Chipped Blade... Ahhh....

Okay, so I got some razors which needed restoration on ebay. I bought a Dremel 300 series rotary tool for starters. So, I started fooling around with one blade: I started with the drum sander, 120 grit. The blade I was working on had some rust on it. So I started with the slow speed (4). Everything was going great I was getting the rust off and the blade was starting to really shine.

Then, out of nowhere, I broke the &#&%@ blade. AH-H-H-H-H-H! As I was trying to get some scratches off, a piece of the cutting edge broke off. the blade is now... toast.

So, here I am sitting with a razor in my hand, with a piece of the blade broke off. and I can't seem to find the piece I broke off; great.

Anyway, I'm sitting here, trying to figure out... now, how not to break the next razor I have to play with.

What's the secret? To restore a razor, without breaking the &#&%@ blade.

AH-H-H-H-H-H! I'm so... upset!!! :rant:

Oh dear!
Sounds as if you still got both of your eyes, though, so not all is bad.
Wear safety goggles, those chips can fly.
Guess it happens to all of us sooner or later.
When it happens on your first thats not so bad at all,
cause it makes you being more careful.

Hold the blade so that the spine is always on the right side and your Dremel won't turn into the edge.

I do all of my sanding by hand with the razor on a magnetic sanding base I made. I only use rotary tools for grinding and buffing, and always on the lowest speed. It takes a lot longer, but I feel a lot safer about it, for me and the blade.

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Originally Posted by 0livia

Oh dear!
Sounds as if you still got both of your eyes, though, so not all is bad.
Wear safety goggles, those chips can fly.
Guess it happens to all of us sooner or later.
When it happens on your first thats not so bad at all,
cause it makes you being more careful.

Hold the blade so that the spine is always on the right side and your Dremel won't turn into the edge.

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Yeah, and I can't find that broken piece. I looked all over for it. I had the razor flat on my desk, but not as you suggested. First mistake.

But where I really went wrong was when I lightly went over the razor's edge. That's when the blade chipped. Second mistake and the costly one.

But yeah I did have glasses on, and I had a leather glove on the hand which held down the blade.

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Originally Posted by PaulX608

I do all of my sanding by hand with the razor on a magnetic sanding base I made. I only use rotary tools for grinding and buffing, and always on the lowest speed. It takes a lot longer, but I feel a lot safer about it, for me and the blade.

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Yeah, I think I'll give that a try on the next blade.

Post a pic of the blade you damaged I bet it can be fixed its rare to chip a blade beyond repair unless you were really bearing down.

I always use the sanding buffs with my dremel by the way alot less chance for damage.

I ain't even going to bother saying it again....

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Originally Posted by santora

AH-H-H-H-H-H! I'm so... upset!!! :rant:

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If I were in your place, I would be so happy....you still have all your fingers in your hands....

When I first started playing with razors I wanted to buy a dremel. When I was in Australia I borrowed one from a friend. I quickly came to the conclusion that power tools and me won't mix. I'm quite happy to do all this by hand.

A drum sander is not the best tool for de-rusting a blade, it will leave you with a veru eneven surface when you are all done.

Hand sanding is still the best way to de-rust a blade. Save the dremel for when if comes time to buff it up, etc.

What about the risk of heating the blade up quite a bit locally? That to me doesn't sound like the best thing to happen.

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Originally Posted by santora

What's the secret? To restore a razor, without breaking the &#&%@ blade.

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I break things all the time, but I have never broken a blade. Read below for the secret:

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

I ain't even going to bother saying it again....

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If you won't then I will! Put the dremel away!

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Originally Posted by Seraphim

Hand sanding is still the best way to de-rust a blade

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That's right!

Shouldn't happen.
You do a bit here and a bit there to never let it go to hot.
People say it only matters when you can't touch it anymore, but I would not stress it.

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

I ain't even going to bother saying it again....

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Can you say it once more for the benefit of a newbie (me)?

So was this blade that broke special? Please say no...

Hm... It doesn' t happen to me Yet. (Oooops, I don't use Dremel for sanding a blade.):nono:

Yes. Hand sandig is the best, and most time taking technique. I did so far about 3 blades, but all by hand.I think the first step to do sanding is hand sandind, so You can learn how to hold a blade,etc.

I'm really sorry for the blade. :(

Try to find the piece with a magnet.

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Originally Posted by Shooter

Post a pic of the blade you damaged I bet it can be fixed its rare to chip a blade beyond repair unless you were really bearing down.

