Thread: My first attempt at scales

I'd posted this during the server upgrade, but it looks like it got lost in the ether...so here goes again.

This past weekend (after about 8 hours pressure washing the house and driveway) I got to spend a few precious hours in my woodshop. I finished my paddle strop (available for viewing on the Strops forum) and made some progress on my first set of scales.

The wood is water oak. For those of you still following the saga, I milled this from a tree that fell in my yard about six months ago...the majority of the tree is split and ready to spend time in my fireplace this winter. The wood is quarter sawn and shop dry, very stable. I used my bandsaw to resaw the boards to 3/16; used double sided scotch tape to keep matching faces together, traced the outline of the scales I wanted to replace, and cut the pair to rough shape. With the pair of scales still taped together, I epoxied 36 gage copper to the outside on either side of the pair. This ensured that the preferred (and matching) faces of the scales would end up on the outside when finished. After clamping and finish shaping the scales, I separated the two halves and began to contour them.

The attached pics are getting close to finished. I still have to finish sand the wood and even out the satin finish on the copper. I plan to finish them with shellac and wax.

Bill, before you ask, the scales as you see them are just over 3/32 thick.

I'll post pics when they're finished and again when attached to the razor (it still needs substantial work).

Cheers,
Ed

They look very nice, Ed. I've got some bog oak coming from Scotland that's highly patterned. I always thought oak would make awesomely durable scales. I like the copper liners, too, although it would seem they'd be a b*tch to keep polished.

They look pretty good to me ED. Post pics as you go along.

Gary

I have the feeling these pictures don't do them justice. Keep us posted, Ed

Redwoood

Applause Applause! Well done, Sir.

X

Thats a very nice, clean look!

nice well done

Originally Posted by randydance062449

Thats a very nice, clean look!

i agree with randy, affy clean lookin....lol..wee bit dialect there....

btw joe if you were referring to the wood im sending you....its LABURNAM....dont have the bog oak yet...

Nice job there prof..simon

Ed...

You proved the point that there is more than one way to skin a cat. I like the end product no matter how you got there. A couple of tips, if you are open to suggestions.

I used my bandsaw to resaw the boards to 3/16

After cutting the thickness, cut the rough profile of both scales of the wood and the liners. Sand opposing surfaces of the wood flat and epoxy to the liner material, insuring that you have a left and a right scale.

...used double sided scotch tape to keep matching faces together...

Good idea. You can also use rubber cement found at Tandy or other leather craft store. But, glue the liners together so that the wood is to the outside. This way you can leave the scales as one piece as you contour them to the shape you want, including thickness and radius or bevel of the scale's profile. It's easier to keep them symmetric this way.

Keep them tacked together for the entire finishing process unless you are applying a CA finish. Once the finish of the scales is complete, separate them and lightly sand the edges of both liners just to remove sharpness around the entire circumference. Not the area where you want to put the spacer, though. Sand the inside flat surfaces and then use scotch brite to apply a satin finish to the entire area. Or... you can use a craytex rod to put an engine turned pattern on them. (Rows of offset half circular patterns on the metal)

If you want to apply the CA finish, separate as soon as you have the wood sanded down to 1,000 grit stage. (most of the time you can get by with just a 600 grit finish) Applying CA is in my CD... but you knew that.

Thanks Bill,
Always open to advice...particularly from a guru. After having finished this first set, I can certainly see the advantages of keeping the liners adhered together for the contouring process. This is a must in my opinion for all future scale projects. It will make balancing the scales much easier and especially working with thin stock, somewhat safer to handle on the belt sander. I did retain all of my fingertips, but I was VERY aware of the belt at all times during the process of shaping.

A couple of issues I've got to work through with my current setup: 1) I like the 36 gage copper I used for liners, but it is very thin 0.005" so does not lend itself to cutting on a bandsaw without major deformation; also 2) given how soft and thin the copper is, it probably wouldn't matter, but I have a hard time knowingly cutting metal on my woodshop bandsaw. For this first set of scales I rough cut the copper with tin snips, epoxied it to the scales and then rough shaped it on my belt sander. In the future I am considering doing this step on a grinder instead as this part of the process probably took over half the useful life of a 6x48 belt--making it the most expensive part of the job, so I'd rather not make a habit of using this particular approach in the future.

As to the CA finish...I will certainly attempt it in the future. The CA is on my list of items needed, unfortunately, it's still a long list. For now I'm attempting to make due with the items already in the shop.

Thanks for all the comments and encouragement,
Ed