a general rule of thumb for starting the wedge, how thick is the tang??? take half that thickness, and that should be the thickest part of the wedge... the angle is determined by how you made yer scales...

If you check in the Wiki you will find Illustrated guides on all this, they are very informative....

Glen, do you know off hand where in the wiki this is? just trying to read up on how you determine how much taper to put into the wedge.

Thanks man.

Red

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

As far as I know, the wedge is there for shape and weight. Brass might be used because of how it looks, but also to balance the blade.

Wapi's do have some kind of wedge, don't they? Perhaps you could reuse it, or pattern a new wedge off the existing one.

Wapis have an untapered "wedge" it is simply a spacer in there.

Utilitarian, as everything else about the Wapi is...

Here is the original Thread:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...r-restore.html
It is in the Wiki also under "scale making"

In this thread I did not get a pic of how to set the wedge, if you look close I sanded the wedge down to almost nothing on the thin side.. I then hold the razor all together and fit the wedge by sliding it back and forth until the razor sits correctly in the scales. I mark that, then drill the wedge hole, after that you are back the the sanding and fitting in the thread...

This is one of the most common mistakes made when people first start making their own scales....If the wedge is not fitted to the scales and the razor together, the razor will sit funny in there, or worse stress the scales...

I am in the middle of a full restore this week I will try and get some pics of what I am talking about here...

Hint: There are Wedges and there are Spacers they are not the same...
and the fitting for them is different, since a spacer does not flex the scales the same way a wedge will...

so is a spacer sufficient? what determines spacer or wedge? I have a rescaled w&b that doesn't seem to have any problems, it has a spacer (if no taper = spacer). but all the old stuff I've taken apart seems to have wedges.

thanks for all the information

Red