Thread: Note for those hand sanders-

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Have been working on this dremel thing all day,had some crop failures but I shall overcome and master this pricision tool,off to the razor safe.I have some N.O.S fillys that need a buff,back in a flash.

PF, thanks for cleaning up my Dorko. Can't wait to get that baby back and shave with it. It looks great!!!

Originally Posted by Wintchase

Use a dremmel with dark glasses and near the neck and groin area for maximum effect...

yup that works 100%, 100% of the time if you are trying for dueling scars and unique razor designs.
i used my dremel just the other day... i had a fabric roll of 7 razors that got damp at one point. all 7 razors had a spot of red rust right where the shank touched the fabrice... the spots were small and near the spine a little polishing did not helps so i used a brass wire wheel on the dremel to clean it up and out of the jimps. polished more, oiled the blades dried the roll in the dryer and slotted the razor back... no huge deal.

jim

Originally Posted by Old67

Wow I didn't expect to start such a thread!

I take no offence, I should mention, from those people posting contrary ideas to mine. I know what works for me, and I have had nothing but success with my dremel and flapwheel. I'm embarrassed that there seems to be such a resounding negativity towards my process though...

I approach it in a very methodical manor, and I do it all free hand. I can feel the pressure, feel the heat in the blade, and can visibly see the sparks coming off. To my mind, nothing could be safer for myself and safer for the blade. I agree 100 percent that a wheel is ideally the way to go, but when you live in residence at a university, space and noise are of great concern.

I was not trying to say that this set up is the best, easiest, or safest. If you read what I wrote it says nothing of the sort. The only idea I was trying to propose is that it helps a lot if you are a hand sander. I also think that, just like shaving itself, it all depends what feels right to you.

I will attach a picture at the end of this post showing what I can do with nothing but a dremel. It might not impress you to death, but nobody is going to say i ruined the blade or did a poor job. This is my daily shave, or will be now that the resto is all done. It needn't be perfect, and I'll happily admit that it isn't professional quality work- but for a 21 year old who views it as functional art, it is more than good enough.

Thanks for all the input guys. My only other word on the subject would be to encourage people to try using a dremel at least once. I started with a higher grit flapwheel, but moved to the 120 after I got a feel for it. Figure out what works best for you, or just get a wheel if you have the space. To me, it beats hand sanding all the pitting out of the blade.

Attachment 92894
(Just demonstrating my point. Just telling all the dremel denouncers that with practice, you can get a mirror finish with a free hand and a flapwheel.)

i hope that isn't your blood all over the paper

It is a fact that misusing a rotary tool can be hazardous. The same can be said about shaving with a straight razor. Treated with respect they both can be wonderfully effective tools.

I've been using my dental handpiece for some things and had no problems. However, I use it all day to make porcelain crowns, so I'm really comfortable and skilled with it. Also, it's got a foot pedal control, and after as many years as I've used it, it's just automatic.

I don't use it for sanding though, just polishing and the like.

Originally Posted by Old67

I turn my dremel to almost full speed and the sparks fly off very easily.

Full speed ???? 30000 rpm ???? Way to cook a razor ! I strongly advise against this.

I used a dremel with flap sanders 120 - 400 grit for a majority of my restorations in the past but it is not something to be recommended to newbs with no experience in using motorised abrasives.

You must have respiratory & eye protection. The rooster tail of fine particles off those things is huge.

You must have a magnetic or similar jig to hold the razor flat or risk the flap sander spinning the razor over & taking a chunk out of the edge. There is always a risk of this with any freehanding with dremels e.g. if doing the top of the spine unsupported.

You must have cold water on hand to cool the razor or make very light infrequent passes.

The process is actually not that fast compared to hand sanding but saves on RSI.