Thread: Cheap scale material?

I was at Ikea today and came across some pant hangers. The wood is smooth and unlike other IKEA products, the wood is actually solid not a veneer. I think after removing the metal and cutting in half lengthwise I will have 1/8" left for each side of the scales. The length is 12" long. Each hanger should be enough 4 razors. What do you guys think? Is it worthwhile? I wish I knew what kind of wood this was. Pine perhaps. Anyone know?

Edit: By the way it only costs 99 cents to buy each hanger so that's 25 cents per razor.

Rubbish materials, rubbish results. You'll be safer, better equipped, and get a better result to just shell out the, oh, $7 for a nice big piece of pre-thicknessed exotic hardwood in your favorite specie.

There are a lot of places where you can just buy 1/8 pieces of wood. Seems like a much better idea to me.

I see you have a Lee Valley catalog in the background. Don't they sell wood?

I'm cutting up pieces of Oak and Manzanita from my folks place for my scales, first set is done and awaiting for me to put them together.

The oak is a test bit, I have a big chunk of burl in the rafters drying See what happens with that in a year or so

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

There are a lot of places where you can just buy 1/8 pieces of wood. Seems like a much better idea to me.

I see you have a Lee Valley catalog in the background. Don't they sell wood?

Yes Lee Valley sells quite a few exotic woods. Some of my favourites that I've purchased are cocobolo, bocote, padauk, bubinga and zebrawood. They have precut and sanded 3/16" blanks that I normally use for scale material. Unfortunately they are expensive with prices ranging from $10-$19 per blank. I usually get 6 pairs of scales out of one blank. They also sell many pen blanks and burls.

Originally Posted by DwarvenChef

I'm cutting up pieces of Oak and Manzanita from my folks place for my scales, first set is done and awaiting for me to put them together.

The oak is a test bit, I have a big chunk of burl in the rafters drying See what happens with that in a year or so

How long does it take to dry out the burl?

Originally Posted by Salsa

How long does it take to dry out the burl?

No clue, it's been up there a year so far and still quite heavy, figure I'll cut it open next year sometime, see whats going on in there.

Originally Posted by Salsa

I wish I knew what kind of wood this was. Pine perhaps. Anyone know?

Ikea webpage shows them as solid eucalyptus. Eucaluptus has been used as flooring and irrigation stakes, to name but a few, so it might not be a bad choice for scale material.

Depending on how many razors you intend to rescale, it might be worth buying square turning stock and cut yourself. You could get nice woods like bubinga, sapele, oak or walnut at around the same price as those hangers. Shipping charges may apply

I highly recommend Rockler; they have a line of lumber pre-cut to 1/8 and you can request the size of your feet. Prices are very reasonable, too... and the lumber I have bought from them this way has all been very nice. VERY nice, actually.

I think they are rockler.com, look for their "thin lumber."

What type of wood are the hangers, looks like birch. I say if ya see a set of scales in those hangers go for it, I would like to see what ya come up with.
I have seen all kinds of odds and ends used for scales, circuit boards, aluminum corner bead, scrap stainless steel from a candy factory. Heck the first set of scales I made were from paint sticks. Its all what in your imgination......

I say give it a go...you'll never know unless you try. Who knows, might be a diamond in the rough you've found there Be sure to post what you come up with!