Thread: Making scales from Sintra (PVC)

I work as a graphic designer/sign maker, and one material we use quite frequently is Sintra. It is basically a PVC material that comes in various thicknesses and colors. I am considering trying to make a set of scales with this to see how it goes. Here are the benefits that I can see:

-Easy to cut/ work with
-sands easily enough
-waterproof
-remove scratches (from sanding) by "melting" outer (just hit it gently with a lighter/torch/heat gun)
-and most importantly, its FREE... to me anyway. I have a zillion scrap pieces in the back of the shop.

I thought I might try my hand at this. What's to lose?

Any one else here familiar with this product? have you tried this yet? thoughts?

These certainly wouldn't be "heirloom" scales, and would probably only last a few years, as Sintra tends to break down over time and become brittle when exposed to UV. .... but the price is right to give it a try.

It sounds like it might be fun to practice with this stuff (basic shapes, pinning)

BUT think again. If you know that this material breaks down over time (a few years) then do you really want to sock in the time to make these look good (smooth shaping, rounding off, sanding, polishing)?

Once you feel more experienced I would really advise using some material that will go the distance.

great point.

Yes, definitly fun to practice with, and that was my intention. Having NEVER made scales, or done any pinning, I thought this might be a great way to get my feet wet, and because of the nature of the material, it doesnt really take alot to get it presetable. once it is sanded (even with a rough sandpaper-- say, 60 grit) all you have to do is carefully heat it up with a lighter and it will smooth itself out and look sort of satin. After that is done you can finish it off with a coat of some glossy KRYLON spray on polyurethane. not really much work to make it presentable. So all my efforts would be spent in making it the right size and a nice shape... great skill set to have when working with material with a better shelf life.
But in the long run, I suspect that one success with this medium will have me running out and buying a piece of nice wood to try on next.

Well, I got the blanks cut and drilled today. Then I sanded them, and made the wedge. The scales are black with a grey wedge, kinda classy and simple.
I will be on the lookout for something to polish it up with this weekend, and once I get a blade in it I will post pics.
So far though, I am very pleased! they look nice.

Here is a pic of the scales so far (not shined up yet). Pretty basic, but I like em.

Those actually have a pretty nice, albeit basic, look to them. Make sure you take some high resolution pictures once you get them shined up and finished and post them for us to see!

Attached is a pic of them done with a Griffon carbo magnetic blade pinned in. Also, a white set of scales I made for a Crown and Sword 1720 (not done yet, but a neat shape).
I am unable to give this material a nice polish, so it ends up with a matte, sort of vintage look, and the white remembles bone a bit if you leave some scrathes. Certainly not the prettiest material, but it's super easy to work with and should hold up well for a few years. I treated the black with mink oil (the paste kind).

When the material starts breaking down is it going to cause cell rot like celluloid? I'd check into this just in case. I'm sure someone here will know.

Up until my little adventure with scale making, my exerience with Sintra has been that it does not "rot". Over the course of a few years, being outside and constantly bombarded with UV rays, it will dry out and become brittle, snapping and breaking... but I have never know it to rot, and I have seen pieces of sintra that have been ouside for 5+ years in all sorts of damp, nasty conditions.
Other than that...... I dont know. What's "cell rot"?

Correct me if I'm wrong fellas...cell rot is when the celluloid scales start to break down and release gases that cause rust that destroys the razor beyond repair. Again, I have no idea if it will occur with this material. I just didn't wanna see one of your babies get ruined.