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I've read through several posts for repairing warped scales, as well as making your own. I haven't seen anything yet for fixing a cracked scale/filling holes, and whatnot. Is it worth the effort? I received a Bismarck from a friend (so no cost from me) in decent shape, but cracked scale through the pivot hole. Unfortunately the Bismarck logo inlay is on that side. :( Any ideas?
Carefully un-pin and glue a very thin brass liner underneath and re-drill the hole. I've done this a few times and it works well
The reason there are no "Repair" threads is that it depends on the scales...
Naturals = Ivory, Hone, Bone, can normally be repaired pretty good using Epoxies and/or Fiberglass
Bakelite = Pretty tuff to repair as the glue don't stick well and shows up badly..
Celluloids = Here is the problem, there were different compounds/formulas so sometimes repairs work sometimes they don't
The bridge style repairs work rather well as Rodb said, also you can try an acetone weld with a tiny drop of acetone in the crack (Fingernail polish remover is acetone also)
Hope that gives you some ideas
Fingernail varnish remover usually contains some oil, to avoid drying out the skin or nails, or some such. Some brands may work well, others perhaps not. All they guarantee it for is nails.
I have seen threads on other solvents which worked better with some plastics, which may well look just like celluloid to most of us. It sticks in my mind (though you should check if you are depending on it) that MEK was mentioned, both as being good and as a seriously harmful substance.
Good info guys! I'll play around with it and let you know the results. Like I said, I've got nothing invested in it except the interest in fixing it up.
Do you know if these are good shavers?
I have one razor with a cracked pivot hole. I used CA (Krazy Glue) to glue the broken piece back in place, and then glued pivot washers to the inside and outside of the scale. Then re-pinned with a bolt.Quote:
Originally Posted by rodb
Same idea as a brass liner -- distribute the stress of the pivot pin on the scale, and supply as much glueing area as possible.
It hasn't broken yet . . .
Charles
I bought some glue and a thin brass plate last night at the hobby store. I plan on working on this tonight, or this weekend. I'll be sure to take some photos and let you know how it turns out. Thanks again for the info!
I look forward to your pictures and account of progress. I have a Kinsfolk Red Point that I need to repair in the same fashion. Good Luck and hope you have a successful outcome!! Before & After picts, maybe:~) Regards, HowardQuote:
Originally Posted by Ducksfan
To answer your question as to if they are good shavers.....Oh, Hell Yes! I have a couple and they are some of the best shavers I have. They give a smooth, irritation free shave. I love both of mine!
Here's a couple pics of the razor. Before shots I suppose.
And here's what I bought to fix the crack. The brass sheet is .010 (not sure of the measurement, but really thin) thick. And the glue was recommended by the hobby store staff. Total investment? About $7.
Not a bad investment. Sometime do a little research on the prices of Bismarck razors.....they are not cheap. Get that one honed after you make the repair, she should give you a real fine shave.
Thanks for the info DoughBoy. Needs a little TLC and a little honing, but it should be good after that. :) I bought a razor off of eBay and the seller included this one for free. The money spent so far is on the fix-r-uppper supplies.
And the moment you've all been waiting for... It's nothing to write home about, or post on a forum for that matter, but I said I would. So there.
The tear down: it came apart no problems, thanks to the X in the pin/ drill it out method (I forget who posted that one, but it helped keep the bit from slipping). There was heavy rust between the pivot washers and the tang, so more work had to go into the blade than I initially thought. You'll see some of the remaining pitting in one of the pics. Didn't want to go too deep though, as this was my first attempt of the sort.
Scale repair: I tried the acetone idea, but no luck. No reaction. Maybe I had some weak stuff, wife's fingernail polish remover. I went with a glue and brace approach. the brace worked well, the glue? Not as seamless as I hoped. Still, my goal was to get a razor in shaving condition, and I think it will hold. (fingers crossed)
The blade: Mothers polish cleaned up the blade with some elbow grease, the rust was tackled with a dry sanding progression, then wet sanding with the finer grits. Mothers polish to finish the off too.
Yet to do: re-pin, hone, and shave. I'll probably end up getting a light colored wood in the future and make new scales altogether.
Lessons learned: depending on your goal with a razor, fix it how you want to fix it. I know it looks ugly, but I'm satisfied with it. :)
Now, what can I do to make sure rust doesn't occur around the pivot again?
Can you tell what kind of phone I have?
And no, I don't condone smoking. It's what I had handy to show a reflection.
Oh, I did sand the excess glue down, you can't feel the crack, but you sure can see it!
Good job! The Red Point I have to repair has bolsters on the ends and fortunately will hide the crack when repaired. Is the .010 brass strong enough? You may already be aware of this video, but here is the link to a re-pinning video tutorial. Congratulations on the repair. Regards, Howard
http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...tml#post875983
1. Try to keep the pivot area dry, when you use the razor.Quote:
Now, what can I do to make sure rust doesn't occur around the pivot again?
2. After you use it, dry the pivot area with a tissue. Put a drop of mineral oil into the pivot area occasionally, and remove the excess with a tissue.
That's worked for me, so far.
Charles
PS -- I use an anti-rust penetrating oil called "Corrosion Block", but mineral oil is the "lowest-common-denominator" stuff. Gun oil will also be fine.
Take a look at this. It comes in several sizes and there are other products in their inventory also. Just click the links bar toward the upper left. I just received mine yesterday. You'll also find some restoration supplies including a pin set. HowardQuote:
Originally Posted by Ducksfan
Straight Razor Maintenance & Repair Needs
Should I use this as I'm putting it back together? Is it a one time application?Quote:
Originally Posted by SirStropalot
Quote:
Originally Posted by SirStropalot
Thanks for the video, that'll definitely help! The brass seems like it's thick enough, did some flex tests and it seems pretty rigid while allowing a little bend. Looks like its a hair thicker than the outside washers.
You could probably put in on before, but I would reapply after with the needle tip applicator. They kind of advertise it as a, let's say I guess, a long lasting solution that won't wash off, etc., but I suspect friction and abrasion from rubbing the scales and pivot pin will reduce its effect. Guns and most knives aren't going to get the wear and tear of a daily use razor. I think it will be a good last line of defense, but I will still use mineral or camellia oil on the pivot also. I'm going to try it on the blade and see how well it holds up, but being very careful of those areas such as the bevel and spine, especially the bevel where I'm sure it won't stand up to honing or stropping. I think it's just another level of protection, but not a cure all solution. Daily cleaning and drying and oil as needed are still the best preventatives. Howard
I used exactly the same brass and glue for my repairs, it seems like it will hold up. I fixed a Boker that was broken in the exact center of the scales like that, and it's held up so far.
:( Pinning was going well until the glue couldn't hold any longer. Looks like I'll end up making new scales sooner rather than later. I've got a whopping 12oz peen hammer, so I'll get a smaller one. Don't know for sure if that was the point of failure, or if it was the first-timmers lack of experience. Good fun all around though. I think I'll stick with the restore aspect. Good learning experience! I hope someone can learn from my failure as I have done. :)
Keep in mind this same repair might work fine on a different set of scales made of Celluloid, this is the problem that I was referring to in my first post..
There are quite a few different compounds that were used over the years to make Celluloid so some things work and some don't when it comes to repairing them... Basically, some will let glue stick and hold, and others don't, some work with Acetone welding some don't :( ... It also might have worked with this set using Epoxy rather than a CA there is just is no way of knowing until you try each set... Epoxy usually has the best rate of success because you can create a mechanical lock using a burr and/or drill bit
What type of epoxy would you recommend trying? I'm open for a round two. :)