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Well I hate having to post this but when you have a razor with cell rot is that it? I got a few razors that were my great grandfathers and most of them are great except for one which definitely looks like it has cell rot to me. I put it in a plastic bag for now so it is away from the others but now I don't really know what to do with it. Can it be spared perhaps? Or does my razor have a terminal condition?
If it is rot, the scales terminal, but the blade can certainly be used forever in a new suit.
Maybe post some pics? Maybe you are just seeing water staining/damage to the blade (fingers crossed)
Okay. Here are some pics. Brace yourselves it's ugly. You can see the rust on the lower half of the blade wipes away easily and leaves behind the darker color which I'm hoping doesn't look like cell rot to anyone. The scales were broken when I got it. Too bad they didn't get thrown out a long time ago...
Also, here's a link to what this razor should look like. I wish it did too.... :cry:
Bowdin "Bowdin's Wedge Hand Made" 5/8 - Straight Razor Place Wiki
What do you guys think?
I left the surface rust on the blade for the pictures so you could see the condition it had been stored in. I have since wiped the rust off the blade and now it is all darkish colored where the rust was - you get the idea from the last pic I'm sure. Basically it's dark where the blade was in the scales and it's lighter where it wasn't...
Regardless of whether it had cell rot the scales are broken so should be removed.
Second step would be to see if you can find steel that will hone up under that rust.:gl:
So the rust was not really a problem, it wiped right off with a damp cloth. The blade definitely has that darker, sort of mottled color underneath the rust and more specifically, where the scales were. I'll try to put an updated picture up in the morning. Will this area continue to degrade or is it just a stain so to speak? I think that the blade could be polished and honed but will it just keep rotting even in new scales? Is it safe to put it near my other razors? Sorry if these questions seem stupid - I don't want to mess around with something that eats razors and I've never encountered this before.
Given that the blade is a quarter hollow, you may be able to get to clean steel. But there is no way to know without trying to hone the razor (or trying to clean up the steel, if you want to restore it).
The steel will not continue to degrade on it's own. It is the gas that comes off the rotting scales that causes the degradation of the steel. The scales are dangerous, the razor is not.
As above, :) the blade itself is not a threat to other razors only the scales are suspect as they contain nitric acid which is leaching out from the celluloid.... If that is indeed the cause.
Only red rust is active so the stained areas should be safe from degrading. If it will clean up & hone up you'll be good to go.
I've never attempted to clean or restore before, but it looks like maybe now is a good time to start learning. I don't have a set of hones so I won't be doing any honing on this one. What would you suggest for the cleaning and polishing? Wet sanding?
If you start restoring before you've tried to find clean steel by honing, be prepared for the possibility that the razor may not be easily saved.
That said, yes, sanding is a good place to start. How low you want to go is up to you. Using a bit of oil during the sanding can help. I bet there is probably a tutorial either from the workshop sticky or in the wiki.
mrbison;
Too bad about the celluloid rot :(
Whatever you do, don't leave that razor in any closed space and definitely keep it away from your other razors.
Do not put it in a plastic bag. That will only serve to confine the acidic gases from the rotting celluloid and will actually hasten the rusting of the blade.
The best you could do is leave the razor out in the air with the blade open and away from the scales. Better still, unpin the razor and put those scales somewhere else... preferably dispose of them.
- Ignatz
+1 Folks do not realize the fact that celluloid breaks down over time and emits a corrosive and toxic gas. :boohoo:Quote:
Originally Posted by ignatz
There's a seller on eBay who does a set of wet/dry sandpaper from 120 grit up to 2000 grit for under £5, if your in the UK. I've used it and it works pretty well.
WET AND DRY PAPER GRITS 120 - 2000 SANDPAPER MIXED 320 on eBay (end time 01-Apr-11 10:02:03 BST)
pick mixed grit
regards Alex
So, I'm not quite sure what you mean by "may not be easily saved." Are you referring to the possibility that I might end up removing too much steel if I sand before I have it honed? Thanks for your patience. I have looked at both the wiki and the stickys in the forum for depinning and sanding advice and I think that I'm mostly ready. Just want to make sure I do everything in the correct order...Quote:
Originally Posted by holli4pirating
I should have been more specific. Whenever I see rust or other degredation at the edge, it makes me wonder "how much steel will I have to remove, and how much time will that take me, in order to get the bevel set."
It is possible that, once you sand away however much you want to in order to get the razor as clean as you want it to be, that you end up honing and honing and cannot set a proper bevel because you do not find clean steel to form the edge.
I prefer to throw on a layer of tape, do some honing, and try to assess how much honing will be necessary to set the bevel. Based on that, I'll decide if it's worth it or not to spend the time restoring and honing the razor.
So by "may not be easily saved" I was referring to the amount of honing to find clean steel and get the bevel set.
Thanks holli4 - that makes sense. I just want to get all my ducks in a row so to speak before I begin. I think that I'll de-pin the blade and toss the scales. I don't have any hones so I guess that means I should start hand sanding. If it looks good I will probably send it out to have someone hone it. I would eventually like to get some translucent scales like the ones that it had originally. Anybody know where to pick them up from? Are there any vendors out there selling clear plastic scales?
This razor was my great grandfathers so I'll probably keep at it till it looks good/ is functional. Luckily, the other three razors that I inherited from him were in excellent condition. This one is definitely a dog though, probably because of the old celluloid... Thanks everybody for the advice!
Today I took out the pin and threw those nasty scales away. I cleaned the blade up a bit to see the extent of the damage. The pitting is worst by the toe of the blade. I'm thinking of doing a light sanding job - just enough to clean the blade up and get rid of the major ugly spots, but maybe not go so deep as to completely remove all of the pits. I'm afraid I might end up with a full hollow! I was wondering about using my dremel to clean/ polish the blade. Is there consensus that this is a bad idea? I saw some vids on youtube that made it look pretty legitimate...
If you have cell rot the scales are out gassing acid vapors.Quote:
Originally Posted by mrbison
A plastic bag will protect the other razors but not steel
in the bag. Once the scales begin to go there is no turning
back, they will continue to out gas corrosive vapors and
get fragile. One tell is that the corrosion is worst on
the part of the blade covered by the scales. If another
razor in the box has bad scales the corrosion on other
razors will not be as bad on the part of the blade covered
by the scales.
Protect the steel with something even Vaseline or mineral oil
from further damage.
If the steel is not beyond help, some of the vendors have
inexpensive plastic replacement scales. Some have brass
pins, some have micro screw fasteners.
You can postpone replacing the scales long enough to
cleanup, hone, strop and shave test. If the blade is
gone -- it is gone. The important part for shaving
is the 3/16 of an inch near the edge (or less).
Always oil razors well before putting them up
for a longish time.