Thread: Basic tools needed to start restoring?

Well, I've accumulated a good amount of tools in the past month or so, so I can start restoring a few fixer uppers in my collection. Now I'm just wondering if there's anything else I might want to pick up while I'm in town today. So far, I have:

4000/8000 Norton
12000 Chinese Natural (it's a good one. I'm almost positive it's closer to 16... it's like glass)
Illinois 827
Bench Grinder
Digital Dremel with all the goodies
wet dry sandpaper from 220 up to 1000
and some Maas

Probably going to pick up a 1000 stone today to put a bevel back on the ones that need it.
Any other ideas?

That depends on how far you want to go with restoration? What is your collection consist on? any pics?
Perhaps a DMT to lap your stones?

I'll need to upload some more pics... if you look at other threads I started, there's two of them at least; a Hans Otto and a Joseph Rodgers. I have about twenty more, I guess, that are in various states of disrepair; a few W&B wedges, a few other Sheffield wedges whose maker has slipped my mind at the moment, a russian of some kind, various Solingen blades, some Genco's.... and a few random U.S. makers.

You're all set.
Really. You have more than what I had when I started restoring.

The most valuable thing when restoring is patience

Thats a lot twenty razor, do you have any experienced in restoration ? do you know how to hone razors? and make them shave ready!

Originally Posted by kamikazeproject

Well, I've accumulated a good amount of tools in the past month or so, so I can start restoring a few fixer uppers in my collection. Now I'm just wondering if there's anything else I might want to pick up while I'm in town today. So far, I have:

4000/8000 Norton
12000 Chinese Natural (it's a good one. I'm almost positive it's closer to 16... it's like glass)
Illinois 827
Bench Grinder
Digital Dremel with all the goodies
wet dry sandpaper from 220 up to 1000
and some Maas

Probably going to pick up a 1000 stone today to put a bevel back on the ones that need it.
Any other ideas?

Those two in red are a danger zone, honestly I would start with just using your hands when restoring the blades, take it slow like Bruno pointed out...
we have a saying "Rush a Restore, Wreck a Razor" if you search out the sticky at the top of this forum "Workshop" there are a ton of threads about how to handsand.. Do some by hand first it will give you a perspective of what you can accomplish, and what the razors can handle...

Good luck

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Those two in red are a danger zone, honestly I would start with just using your hands when restoring the blades, take it slow like Bruno pointed out...
we have a saying "Rush a Restore, Wreck a Razor" if you search out the sticky at the top of this forum "Workshop" there are a ton of threads about how to handsand.. Do some by hand first it will give you a perspective of what you can accomplish, and what the razors can handle...

Good luck

Ha ha, too true! I used a dremel on a razor ONCE! No more, just hands and sandpaper and micromesh for this cat...on the plus side, I learned I can rescue one with the dreaded breadknifing technique. Every cloud and all that eh! Still one of my favorite razors to shave with as well. Happy days.

Best of luck Kamikazeproject, it's addictive stuff! Plenty of skills to develop in 20 razors, you'll be a sensei by the time you get through them.

Listen to Glen, I put my Dremel away after I ruined a vintage Thistle razor; not only that but the piece of steel that broke off from the blade just missed my face by a couple of inches. HOG

Haha... yeah, got the Dremel for, literally, one razor that has a chipped blade that I'm going to shave a bit off of and reshape. (no pun intended)
Mainly, I just have a bunch of wet/dry and Mother's polish for all that kind of work.
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I'm gonna start out first on the Hans I posted pics of a while back. It's in probably the worst shape of any of them, so... might as well jump in head first. After all, if anything happens to it, it's probably already a goner anyway. Actually, I think the blade is salvageable. The only real issue with it is whether I'm going to be able to get the pitting out completely, and if not, whether any is going to be on the cutting edge. The scales are the real problem with that badboy... total cell rot, I'm gonna have to figure out some kind of substitute that will look close to those green celly's though. The scales were the best thing about those things.

Which reminds me, I did think of one more thing while I was out trying to find a 1000 grit today. (no luck, btw... you'd be surprised how little people who work at the Chicago Cutlery outlet store actually know about anything)

Probably gonna pick up a USB microscope.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Those two in red are a danger zone, honestly I would start with just using your hands when restoring the blades, take it slow like Bruno pointed out...
we have a saying "Rush a Restore, Wreck a Razor" if you search out the sticky at the top of this forum "Workshop" there are a ton of threads about how to handsand.. Do some by hand first it will give you a perspective of what you can accomplish, and what the razors can handle...

Good luck

I forgot earlier, but meant to ask... what's the word on using a Dremel on low speed with the buffing wheel for final polishing?