Thread: JoeD's restoration tips

I finally found some time to read through Glen’s thread on buffing here: http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...lustrated.html and watch and listen Brad’s vid’s on restoration here: http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...rt-finish.html Bonth Glen and Brad did an excellent job with the material and media they provided. Thanks guys! Anyone using their methods will get good results with practice. As the saying goes, “If you want to get to Carnegie Hall. practice, practice, practice!”

I decided to put my additions to their threads in a separate thread just so the links and variations are available w/o paging through the replies to their threads. Please read through their valuable information and review their media for their priceless contributions.

To start with, safety first, last and always. If you don’t have the time or patients to observe and use proper safety precautions you should not be doing this type of work. Wait till you can focus on safety and your work. Think before you do. Don’t just have at it. Plan what you are going to do and stick to it. Revisions to your plan will be common. Think through them before acting on them. Safety glasses ( a face shoeld would be better for beginners) and a respirator are a must. A hat or something to cover your head is a good idea. Other safety equipment is always good as long as it doesn’t limit your dexterity while working. Use the proper tool for the job at hand. Improvising can lead to injury!

Before you start your work look closely at your project razor and determine what needs to be done and how far you want to go. As displayed in Brad’s Vids, expect there to be more work than first observed.

While many people on the forum have had good success w/ Dremmels I would advise against them. For the cost it’s cheaper in the long run to go with a bench grinder or Harbor Freight Buffer as Glen used. The wheels are about the same price for both Dremmels and buffers but the buffer wheels last way longer. The wheel diameter difference between the two also results in a great difference in surface speed. The greater surface speed with the Dremmel can result in burning the metal and greater risk of breaking the blade and injury. Go the better way and use a bench grinder or buffer.

On to the work:

I wasn’t sure how much restoring I wanted to do when I first started so I started slow.

Starting on the cheap:

Tools:
Metal polish like Mass and/or Brasso
Single edge razor blades from hardware store like those used for sticker scrapers on box cutters
Tooth picks
Cotton swabs
Scotch pads
Meguirar’s Plastx
Pipe cleaners
Mineral oil
Neets Foot Oil

Process:
First I scrape any active rust off the razor with the single edge razor and rinse with water to prevent further scratching caused by the rust. Rust is an abrasive. If there was still any high spots I used metal polish and a tooth pick to get them down. A small wooden dowel with a shape filed or ground on the end will work better but I use toothpicks because they break if I get too aggressive. I used the point of the toothpick to get into the pits and get the black out. Be aware that metal polish on gold wash or etching will remove the gold wash or the black in the etching, You can work around them but use caution not to wipe the polish off over the gold wash/etching. We then washed the razors in soap and water with the aid of an old tooth brush and pipe cleaners. The Plastex is used to hand polish the bakelite, celluloid and plastic scales. Mineral oil is used on ivory and Neets Foot Oil on bone and horn.

De-pinning :
If the scales are trash I either file or grind the preened end off. Get ‘er dome and move on! If I want to save the scales first I will use an 8” bastard file to flatten the pin. Needle files are fine but I have a hard time keeping them on the pin. A bastard file works best because it doesn’t tend to walk sideways on the stroke. I use my thumb on the other hand to guide the file and keep it level. Next I use a spring loaded center punch to mark the center of the pin. Here’s a link to a similar model but mine is a commercial grade and this is a consumer model: - Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
Net using a small hammer and small center punch I move the center spot to the center by tipping the center punch and tapping it. When the mark is centered I give it a few light taps to deepen the prick mark. Now on drill bits, the centers do not cut well which is evident just by looking at them. I start with a much smaller diameter buit larger than the center of the next bit I use to drill a pilot hole and drill deep enough to go past the washer. Now I am not good enough to get the center mark exactly in the center so I next go with a drill bit slightly larger than the pin and just drill down till the washer comes off. Be sure the drill bits are sharp. Check them under loop or magnifying glass.

Washers:
I like domed washers on most of my restores. Here’s what I use: - Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Peening new pins:

Glen mentioned practicing on popsicle sticks. That is a good idea and the tips he posted on peening are very good. To paraphrase Glen, tap your finger nail with the peening end of the hammer. If it hurts you hitting too hard! Lots of light taps will helo prevent the pin for bending and breaking the scales. Max does a great job on peening his restores. I love to read how he does it! I buff the pins and washers after peening is complete.

