Thread: I Guess I'm Restoring Now...

So the Beardsley & Alvord I got a bit ago was all ugly, and I was thinking of getting it restored...but after some consultation with Max, I decided to go ahead and give it a whirl myself. If I screw it up too bad, I know Max is there to catch me.

I've got some more thorough posts on my blog here.
Basically, I started here:

(the back was pretty much the same, if not worse...)

Metal polish took me here:


And a few minutes of 180 grit sanding:


Definite progress...tonight I move to the front side, and then begin the long road back to luster...

Any advice on how to progress from here? I know there is some staining left, but I fear that trying to take it all out will require way too much steel removal.

Thanks,
Jim

personaly I just through 180, 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1500, then 2000 I yet to try any polish but after you get done with 2000 it starts to look very clean

Welcome to restoration Jim
BTW be careful my friend RRD is the worst of all the disorders...

You have a nice heavy razor there to start with, so it has plenty of steel to work with.... The only time you really have to worry about to much steel removal is the full hollows....
Stick to the low grits until all the staining you can get out is gone, then start moving up.. Once you get at about 220 and above start adding in some rust cutting oil while sanding... I sand dry, then when I think that piece of sandpaper is done, I add WD-40 and re-sand with that piece, you will find that the slurry created by the wet-r-dry paper will help cut through that stuff and leave a better finish in the end....

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Welcome to restoration Jim
BTW be careful my friend RRD is the worst of all the disorders...

You have a nice heavy razor there to start with, so it has plenty of steel to work with.... The only time you really have to worry about to much steel removal is the full hollows....
Stick to the low grits until all the staining you can get out is gone, then start moving up.. Once you get at about 220 and above start adding in some rust cutting oil while sanding... I sand dry, then when I think that piece of sandpaper is done, I add WD-40 and re-sand with that piece, you will find that the slurry created by the wet-r-dry paper will help cut through that stuff and leave a better finish in the end....

Thanks Glen...You know, I think I caught the disease unawares...for some reason I started buying sandpaper and power tools about three months ago...now, why would I do that?
Thanks for the tip on the oil. I think I can find a rust cutting oil pretty easily, and any tips on a better finish will be great. I'm aiming for a mirror finish.
One question--is that etching (Diamond Edge) utterly lost? I mean...I'm sure it is, but if there's anything I can do to preserve it, I'm all ears.

broox, thanks for the tip. I'm having trouble finding paper above 1500, but I haven't tried any automotive places...

I do have a dremel type tool with buffing wheels and some dollar-store CrOx compound, so I'm planning to see if that'll get me a good finish.

*sigh* then comes the honing.

Etching:
Jim here is what I have found over time

Actual stamping or engraving can be saved by using the highest grit sandpaper that gets out the stains/pitting/rust.... SOMETIMES....

Etching or Wash on top of the steel, is pretty much never left after cleaning, even the gentle action of a tumbler will take it off....

For a great little kit of High-Grit sand paper, give this a look:

Sandpaper Combo Pack 1000/1500/2000/2500/3000 Grit - eBay (item 120398390388 end time Apr-06-09 18:53:06 PDT)

Looking good so far!


I just won a Beardsley myself. I bid on it because of seeing your heavy beauty a little while ago. Mine has the thumbnotch (razor on the far right), but no avante-gaurde grind!


Enjoy the restoring! It is a tortuous process, but somehow oddly addicting!

Any advice on how to progress from here? I know there is some staining left, but I fear that trying to take it all out will require way too much steel removal.

Keep going with the 180 until all the pitting is gone. If you don't get it out at 180, it will stay there all through the long progression os sanding yet to come!

Wow! Thats a nice finish for only sandpaper! Great job!

Thanks very much guys. I do appreciate the kind words. It might sound silly, but I honestly am surprised I did as well as I did...I'm most decidedly NOT a handy guy with things like this. I thought I'd mess it up royally, to be honest, but I didn't and that is very gratifying.

Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

Bluing is fun, I have blued an entire razor once, but I regret not having taped the spine during honing coz the tiny bit of wear through the blue really made it look unpleasant.

I'll be interested to see your work if you go higher in grit with sandpaper. I bought some sheets going to 10k also (or was it higher? ) but it really didn't seem to do anything for me. I thought I'd at least get a mirror finish, but no.

Nice work BTW. It's quite rewarding in the end don't you think? Well not rewarding enough for me to keep doing it by hand, I bought a drill and attachments to help.

Thanks. It is very satisfying...I'm thinking of other projects now...gotta get back to that DA I reckon!

Actually, our good friend Jimbo, of Roo Strop fame, made a comment on bluing the central grind that kind of got me thinking about making some highlights...the central grind, perhaps, and the monky tail, and the very tip...just to set it off. On an aside, where did you get the bluing agent? I asked at a couple of home centers and they looked at me like I was a talking ape...

Originally Posted by ZethLent

Great job on that razor, Jim.

It looks very nice, especially outside sitting on top of your A/C condensor

I love the profile of the blade. I wonder if someone like Robert Williams could recreate something like that...

Again, good work.

E-he he he...well spotted.

Like I said on another forum, if I was going to design a custom, this is very close to the shape I would design... flowing curves, not angles and straight edges. In fact, i was thinking of getting a custom from Robert Williams very similar to this...I stopped because I still wasn't sure about what I wanted.

Now I know, and I already have it...

Thanks again guys. I really do appreciate all your kind words...wehn I get the scales sorted, I'll post better pictures, too.

Looks great. try your highest grit sandpaper, but use some polish as a slurry/lubricant and see how that treats you.

Cool razor, really cool!