Thread: Split another scale!

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

How about tongue depressors as practice stock.

Trust me, popsicle sticks are more rewarding!

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

Trust me, popsicle sticks are more rewarding!

Yes if you can pin popsicle sticks without cracking them you
have learned something that is hard to do. Especially if he
sands them down to half thickness.

But they are not likely to cover the blade for storing, stropping,
shaving, finishing, setting the wedge and the rest of the necessary
details that might need practicing.

Some of the cracks might begin in his shaping process....

Simply an inexpensive optional source of thin white birch, sometimes maple or oak stock, nothing more.

Nifty, I was thinking of the ice cream being the reward.

I've had some problems like that in the past. I found it to be one of two causes. One, my wedge was too big for the blade I was using for the straight razor. It caused a lot of tension on the pivot pin and split the scales. Two, I didn't have a spacer between the scales and the blade on the pivot pin. The increased friction on the scales snapped them. Now that I think of it, if you peen the pin too much and tighten the scales too much on the blade it may cause the scales to snap. Hope this may help.

When you pinned the blade, did you use the washers on the outside of the scales?

I used washers on the inside and outside. I'm not sure that the wedge was too big. Any guidelines on this?

Rich

“Work and play are words used to describe the same thing under differing conditions.” – Mark Twain

[QUOTE][How are you splitting the scales? What kind of wood are/did you use?/QUOTE]

I was using leopardwood.
Rich

“All good things arrive unto them that wait – and don’t die in the meantime.” – Mark Twain

When did they split as well? While pinning or during use?

If while pinning it could be that your tolerances are too tight between your pin hole and your pin material causing the split. That can be corrected by drilling out just a bit larger than you have been.

It split during the pinning. I think the pin hole and material are the same. I'm using 1/16" brass rods and drilled the hole with the same size bit.

Rich
"There is no native criminal class except Congress,"- Mark Twain

Originally Posted by Richard

It split during the pinning. I think the pin hole and material are the same. I'm using 1/16" brass rods and drilled the hole with the same size bit.

Rich
"There is no native criminal class except Congress,"- Mark Twain

Try lighter taps on the pinning and using less pin stock. The less you have to pin out, the less there is to compress into the scale hole and put the pressure which splits it.

Thanks for all the help guys. I'll try popsicle sticks (after eating the ice cream of course!)

Rich

“You ought never to take anything that don’t belong to you - if you can not carry it off” – Mark Twain

well this may not be any official source but according to the following supplier, leopardwood has a tendency to splinter (but they may be talking about planing with less than sharp tools and not splitting)...

Leopardwood Hardwood Lumber - Your Best Price at the Highest Quality for your wood working needs from Woodworkers Source