Making/assembling scales

**binder** · 10-17-2012, 01:00 AM

I have 2 pieces of olive wood blanks that I have made for scales. They are about 1.5"x6", about 3/32" thick. I am using these for a 5/8 half hollow razor. I have been researching about making scales, but have a few questions:

How thick should I make the scales for them to bend properly and be strong enough?

Should I put the scales together before I finish them: glue the wedge in and pin them or finish them first? Not sure how much difference the finish will make as far as thickness; will probably use some type of poly.

Appreciate any advice on anything I need to do with assembly to make sure the blade centers in the scales.

What measurement should I use for the position of pin on the wedge?

How would I check the scales to make sure it is ready for finish (scratches, etc)?

I am doing these by hand, if that makes a difference in the answers.
　
Thanks for advice

**JSmith1983** · 10-17-2012, 02:19 AM

I usually make my scales 2.5-3mm thick, but for thicker, heavy blades you might want them thicker. As for the wedge I will sand it down to a taper and then I drill a hole where I want it to sit in the scales. After that I use micro fasteners to hold the scales and pin in place and sander the wedge down so its flush with the scales. After that I finish any sanding I have to do on the scales. I usually don't take my scales more than about 400 grit for wood. Ebony on the other hand you could take higher though and polish it. As for gluing the wedge and pinning before you finish I would suggest pinning after finishing cause the pins will be covered with poly otherwise, but you could still glue everything together and finish before pinning. It just makes it harder if you have to remove them cause they will pretty much be one piece after the poly. I have done it both ways and either way looks fine. Also the wedge has to be tapered in order for the scales to flex properly. Experiement with different styles and set ups. That is what makes this hobby fun. There are so many different ways and materials you can try.

**mainaman** · 10-17-2012, 02:38 AM

Here a nice vid by Charlie Lewis on making scales by hand, it provides a lot of good pointers on how to.
making straight razor scales with a minimum amount of hand tools - YouTube

**tiddle** · 10-18-2012, 10:43 PM

I am working on a set now, i cut out with a coping saw, and some dremel sanding drums and hand sanding you will be surprised what you can do. Just be patient, I screwed my first two up trying to rush the sanding and went too far.

I used double sided scotch tape to tape the two blanks together and it worked great without gluing like the video. I will say this trying to cut that thin wood one scale at a time...well, let's just say i've seen fish on a dock bounce less...lol

**binder** · 10-22-2012, 06:16 AM

Thanks for the replies.
I enjoyed Lewis's video. I think I will use that for a guide. I read an article at Coticule.be http://www.coticule.be/rescaling.html. In this article he drills the pivot pin hole first and then drills the hole at the wedge after he lines up the scales at the pivot; this is to make sure the blade centers properly. I was wondering if there is any advantage of doing it this way compared to drilling both holes at the same time.

How much of an angle should I go with the spaces for this type of wood (how much should the ends of the scale spread apart near the pivot?

Also one of the scale pieces that I cut and sanded has a slight bend in it about 1/3 way from the end. I can straighten it by hand with a little pressure. Will this be a problem, do I need to replace it, or is there a way to fix it?
I don't know how this happened. I sanded the block flat before I cut the blank and then sanded the cut side to the correct width, and the other blank turned out OK.

Thanks for advice

**JSmith1983** · 10-22-2012, 08:46 AM

If you are talking about how thick should the wedge be make it as wide as the part of the blade that you want to stop at the scales. Even with the slightest angle the gap will be alot bigger than the width of the tang. You only need the angle to be enough so that the sales will bow/flex when opening and closing. As for the bend it might not be a problem. I would put everything together temporarily and see if the bend throws everything off. The blade and the other scale might be enough to hold it in place. A good thing to do if you have other razors is too look at them and see how everything goes together. That will give you an idea of what you need to do. If they have been doing it that way for this long and not having problems I can't begin to believe that they were wrong in how they made the razors.

**deanfarris** · 11-04-2012, 01:43 AM

nice video....very basic and informative...Thanx!!!!

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