Thread: Uneven scales/Warping?

So I got a Burrell Top Flight with some very nice inlaid scales, but it turns out the scales are warped a bit--one is "higher" than the other, and the heel protrudes a bit (see picture). Is there ANY WAY to fix this kind of warp? I know that if they were warped sideways, it is possible to flatten them, but this? Or could this be another problem?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Jim You have a twisted warp there, I think you can fix them by using the technique I put in the Wiki, at the worst you can always lift the inlay and bolsters if it doesn't work and make new scales....

Look here
http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...ed-scales.html

and here
http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...-gssixgun.html

and here
http://straightrazorpalace.com/galle...-re-build.html



These are the original threads and have some asked and answered question so they have a bit more info than the Wiki...

Hooo boy, looks like I'm in for a big one.

Thanks for your advice, Gen, I'll see what I can do...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Jim You have a twisted warp there, I think you can fix them by using the technique I put in the Wiki, at the worst you can always lift the inlay and bolsters if it doesn't work and make new scales....

Ohhh, is THAT all!!!!

And of course, I only have to fix the pitted edge and...and...and...

Man, what was I thinking?

OK, here's my straightening attempt. It's pretty self explanatory,and pretty crappy, but it should do the job. I was going to try boiling water, then I thought that the nails would absorb a lot of heat and cause melting at the contact points, so I'm just going to let it rest that way for a couple of days and see if it does the trick. If not, I can always try heat later, maybe try putting some insulation between the nails and the scales....Hmmmm..

try a steam iron held above that rig, and be gentle, one that does the shot of steam should really do well...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

try a steam iron held above that rig, and be gentle, one that does the shot of steam should really do well...

Now that's a good idea!

sorry Jim at work too right now, I have not tried this with celluliod it does work with natural materials just start slow and easy brother

Jim - if you manage to get them back in line, I reckon you will have a hard time making them stay that way for any length of time. The problem lies in the presence of the bolsters and the inlay, both of which flex at different rates to the celluloid. The inlay is the chief culprit - oftentimes, if it doesn't deflect the scale up or down, it can force it out away from the other scale, sometimes to such an extent that the other scale is curled away from the blade at the wedge end. Some materials seem more prone to this than others.

Regards,
Neil.

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Jim - if you manage to get them back in line, I reckon you will have a hard time making them stay that way for any length of time. The problem lies in the presence of the bolsters and the inlay, both of which flex at different rates to the celluloid. The inlay is the chief culprit - oftentimes, if it doesn't deflect the scale up or down, it can force it out away from the other scale, sometimes to such an extent that the other scale is curled away from the blade at the wedge end. Some materials seem more prone to this than others.

Regards,
Neil.

I've noticed that particularly on my vintage Dovos. The front scales all seem to have a bit of warp at the inlay.

Well, I haven't been able to find our iron so I'm still not done with this one yet. But thanks for the info...I've been toying with making some scales for this one anyway, and that's another nail in the coffin.

Thing is, I've got acrylic but it's flat, not curved. It's going to be a while before I have the wherewithal to make scales to fit the bolsters.

I have a feeling this burrell is going to be with me for a while.