Lets hear some stories: Things gone bad in the shop...

Well, I just managed to ruin the scales that I posted about here: http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...-progress.html
Some of you may recall my "perfect is the enemy of good" thread in which I was whining about destroying a blade with the Dremel.

The good news is that I am learning from every mistake, and I don't plan on giving up (though, some of you may argue that would be my best option hehe). So, my first complete restore will wear the second set of scales that I make. No biggie.

But, still, I am in a bit of a foul mood over it. I imagine some of you guys with lots of experience that turn out some of the most beautiful razors I have ever seen have made some goofs in the shop as well.

So... Just for fun, lets hear about your notable foul ups. Tell me about your "ah *@$^&" moments in the workshop.

Anyone that restores if they admit it have plenty. But my worst was a rare 7/8 Wonderedge. It was back before all the buffers and the way we are doing them now. It was a dremal and sandpaper which I was pretty good at. This blade was really not bad but looking for that little extra I lost control of the blade and took a huge chunk out of it to much to salvage. It kills me because I have never seen one since.:beer2:

The get the last bit to perfect got me once,

I was working on a "Pass it Forward" razor a rather nice Thistle...
I had finished the whole thing, now this was back in the "Adjustable Pin" days where everyone wanted those Micro nuts and bolts...
Well that let me take the blade back out again rather easily, and I had just started using a buffer, bad combination...

I decided that I could get the finish just a bit better, so I took the blade back to the buffer...
Certain hollow grinds, have a rather sharp spine edge when they are NOS, this Thistle was one... I pushed the blade just wrong, the buffer grabbed the blade and there was a ZZZZZZZZ PING ZING TING TING TING kinda sound, as the razor shot off the bench where it had been slamed by the buffer and pieces zinged across the shop...

I came away with a healthy respect for buffers...

Now the rest of the story: is that the huge thread about this razor being built and that it was going to travel across the county yada yada yada was lost in the "Great Crash" and all eveidence of that was erased for ever and ever :)... some people speculated as to the true cause of that crash I think it was a piece of that Thistle :roflmao:roflmao:roflmao

I had a set of scales that I was scaling for a wife for her husband for christmas this year.

She contacted me a little late for comfort, so, I was already on a deadline... if I remember right it was a Sunday night and I needed to get it out priority on Monday morning for it to get there on time... I'd say it was about 8pm..and I was putting on the finishing touches.. pinned up the wedge end, polished the pins..did final polish on the blade. Went to pin the razor into the scales..peened one side fine..went on to the other....tap tap tap tap tap... CRACK. I split the scale @ the pivot end all the way through...

ended up having to re-make the set from scratch...pulled a very late night. Scales are like potato chips..you can't make just one.


Other than that, just the little things... I've lost several wedges after my sander threw them to god knows where in my work area.. cut wedges too small... cut scales too short...etc..

Worst thing I've done to a blade was kill temper at the heel when I was goofing around on a grinder, but, I was just practicing on a junk blade so that was no big deal!

Does this count...

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...nt-bloody.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Philadelph

Does this count...

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...nt-bloody.html

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Ouch! Thats brutal. :tameshigiri:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Philadelph

Does this count...

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...nt-bloody.html

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WOW now that looks painful :(

that's gonna leave a mark......by the way, my right middle finger is presently super-glued and bandaged from a hand-sanding slip this afternoon. Did my thumb on Sunday. I hope these razors look good when I'm done hacking myself to pieces on them.

So today I was making my second set of scales ever, and for the first set I had done it all by hand, so this time around I wasn't gonna fool around for three hours just rough shaping them. I did use a coping saw to cut out the general shape and since I don't have access to a band saw I thought I would give the table saw a try to split the scales. It did cross my mind that I will probably destroy the piece, but why not give it a try. Sure enough.. just what I had thought, the saw grabbed it and smashed it to the ground. Oh well.. I had ripped several blanks from an old Plumb tree limb so, nothing ventured nothing gained.
Cheers :beer2:

I was sanding the end of a pin on my 400 grit belt sander when the belt split. Sounded like a shotgun. It was turning at 3200 rpm. Slaped my hand about 20 times in one second, before I could get away. Don't know where the pin went and my hands were lacerated badly. too many small cuts to count and brused badly.

I was drilling the pivot pin on a set of micarta scales last night. I had hand sanded and buffed the scales to awfully darn shiny (~3hrs of sanding/buffing). I got the wedge pin exactly where I wanted,but missed the pivot by about 1/32ths. I tried to use the drill bit to ream the hole out a little. I was working the drill bit up and down in the existing hole while pushing the scales into the drill. I lifted the bit a little too high and before I could stop myself I had drilled a second hole for the pivot.