Grinding and buffing:
I buy most of my stuff from Caswell Plating. I use two bench grinders @ ~ 3600 RPMs and a Caswell 1100 RPM Caswell buffer. The RPMs are important only in the diameter of wheel that should be used. The important part of of buffing and greaseless compounds is surface speed. I find 4” wheels on the bench grinders work best but I have been known to use 6” wheels. I use minimum 6” wheels on the 1100. For greaseless compounds I use spiral sown cotton wheels which I also use for the black emery, SS emery and white polish. Lose cotton can also be used with the white polish and blue polish. The Caswell numbers for these are:
SS F515-6144
Black BLKBC5
White WBC5
Blue BLUBC5
SS F515-6144

I use them in this order also. Here is a link to the greaseless and polishes: Caswell Inc. - Standard Buffing Compounds

Grinding/Buffing tips and safety:
Greaseless:
I keep the greaseless compounds in the frig. I helps keep them from drying out and they seem to stick to the wheels better. I don’t usually use greaseless glue prior to applying the grit but I do like the wheels to run true on the buffer. If the wheels don’t run true I dress them with a wheel rake and then use the glue to get the grit to stick better, I apply the grit just after I turn the buffer off and while the wheels are still spinning. I do this several times per application. I find I get more on the wheel and less on the walls and myself doing it this way. Always keep a container if ice water handy to cool the blades when they heat up and before you anneal the steel! I keep a finger on both ends to monitor the temp. Cool in water when it gets hot. Wipe the water off the blade before going back to the greaseless. When I feel the wheel is getting loaded with metal and the blade is heating up faster I leave the blade wet and put it to the wheel with little pressure. This helps remove the metal from the wheel. Alter your blade orientation to the wheel from time to time to vary the scratch pattern, Don’t move to a finer grit until all of the scratches are the same size/depth. Altering the blade angle to the wheel will help show the scratch pattern. Never run the blade over the wheel with the cutting edge pointing to the oncoming wheel surface! Work with the top wheel surface moving towards you and stay at or below the center of the shaft so if the blade catches the wheel it is not thrown into your face! Hold the blade firmly like your live depends on it because it does! Start using each grit applying moderate pressure between the blade and the wheel. Lessen the pressure as you go and finish each grit with very light pressure. Clean your blades very good before going to the next grit. Keep wheels of different grits stored in separate containers. Don’t cross contaminate your wheels with different grits. When wheels are not in use put them in a storage container, plastic grocery bag, large zip lock bag or plastic container. Cover wheels mounted on buffers not in use with a plastic grocery bag or something similar. This goes for polishing wheels also. When working with the buffers the dust and grit gets everywhere and may end up on the other wheels. Dust is also an abrasive.

Polishes:
Same rules and tips as greaseless except for loading the wheels. I load the wheels while the buffer is powered up and spinning at speed. Just apply the polish stick for a few seconds and re-apply as needed. Don’t over load you wheel and only working with it will let you know when it is over loaded. If the wheel leaves a bunch of black stuff on the blade it is overloaded. Less is better. There are two methods of running the blade over the wheel, cutting and coloring. Pulling the blade heel to toe in the direction of the oncoming wheel is cutting, Start each polishing compound with a cutting motion. Pushing the blade from tow to heel so the blade is moving in the same direction as the wheel is coloring. Finish each polishing compound with coloring on all surfaces of the blade. Alter the angle of the blade on the wheel every so often and finish with the blade lined up with the wheel. If there are swirl marks on the blade when finished coat the blade with corn starch or baby power and buff on a clean wheel.

This is a long post and I am sure I forgot some things and others may not be clear. Please ask questions if you have them. My statements here are only my method of restoring razors. I’m sure there are better and/or safer ways to do this but with Brad’s input and Glen’s input from their posts you now have three sources to compare and choose from. Be sure to read through their posts and the others posted to SRP that I have not referenced only because they don’t come to mind at this time.

Remember, safety first last and always! This is not an option! Stay focused on your work and when you feel your focus drifting take a break and come back to it some other time!

Here’s a link from Caswell that will get into buffers a bit more than I did and provides another perspective: Introduction To Buffing and Polishing - Caswell Inc.

Remember, HAVE FUN!

WOW

Awesome write up Joed

Some really great tips in here, TY Joe..

+1. LOL

no, really, everything he says is good practice.

I would like to say one thing about storing greaseless:

I keep my greaseless in gallon size ziplock bags. I just leave them in my unheated garage all year, because being in Michigan, (1) in the winter, its like a refridgerator, and (2) in the summer, its super humid. So, I never really have to worry about the stuff drying out. You HAVE to keep them zippered up though, or sealed in some way. they will dry out if left out in the air. If I was anywhere but michigan, I'd probably keep them in a fridge like Joed does.

I have noticed that if you throw a splash of water into the ziplock bag with some dried out greaseless, it can rejuvenate it back to a usable condition over the course of a few days. works great. I've left out some before on accident and was able to save it without cutting off the hardened piece. It did take several days though.

Great post Joe...personally I'll stick to watching guys like you do the work. It's fun to watch somebody who knows what they are doing transform a razor.

See you soon.

Nathan

Thanks for the tips Joe.

Great tips Joed, especially the one below. The skills come with practice but safety must be constant.

"Remember, safety first last and always! This is not an option! Stay focused on your work and when you feel your focus drifting take a break and come back to it some other time!"

Excellent post, you guys are sooo good at filling in the gaps!

Super awesome write up Joe!!
Thanks