Thread: What's REALLY hard to make???? THE FREAKIN WEDGE!!!!!!!!!

Good god I have been struggling all day trying to make wedges for three different razors. I just can't seem to get them to look the way I want. I end up messing it up and looking like crap! Scales are fun, pinning is easy. Making a wedge to fit with out messing up the scales is a beast. I have know idea how you all make them look so good. And as far as cutting a brass lined wedge, mine look like absolute crap. I cant get then smoothed out without looking horrible. I'm using hand tools BTW.
Maybe this Is why I hate golf.....
ideas????

What I did was cut the wedge out oversized, drilled the pivot and then played around to get the taper right. So assemble the razor with microfasteners, disassemble, sand the wedge taper and reassemble until the angles are right.

When that was done I pinned the wedge end of the scales, ground off the excess material with a dremel with 80 grit drum so it was flush with the scales and then polished it all up with sandpaper and micromesh. It took me a bit of time though, thats for sure..!

Bear in mind with the brass lined wedge the relative hardness of the materials you are using. Horn or acrylic will wear faster than the brass will, so you'll have to play around with that a bit.

Good luck and keep us posted.

I start by drilling a piece of material about 3/4" x 4" for the pin. I then have a handle attached to the back of the wedge, I sand the end to a taper. I then use a saw to cut out a square of the wedge material just behind the hole to make the back of the wedge. I then install the wedge with microfasteners and sand to shape. Done.

Originally Posted by deighaingeal

I start by drilling a piece of material about 3/4" x 4" for the pin. I then have a handle attached to the back of the wedge, I sand the end to a taper. I then use a saw to cut out a square of the wedge material just behind the hole to make the back of the wedge. I then install the wedge with microfasteners and sand to shape. Done.

the problem I'm running into is getting it to the shape of the scales.

Make slightly oversized to start with and then once the taper is right sand it all down flush with the scales. Thats probably the easiest way to do it IMO.

I rarely, if ever, cut my wedges to shape. That's why we have sandpaper. Its thin enough that it doesn't take that long.

how do you not mess up the scales? sand off the scales and then put back on to check?

While I probably don't have as much experience as some of the others on this board, I do just what you said. I sand the wedge seperately and check the fit.

Originally Posted by Str8Shooter

how do you not mess up the scales? sand off the scales and then put back on to check?

Don't shape the scales first and the wedge second. Rough shape everything bigger than needed, then put the wedge in, then do the final shaping with everything together - as if it was all a single piece. I use microfastener's screws instead of pinning for this, so I can get things back apart. I like to pre-taper my wedge, then, when I test fit, I can take it out and re-taper if necessary.

Originally Posted by Str8Shooter

the problem I'm running into is getting it to the shape of the scales.

Originally Posted by deighaingeal

I rarely, if ever, cut my wedges to shape. That's why we have sandpaper. Its thin enough that it doesn't take that long.

I agree with deighaingeal. Pin it, then final shape it, unless you have clear scales. You may get dust between scales and wedge, so clear scales microfasteners, shape it, then pin and may still need to fine tune adjust.

You'll find this way the scales flow with the wedge better to, not just the wedge fitting the scales.

What I mean. When you sand the scales, they are flat together. But you then put a wedge there, it adds an angle and scale ends are no longer square with each other. More material appears to be on outboard vs inboard of scales. Sand when wedged, all goes smooth, headache lessens.