The two holes were close enough to attempt to use a big washer to cover them, but after 3 attempts, I determined that the scales will need to be replaced. Argh.

Damn buffer!!! I had a nice worked back boker that I was wanting to put that "perfect" touch on it. Scales were finished and ready to be pinned. Loss of concentration & it snatched it from my grasp & broke about 3/8" off the edge toe. I shortened it later after "the sickness" had resided... It's still a sad memory of ruining a really nice razor.

This wasn't exactly in the shop but while taking photos of a very nice Dovo with red bone scales I dropped the camera on the razor and dent/cracked the edge! Mostly honed out but it's screwed - I was taking photos so I could sell it - that was a fast woosh of $200 out the door.

Another one - Dremels can kill if not very careful - hurts when it is a really really nice Wade & Butcher!

These are my only two incidents but I stood up and walked out the door both times with words to self (not nice ones)!

With about 20 yrs history in machine shops there have been a bunch. Lots of scrap parts due to misreading a gauge, hitting the wrong switch, heat build up and the like. I have launched my fair share of parts and more from lathes, mills and grinders. Also, I have witnessed several people getting serious cuts and heard about people getting de-gloved, lost appendages and even killed.

Ya think you need to concentrate when straight shaving? Yup, but you really need to focus 10 times more when using power equipment and for longer periods of time. Putting your hand down in the wrong place can have dire consequences and I have seen the results.

Scrapping a part can be have some humor associated with it... in time, but it also carries a significant amount of danger. Don't take the dangers of restoring straight lightly. Stay alert and be sure to wear eye protection at all times and be sure the safety equipment is in place and functioning properly.

The other day I was buffing a razor up... I think I was on the 400 greaseless at the time. I was just removing scratches, so using very light pressure - the last step on the 400. I decided to run the razor at a 45 degree angle off horozontal to vary the direction a bit. Turns out there was some grit at the very edge of the wheel that hadn't "warmed" up, and I got a fresh round of deep scratches. Cost me maybe 30 mins of work or so, but it was very frustrating still. Haven't been in workshops too long, so I haven't had anything too terrible happen.

I have been restoring for awhile now and find this thread very amusing. The longer you do this thing, the more stuff happens. It seems that no matter how careful you are, you still manage to screw some up - hopefully nothing valuable or historic. I will put my "stuff not to do" in Biblical format:

1) Never leave thy blade on the edge of thy workbench while thine buffer is on. Carbon steel liketh not hitting the concrete firmament.

2) Turneth not up the edge into thy buffing wheel. Doing so will taketh a chunk out of thy blade and possibly thine hand or foot.

3) Be thou conservative with thy griding wheel. Steel once removed, cannot be replaced.

4) Do not pursue that final pit or thou shalt turn thy blade into holy foil.

I have done all of the above, and I'm sure I have more coming.

5. Thy shouldest not try to drillith thy razor tang. It will eateath thy drill and possibly removeth thy fingers.

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Originally Posted by mackie

5. Thy shouldest not try to drillith thy razor tang. It will eateath thy drill and possibly removeth thy fingers.

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Me thinks you need better bits.

I started the year well. Last month I had just finished restoring a customers blade & knocked it off the bench. I thought the rubber matting on the floor would save it but no, of course this time Murphy's law kicks in & it lands on a bare piece of concrete :rant: Very humbling :(

Thou shall remove thy scales from running router (just setting upside down on workbench) when distracted by wife instead of just turning head or router shall removith thy fintertip!!

This just happened a couple days ago...

Not quite a workshop story, but...

Last week my wife and I went to LA and I decided to bring along my spanking new Shumate, seen here. It came with the original box in pristine condition, which is what I kept it in for storage. I had to pack the razor in my checked baggage and didn't want it knocked around or swiped, so I shoved it in the pocket of a pair of khakis. When I got back, I emptied all the luggage into the laundry basket and you can see where this is going... I just went down to switch the laundry and just happened to feel the pocket of my khakis. NOOOO! I left the razor in my pants! :gaah: But there's a happy ending to this story: the razor is just fine (and still shaving, somehow) just a little cleaner than before. The box is mushy rubbish.

Thank goodness you found it before the dryer, razor and khaki's would have been toast. I'd WD-40 the pivot pin/scale area to displace moisture and oil it up to ensure no rust. Good story...