Thread: a "Case" of one size does NOT fit all?

I picked up a Case Temperite with the clear lucite scales off of feeBay

Having a desire for a Case blade, (my dad had one) when I spotted it ending soon, I didnt have time to ask for more/better photos, or ask any questions, but it did look decent in the pictures it had, so I put in a last minute bid, and won it.
When it arrived, the blade was in great shape, but as it turns out the blade does not fit in the scales. Its as if the scales had shrunk in size like a wool sweater in a hot water wash.
And the first thought through my mind was "Shrinky Dinks" Those old toys that you drew on, put in the oven, and they shrank up.
Would anybody know if lucite shrinks when heated? is this a case of somebody trying to straighten out scales only to make a disasterous discovery? Or did somebody put together a blade with scales that it didnt belong on, just to make a quick sale off a sucker like myself?
If lucite DOES shrink when heated, maybe somebody should add that notation to the "how to" so nobody else makes that mistake!
Yet another one added to the "will restore this in my Copious Spare Time" pile. Oh well.

Lucite certainly shrinks during initial curing - depending on the blend/size, moulds have to be made up to 20% larger to allow for shrinkage. Not sure if it shrinks after curing, though.

Are the scales much too small, or is the blade just catching the wedge part? Maybe you could get a thin file or doctor an old hacksaw blade to saw out a bit more room?

If it does deform when heated, perhaps you could reverse-deform it - heat it and stretch it or, if the curve of the scales has got steeper and shortened the length try to flatten the curve a bit by pushing either end down at the same time?

Regards,
Neil.

Are the scales lucite ? Could they be celluloid ? More likely I think. I've seen celluloid shrink on pocket knives from the 1920s and '30s. You can see it pulled short of the bolsters and sometimes cracking between the rivets. Some, not all, so I assume some mistreatment. I've had more than one razor that came with the point rubbing the wedge a bit. Appeared to be factory celluloid scales but could have been replacements.

If you mean this razor, you certainly couldn't tell much from the photographs, but it does show the blade completely encased in the scales. If you are talking about this razor, it seems the wedge is loose and may be turned so that you can't completely close the razor. One photo shows this razor completely closed, also. In the second set of photos the scales appear pinched together, but I don't think that would cause any dramatic shrinkage. Try adjusting the wedge to give the blade a little more clearance if it's the second razor.

Regards - Walt

Hey Walt, pretty good with your searches! It was the second one you found.

What you cant see in those photos, is that the blade, when seated in the scales sits itself about 1/4 inch BEHIND the wedge! Yes, the wedge is loose, but no matter how much you move it, that blade will NEVER fit in these scales! If you look close ( I never would have noticed if I did not have it in front of me) you will see that the 3rd pin is back away from the heel of the razor by a large distance as well. Normally in all the razors i have seen, it sits rather close, if not actually resting up in its "armpit"

Walt - I think you are right about the second photo - that wedge is loose. It is turned upwards in the opened photo to release the blade, and downwards in the closed photo to give a bit more clearance to accomodate the blade. If its a lead wedge then its not too much of a problem to make it a bit smaller and/or grind off the edges to make the fit look better, then tighten the pin. That first photo doesn't look much like lucite.

Regards,
Neil

Regards,

You beat me to it with your post, Magpie! A whole 1/4 inch - thats a lot!

Acording to http://www.lucitel.com, lucite distorts at a temp of 200 degrees F and can shrink by a max. of 2.5%. If you allow 145mm as an average scale length than that gives you nearly 4mm shrinkage - getting on for 1/4 inch.

The scales certainly look original and warped. They very well may have suffered shrinkage. I have some that are warped in the same manner but thankfully not lengthwise.

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

You beat me to it with your post, Magpie! A whole 1/4 inch - thats a lot!

Acording to LuciteLux | Acrylic materials at the leading edge of fashion, product design, retail, architecture and industrial applications, lucite distorts at a temp of 200 degrees F and can shrink by a max. of 2.5%. If you allow 145mm as an average scale length than that gives you nearly 4mm shrinkage - getting on for 1/4 inch.

So it DOES shrink! Somana Beach! Well, Something to think about before trying to straighten a set of scales. While it wasnt me (this time) I know I would have tried to straighten them the same way, and would have gotten the same results.

I doubt I can "unshrink" them, so this might turn into a whole new scale set eventually. Like I said, the blade itself is in great shape (better than it looks in the photos) so its not a total loss.
Regrets are for those who dont take chances!

From the razors I've had, Case razors are notorious for two things - shrunken scales and poor glue on the wedges. The shrinking varies - sometimes you can file down the wedge, other times you need new scales. The glue varies too - sometimes it's just a loose wedge, but sometimes it leaves severe staining at the toe of the blade. I can't be certain if the staining is from the glue or soap in the scales, but I think it's the glue.