Thread: Can I restore these Scales?

These are a little bit the mongrel dog...

But, any chance these might be able to be refinished / restored? I dont have the cash to spend on custom scales ATM. Plus, it would be neat to keep these...





How would you recommend I clean / refinish them?

They should refinish well. I would take some very fine grit sandpaper, preferably wet/dry automotive in the 600/800 grit range to start and use some light oil instead of water on the sandpaper. Then sand off the most haggard areas until as smooth as you'd like. Then move up to 1000 grit or 1500 if you've got it, also with oil and you should like what you've done.

That's an inexpensive way of restoring horn scales by hand.


Chris L

Originally Posted by ChrisL

They should refinish well. I would take some very fine grit sandpaper, preferably wet/dry automotive in the 600/800 grit range to start and use some light oil instead of water on the sandpaper. Then sand off the most haggard areas until as smooth as you'd like. Then move up to 1000 grit or 1500 if you've got it, also with oil and you should like what you've done.

That's an inexpensive way of restoring horn scales by hand.


Chris L

Thanks, two questions...

1. Any specific type of oil? I have stuff for bamboo and other assorted woods. I think mineral based. Also a beeswax type oil.

2. One of the sets are cracked by the pivot pin. Any way to reinforce the crack?

Ill take pics of the cracks tonight.

1. Neatfoot oil is the preffered oil by many. But most any mineral oil should do the job.

2. If the scales are cracked, then in order to repair them you are going to have to remove the scales to fix the crack properly. There was a thread not too long ago about this very subject in the workshop. Look back a couple of pages and you should see it. I think the member used epoxy and a few color mixtures to fill in the crack.

Originally Posted by sapito318

1. Neatfoot oil is the preffered oil by many. But most any mineral oil should do the job.

2. If the scales are cracked, then in order to repair them you are going to have to remove the scales to fix the crack properly. There was a thread not too long ago about this very subject in the workshop. Look back a couple of pages and you should see it. I think the member used epoxy and a few color mixtures to fill in the crack.

Neatsfoot +1

And if you are going to do repairs with glues, you want to work that part of the restore before you put oil on the scales...

Thanks, I forgot I do have Neetsfoot oil so I am good to go there.

Here are some pics of the crack... Its bigger than I thought, sorry the pics came out crappy...