I always use the sanding buffs with my dremel by the way alot less chance for damage.

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I am going to take a picture and post it on my site in a couple of days, I set up a section on my site with my little project and some pictures on what I have to work with. You can check it out

Santoras World

The free blade, with the broken scales is the one I chipped.

I know there are a couple of razors I bought which already had chipped blades, which I bought for the scales.

I'm still haven't found the piece I chipped. But I suppose, the blade can be ground, if that's what you're talking about.

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

I ain't even going to bother saying it again....

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I did take your advise, these are razors I bought to practice on.

And, practice, did not go too well.

I did send you a PM on this site, about you working on my grandfather's razor, to have as a bench mark. But I do not think the PM went through.

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Originally Posted by SavantStrike

Can you say it once more for the benefit of a newbie (me)?

So was this blade that broke special? Please say no...

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No, this was one of some razors I bought on ebay, to practice with.

The special one I have, I'm not touching that one.

Here's all that I have to work with.

Santoras World

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Originally Posted by mry314

Hm... It doesn' t happen to me Yet. (Oooops, I don't use Dremel for sanding a blade.):nono:

Yes. Hand sandig is the best, and most time taking technique. I did so far about 3 blades, but all by hand.I think the first step to do sanding is hand sandind, so You can learn how to hold a blade,etc.

I'm really sorry for the blade. :(

Try to find the piece with a magnet.

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Yeah, hand sanding from now on.

Magnet, I did not think of that. Here I am with a flash light, combing my floor. I just saw it break, I did not see where it went. It flew somewhere.

Once again, for the record. I was not totally stupid. I did have safety glasses on, and the hand I held the blade down with, I had a heavy leather glove on.

Everything is intact with me, except my dignity.

Oh well. You learn by doing.

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Originally Posted by santora

Once again, for the record. I was not totally stupid. I did have safety glasses on, and the hand I held the blade down with, I had a heavy leather glove on.

Everything is intact with me, except my dignity.

Oh well. You learn by doing.

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If it's addressed to me, i really didn't wanted to hurt Your feelings. As You wrote, You held down the blade (if i get this right- to a table, or something). So, if the situation is this-You can easily chip a blade, while holding it against to something, because if You apply some pressure to the blade, a power tool can easily crack it (because of the stress building up in the blade). A couple of days ago i was making a TNT (Thumb Nail Test) with a Wapi, and i realised, that the very edge of the blade was bending only from the force, that i layed it down on my nail. (So, a very little stress is enough to broke a blade). That is the reason i wrote - how to hold a blade (in Your bare hand) - It's not recommended if you use power tools.

For me, i like better to hold the blade in my hand while sanding. (You can't apply too much pressure while sanding - Honestly: You can, but it's much harder...).

So, anyway, if i said something wrong: I'm sorry.

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Originally Posted by mry314

If it's addressed to me, i really didn't wanted to hurt Your feelings. As You wrote, You held down the blade (if i get this right- to a table, or something).

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NO, no, no. That was not addressed to anyone. It was more like a general footnote to this whole experience. I should had said that.

No, my friend. I came here to learn about this. And I'm thankful, for your input and everyone else's.

This was all my bad, and if anyone wants to rip me up for it, I'd say I deserve it.

There is no ripping anyone, we all learn from our own, and others mistakes....

If we didn't post the bad things too, none of us would learn anything...

The biggest problem with dremels is you have two variables instead of just one.... The dremel itself being handheld creates an all new set of problems...

The other problem is that they are rather common and some people out there actually get good results with them, so they post about how great they work to fix blades fast ....

The clearest I can possibly be is this, "There is no shortcut" if you have a rusted or pitted blade, it takes work, pure and simple, to bring it back......

The feed direction of your tool is very important when you approach an edge. The direction of tool rotation (the tool surface bearing on the razor) should be from the center of the workpiece, toward the edge that the tool is approaching. Bit rotation in the opposite direction will try to "climb" the edge and can easily damage yourself or the razor.

I've never broke a razor with my dremel but I have broken two hand sanding. So I am officially banned from hand sanding. Satin finishes are nicer any who....lol

Just to say it again.
Sand so the wheel is spinning off the 'edge' of the razor not toward the spine, other wise it will be spinning INTO the edge and catch.
If its flicking off the edge it wont catch.
Did exactly the same thing except i was up to polish.

+Buckler