Thread: The best way to mend?

I have an older razor that I picked up a while back and during the process of restoration, I managed to break the tip off of one of the scales right through the pin hole. I have tried a variety of glues and epoxy in order to avoid making new scales but whenever I go to pin it again, it always cracks. The scales seem to be regular black acrylic, what should I be using to attempt this? Or should I just save what I have for future restorations and make some new scales for this one?

I think you have a good excuse to put on a really nice set of scales. You know you want to!!
Really, unless the scales are something extraordinary, that kind of repair is not worth it IME.

I agree with Kingfish. If you are lucky enough to get a fix of scales, broken at the pivot hole to hold, put the razor down and go immediatly to the nearest casino.

Bob

If it were at the wedge end you might have a shot. At the pivot there is just too much stress on the scales what with stropping, getting the rivet tight. You can try but I don't think it will ever be a permanent fix.

thanks guys I appreciate the advice

I have 2 sets of Nude scales that cracked at the pin area... been looking for a way to save them myself...

I've fixed a few cracked and a few split off at the pivot end. They seem to be holding up fine. If its just a split, superglue it together, core out all the material you can from around the crack on the bottom of the scale so you have a thin layer of the original scales with a void beneath, and fill the void with glaze coat. You'll still be able to see the crack since you still have a thin layer of scale, but its pretty solid repair. You want to leave the areas around the crack as rough as possible to give the epoxy a good surface to catch.

You can also just bore out the crack completely and use electrical tape to catch and shape the epoxy.

If the ends are cracked off. superglue them on, remove all the cracked material you can from the top-the direction that the pressure comes, shape tape around scale to catch the epoxy. If you want, you can put some paper in void to make a low grade paper micarta-- don't know if its stronger than just plain expoxy or not. Pour glaze coat in the void. If the scales are black you can color the area with a marker before pouring in to color match (marker pigment will dissolve and spread with epoxy). Other colors color match is problematic, but I dont think its impossible. You can dye glaze coat with wood dyes.

These seem to work most of the time I've tried them. I havent done it extensively, I guess about 6 pair of scales or so.

I "fixed" a scale side for a gentleman who did the same thing as you did. I seperated teh scales at the wedge end. I then used CS to adhere the end back on. Then I took some yellow looking material (sheet-like) and laminated it to the inside of the yellowish braided looking scales. A couple coats of CS, sanded smooth, light touch on the buffer & white rouge, repinned, and mailed off. Just re-glueing the end back on will only last a short time, you will more than likely break it when stroping or honing. The liner I made up on the inside is what "may" keep the scales together. They have a much better chance than a but-joint.

If those scales don't have any family type value to you, I'd just make a new set of scales for them.

What I did was use the superglue to reattach or hold the scales in place while I worked on them--the actual strength of the repair comes from the epoxy. Then I bored/drilled out the crack and some of the area around it, and left as little of the original scales in place in the crack area as possible. I used the epoxy to replace the scale material that I'd removed. Its kinda like using something like superglue to fill a void on the top of the scales (like to cover up initials), or using wood filler to fill up voids in wood, except that you're actually replacing a section of the material. I'm prolly still not explaining very well, these holidays have been rough.

I personally prefer it to scale making, but I've never really liked that very much.