Thread: Fitting brass spacers in wood scales

When you put a brass spacer in wood scales, can you assemble & sand the entire butt end, as you would do with a wood spacer? Brass is a lot harder than wood, so IDK if that creates any problems. I guess the alternative would be to keep taking the spacer out to sand it, then putting it back in to check your progress, but that is a big pain in the @$$.

If you are using power as in a Belt Sander etc: you have to watch the heat build up if you are sanding in-situ:

I found when doing solid metal wedges I would put the piece in place then mark it, take it out and cut it as close as possible on my/with a scroll saw then put it back with mock up Microscrews and sand it as little as possible with the belt sander to fit... This kept the heat down by way of less sanding

Also I have a link for doing lined wedges that might help you too... some of the trick/tips will cross over

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...ned-wedge.html


If you are not using power I would use a file to get the shape as close as possible then switch to hand sanding it to fit....

I have a powerful aversion to belt sanders, since every time I try to use one I destroy what I'm working on & sometimes give myself a manicure from hell. Clearly people like me should stick to hand tools I read the thread about lined spacers & it seemed like the final sanding-to-fit was done with the butt end assembled. But I wasn't sure whether you could do that with solid spacers, too.

Originally Posted by Johnny J

I have a powerful aversion to belt sanders, since every time I try to use one I destroy what I'm working on & sometimes give myself a manicure from hell. Clearly people like me should stick to hand tools I read the thread about lined spacers & it seemed like the final sanding-to-fit was done with the butt end assembled. But I wasn't sure whether you could do that with solid spacers, too.

Power tools and I tend to tangle now and then too. Band saws are my archenemies. I feel your pain!

Originally Posted by Johnny J

I have a powerful aversion to belt sanders, since every time I try to use one I destroy what I'm working on & sometimes give myself a manicure from hell. Clearly people like me should stick to hand tools I read the thread about lined spacers & it seemed like the final sanding-to-fit was done with the butt end assembled. But I wasn't sure whether you could do that with solid spacers, too.

Yes if I were using hand tools that is exactly the way I would do it, get that baby as close as you can with a small jewelers saw. Then mock it up and file to almost perfect, then hand sand to perfect or actually near perfect fit haven't found anything hand made that is truly perfect I am still trying though

somewhere i have a jewelers saw. I need to hunt that rascal up. One thing i know for sure- I ran out of blades quick. I never got very good with it.

alternate methods to follow scribing. A cold chisel: if you have a good vise -probably best before tapering- you can pinch near the line and use the chisel riding along the jaw cutting through the edge of the piece. or of course you can just chop through the face.

And then follow with the file. Or you could just use a large double cut file to get down to the scribe line.

If your brass in annealed a fine tooth coping saw can do the same as jewelers saw.

finally if you have an accurate scribe and cut the wedge just a wee bit small evenly below the scribe; the scale material can be brought down nice and flush to it