Thread: Which material is best, for scales

What can I use to make scales?What is the best and get the best results?
Polyethylene or polystyrene, both hard plastic though if I'm right?
What would you choose if you could choose?

store

Isn't polystyreen known in Dutch as 'piepschuim'?
In other words, I doubt it would be strong enough.
PE might work.

For scales, I always use hardwood. You should be able to get saw-ends cheaply at your local sawmill or any other place where they work with large quantities of wood.

Originally Posted by Bruno

Isn't polystyreen known in Dutch as 'piepschuim'?
In other words, I doubt it would be strong enough.

No, Polyethylene is a strong durable board. This material is primarily used for machine building and hobby use. link to shop
Polystyrene plate is a colorful plastic plate, link to shop

The biggest problemn with answering is the word "Best"

Most durable = G-10, Micarta, Carbon Fiber, Mokume Game

Prettiest = The above, Acrylics or Woods depending on tatses

Most Traditional = Horn, Ivory, Bone, Celluloid

Cheapest = Plastics, some Woods

It more depends on what you the owner is after, as to which of these is best...

Originally Posted by Bruno

Isn't polystyreen known in Dutch as 'piepschuim'?
In other words, I doubt it would be strong enough.

Now that would be a challenge. Piepschuim

The simple answer is the one you best like the look of.

I've worked with both polystyrene and polyethylene (not for scales). Polystyrene will generally take a pretty good polish, I'm not sure how the polyethylene would finish my epxerience is not as good as polystyrene but it would depend on the exact compound and how it's been processed.

The other consideration for me is I don't think the finish is as durable as more traditional materials (assuming you want a high polish), my experience is they both scratch pretty easily.

I it were me I would go with the polystyrene if those are you only two choices.

Polyethylene reminds me of soft nylon. I think that is a fair description. While it may not be anything like nylon chemically it works like soft nylon. I have a few small sheets of it here and I am giving you my observations of the material. All the sheets I have here have bowed under their own weight while resting against the wall. One small sheet I have sat on my bench and the sun coming through the window caused it to bow. While it would work and it would be tough as far as surviving the impact form a fall etc. I am afraid that the a set of scales made form polyethylene sheet would relatively soon deform under their own weight.

Polystyrene is a different story. The two pieces below are castings I have taken from molds of a knife I engraved several years ago. I have used both urathanes and Polystyrene to make this type of casting in the past. The polystyrene is more rigid than the ethylene. While not as impact resistant it will keep its shape in free standing situations like you would have in razor scales.

That being said, most industrial supply places that sell Polystyrene and Polyethylene sheet stock also sell urathane sheets. If you are interested in using this type of industrial plastic. It will be slightly stronger than the styrene but you can still break it if you abuse it. Of course, you can break most handle materials if you abuse them. It should be as strong as any of the traditional vintage materials.

I have actually played with the idea of making a set of aluminum scales, engraving them, making a mold off them and then making urathane castings of decorative scales that I could sell or swap to help pay for this growing razor hobby.

Ray

PS I had a bran fart. I am comparing polypropylene above not polyethylene. Polyethylene should work better than polypropylene but I still would rather use the styerene or urathane.

I denk dat nederlands heb gehurd. Vresilik taal!


Charlie
Reno, NV

@RayCover

I had a bran fart

Cutting down would probably help with that I'd imagine. Sorry for the shameless trolling.

Back on topic I quite like the look of G10, so do several other members here. Just my 2¢ go with what makes you happy

ok understand that the materials are not the ultimate to use
But tell me where I can buy G10 or Mokume Game?
Bit in the direction of Europe, so the shipping cost will be no more than the material.

Cgm:@.I denk dat nederlands heb gehurd. Vresilik taal!


Charlie
Reno, NV

Je doet het al aardig........ voor een buitenlander.
Beetje meer oefenen, en je kan deze geweldige taal ook begrijpen.

translation:
You do it all nice ........ for a foreigner.
Little more practice, and you can also understand this wonderful language.