building a production work shop

well all some of you all know that i am in the air force. well i am coming up on 14 years of service. so this leads me to start thinking about what im going to do when i get out. so i have really been considering doing restores for a living as i will have a retirement already coming in. so this leads to my question. what equipment would one need to make a production work shop. please considering i would be doing this for 9 hours a day for 5 days a week. now here is the thing i have 6 years to get the equipent so price is not a big issue. im looking at top of the line stuff. so any ideas would be great thanks guys. hopefully this post will good for some time to come.

this might help
http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...shop-pics.html

i have looked at that, the only thing with that is there is alot of extra stuff in those garages. im looking more towards a very specialized work place.

I can't give an exhaustive list since I don't do restores, but I can say a few things you'll need if you're planning on doing alot- a good buffer, greaseless and polishing compounds, a good foredom type rotary tool, some good shapton or naninwa hones (plus prolly a few others), a band saw for scale making, a sanding rig for the scales, drill press, and a lot of other little tools the pros use to make their job easier.

Looking through the thread that was linked, there really isnt a great deal in Lynns and Undreams shops that wouldn't be used in restoration or scale making. There are a few miscellaneous tools, but their shops look pretty specialized to me.

Since you have six years to acquire your production equipment I would suggest starting your restores now to become acquainted with the process. Expensive equipment is not needed to get started. You can even do most of the work by hand, which would enlighten you to the nuances of the work. With that knowledge you will be better educated to in how you would want your equipment to perform. Start cheap, learn as you go and you will be able to build a great shop. When looking for equipment research beyond razor restores for quality equipment.

Good luck!

I know a lot of the guys use the tumblers people who reuse bullet casings use. Walnut material to get the majority of the blade cleaned, then corncob with and without polish in it to shine everything up. I have to say that a drill press is a must because I have been drilling hones by hand and it is a huge pain to try and make sure they are straight. The sanding rig, probably necessary if you want to do a full scale operation. The bandsaw is a must, cutting scales by hand sucks, thats all there is to it.

You will also want a small anvil, one of those made for making domed pins and such, I can't recall what they are called right now. You will need one or more small ball peen hammers, 4oz. and 8oz. are the best for this work in my opinion. A few files would be good to have probably, and a router if you want to try anything crazy. Dremel tools are great, and relatively inexpensive which is nice.

If you plan on making scales, you will need a lot of clamps and such, particularly if you want to make your own micarta (I'm trying it next week). A nice vise would be a great help to you as well, the good kind that you bolt down rather than the clamp on variety.

And of course scale materials, brass and nickel rod, brass and nickel washers, all that good stuff.

That is all that comes to mind right now, but I'm sure Glen and/or Max will pitch in later.

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Originally Posted by DPflaumer

I know a lot of the guys use the tumblers people who reuse bullet casings use. Walnut material to get the majority of the blade cleaned, then corncob with and without polish in it to shine everything up. I have to say that a drill press is a must because I have been drilling hones by hand and it is a huge pain to try and make sure they are straight. The sanding rig, probably necessary if you want to do a full scale operation. The bandsaw is a must, cutting scales by hand sucks, thats all there is to it.

You will also want a small anvil, one of those made for making domed pins and such, I can't recall what they are called right now. You will need one or more small ball peen hammers, 4oz. and 8oz. are the best for this work in my opinion. A few files would be good to have probably, and a router if you want to try anything crazy. Dremel tools are great, and relatively inexpensive which is nice.

If you plan on making scales, you will need a lot of clamps and such, particularly if you want to make your own micarta (I'm trying it next week). A nice vise would be a great help to you as well, the good kind that you bolt down rather than the clamp on variety.

And of course scale materials, brass and nickel rod, brass and nickel washers, all that good stuff.

That is all that comes to mind right now, but I'm sure Glen and/or Max will pitch in later.

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I picked up a wood cutting set of serrated wheels that I'll try with my Dremel to cut wood scales. I would imagine that working with acrylic and such will not be such a pain to deal with with a coping saw, but I have not tried it yet.

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Originally Posted by mainaman

I picked up a wood cutting set of serrated wheels that I'll try with my Dremel to cut wood scales. I would imagine that working with acrylic and such will not be such a pain to deal with with a coping saw, but I have not tried it yet.

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I'm thinking a dremel with wood cutting bits will be in my future too. The problem with power tools and acrylic is that it tends to melt. There was actually a post on here a week or so ago about that issue. I actually think a hand saw would fix that issue, but I haven't tried it yet.

There were a few threads on the forum basicaly asking the same question so I started this thread

What are the most used tools for restoration.... - Straight Razor Place Forums

Unless you are a specialist, there is no way to tell what specialized tools you'll need. If you ask any two people you'd like to model, they will tell you different things. A craftsman's tools are a very personal thing, and selection comes down to style, ergonomics, habit and brand loyalty.

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Originally Posted by floppyshoes

Unless you are a specialist, there is no way to tell what specialized tools you'll need. If you ask any two people you'd like to model, they will tell you different things. A craftsman's tools are a very personal thing, and selection comes down to style, ergonomics, habit and brand loyalty.

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I agree. That is why I suggested starting with cheap basic tools and developing experience in the craft.

My advise and take it for what it's worth.

before buying any (expensive) tools try to first work on your talent, design skills, craftsmanship and building a name or reputation for yourself.

It's not because you buy yourself the most expensive camera in the world you'll become the world's best photographer either.

If all those skills and talents fall into place you will automatically know what tools to buy and what direction it is you need to take,

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Originally Posted by Maximilian

My advise and take it for what it's worth.

before buying any (expensive) tools try to first work on your talent, design skills, craftsmanship and building a name or reputation for yourself.

It's not because you buy yourself the most expensive camera in the world you'll become the world's best photographer either.

If all those skills and talents fall into place you will automatically know what tools to buy and what direction it is you need to take,

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So true. Reminiscent of Bart's sig line, "A straight will no more make you an expert shaver than a basket ball will turn you into a Magic Johnson" Kaptain_zero :)

Yeah, also you may end up just not liking the work. I've abandoned a few hobbies b/c I was interested at first, but the work ended up becoming more of a chore then something I liked doing. You could use the time you have to do increasingly complex restores and buy the tools you need as you move into new areas, or are doing some aspect of the work so frequently that you feel a need for a certain tool.

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Originally Posted by DPflaumer

I'm thinking a dremel with wood cutting bits will be in my future too. The problem with power tools and acrylic is that it tends to melt. There was actually a post on here a week or so ago about that issue. I actually think a hand saw would fix that issue, but I haven't tried it yet.

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Just tried one of the discs, on a piece of Gabon Ebony, used Dremel @ 2000 rpm, and cut a small piece that will be used for a spacer (roughly 1x3") in no time.
Here is the ones I got:
7pc HSS Saw Blade and Mandrel set, 1/8 inch shank: Widget Supply