Custom scales on the cheap!

I was sitting at my computer looking around today and I saw something that struck me upside the head!
I have been toying with making custom scales and I wanteed to see how the shape that I was thinking about would look BEFORE I started cutting up my EXPENSIVE wood.
These questions kept coming to mind:
What if I didn't like the looks.
What if the function was not right?
What if it just didn't "fit" the "feel" of the razor?
Then it struck me.... I have a bunch of paint stirring stick and they are basically the width I needed.
Well 5 minutes later I had a rough shape and I cut some rod and tried to put those darn LITTLE washers on to see what it would look like.
Here is the result:

What do you guys think of the shape and overall design?
THANKS for any comments or help...

Personally the scale shape is not to my personal taste... You asked.... But hey if you love it i say make it out of gold! It only really matters what you like, You will have to be the one who lives with it. I personally dont see the stylistic advantage to the wedge end, they kind of remind me of an early 60's surf board. IMO the design may look cooler if you went with a flying v type look with sharpened points... but hell, who am I to say.

PS if you were to make the scales a little shorter the blade would fit like a glove. :) good luck... Regardless i can wait to see the end result.. Please keep us posted.


EDIT: The paint stick idea is great! I once got an old W&B that had scales made of a ruler that must have been 100 years old. I guess all great ideas get recycled eventually! I also guess the previous owner never got around to making scales out of nice wood!

The design isn't bad. Looks nice actually. Not sure how thick the tang is on the razor, but I usually try to get the pin end of the scales to be fairly close to the same size as the tang. If the razor is off balance (scale heavy) you could shorten up the scales some.

I like it, I would just shorten the end of the scales, in relation to the toe of the blade.
Thank you for sharing it.

@JoeLowett. Thanks for the reply, I was going for matching the scales with the blade shape. It is a 8/8 blade. I am on my phone and don't know how to upload a pic of the blade itself, will do that tomorrow when hi get home. I also see what you are saying about shortening up the wedge end. GOOD CALL!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JSmith1983

The design isn't bad. Looks nice actually. Not sure how thick the tang is on the razor, but I usually try to get the pin end of the scales to be fairly close to the same size as the tang. If the razor is off balance (scale heavy) you could shorten up the scales some.

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Thanks, I do see it now...good thing I didn't user my GOOD WOOD! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

I like it, I would just shorten the end of the scales, in relation to the toe of the blade.
Thank you for sharing it.

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Thanks... You guys are the BEST!
YEP got to shorten up the wedge side for sure!

I like your idea of the stir sticks and design but think that the scales are to large for the blade. How far it the edge from the bottom? I would keep the same shape but shrink it until the edge was just protected.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JoeLowett

EDIT: The paint stick idea is great! I once got an old W&B that had scales made of a ruler that must have been 100 years old. I guess all great ideas get recycled eventually! I also guess the previous owner never got around to making scales out of nice wood!

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I guess it would depend on ones idea of "nice wood"! :D Some of my favorite scales are homemade from what was on hand and could get the job done. I am now going to be looking at rulers for scales. Even the "modern" plastic ones have potential. The trick to me would be to make them comfortable and keep enough of the ruler to show what they are made of.

Tim

or perhaps something a little more like this...
Attachment 123588

Chevhead, I can see that you are a much faster typer than I am! Even if they were out of "good wood" it would not be a mistake. It is always easier to take wood off than to add it back.

I like them, well done.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 32t

I like your idea of the stir sticks and design but think that the scales are to large for the blade. How far it the edge from the bottom? I would keep the same shape but shrink it until the edge was just protected.






I guess it would depend on ones idea of "nice wood"! :D Some of my favorite scales are homemade from what was on hand and could get the job done. I am now going to be looking at rulers for scales. Even the "modern" plastic ones have potential. The trick to me would be to make them comfortable and keep enough of the ruler to show what they are made of.

Tim

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Thanks Tim! Now I never thought of using a ruler for scales...that is !
The blade is an 8/8 so it is close to the bottom. I wanted to have bigger scales on it to kind of balance it out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TwistedOak

or perhaps something a little more like this...
Attachment 123588

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Good visual presentation. I would move the wedge pins closer and shorten it a little more. I bought a cheap set of French Curves and they helped me a bunch with nice outlines.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 32t

Good visual presentation. I would move the wedge pins closer and shorten it a little more. I bought a cheap set of French Curves
and they helped me a bunch with nice outlines.

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I like the idea of being able to SEE what the end product will look like with very themlittle time. If something needs to be fixed (shorter wedge end) I can do that and then use them as a template for the "real" ones!

All great ideas and suggestions! I appreciate them all

If you're looking for cheap material to do scales just look around at those big home improvement stores around you. I found some strips of "hardwood" (think it's bankirai but it was sold as hardwood) and oak that were around 40mm wide, 4 mm thick and 270cm long for €3,50 (around $4 or $4,50). They also had thin aluminum strips that would make some nice scales.
They make chairs and fences from bankirai for outside use and those survive without finish for many years so it's very durable stuff. I put some on a (modified, heel removed) gold dollar and finished with only shellac, looks like this:
Attachment 123596

Other then what others have mentioned about making it a hair shorter to ensure a glove fit, I actually really like it. I surf so as it was said earlier in the post looks similar to an early 60s surfboard. But not to sound like a broken record, its yours as long as you like it, thats all that matters. Makes me want to go watch a surfing movie, or think about how you could actually make those scales look just like a surf board with multiple colors some sort of inserts to look like fins. Imagination at its best.

I have used tongue depressors to make mockup scales a few times.

I definitely need to move the pins in closer. I did shorten it up some. Here are some more pics to give a better idea of blade width and such:
Attachment 123602
Attachment 123603
Attachment 123604
Attachment 123605

The idea of using the stir sticks is a great idea regardless of the design.

I also found that bigger paper clips are pretty darn close to 1/16" so you can use them to help hold the scales together instead of cutting up your brass or nickle silver rod.