Thread: Tried tightening pins - don't seem to tighten

I posted some pics of a new acquisition here: http://straightrazorpalace.com/show-...7-day-set.html

I mentioned that they are in good shape other than some of the blades aren't centered perfectly and some are a bit on the loose side. I mentioned that I was going to try repinning them after practicing first on some other razors. A couple folks chimed in that I should just try tightening them. I failed to mention in my initial post that I had first tried tightening them to no avail.

So, rather than ask for feedback on that thread, I'd thought I'd do it here. I read the info in the workshop section and, using a lightweight hammer, tapped on my thumb near my cuticle and then used that same amount of it just barely hurt force when hitting the pin. After about 30-60 seconds of tapping it didn't seem to tighten it up. I didn't want to break the scales or bend the pin and stopped.

So, my question is - should I be doing something differently? Should I tap for a longer time? Is there a key piece of information I missed in the "how to" sticky?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,
McP

It isn't as easy as it looks

First hold one up to a light source and look at the space between the scales and the razor tang and see if you spot a Bearing washer in there, if there is no washer be EXTRA careful...

Next the bottom pin has to be on a solid, hard, stable, base ( I like STEEL) and the has to be solidly touching it, you might have to use a corner on the base to get it right.. If the scales are supporting the razor it will NEVER tighten.. there has to be solid contact from the base to the bottom pin..

Tap "Around" the pin, you are trying to Mushroom a peen not smash the pin..

Like everything else in this hobby it takes practice to get it right I have always recommended that practicing on Popcicle sticks is a good thing, if you can pin them without cracking them you are doing good ..

Don't take this the wrong way but Honestly practicing your first pinning/tightening on a 7 day set is about the worst possible scenario there is and very bad advice

OK then. That's the problem - it did look easy

I'll try your suggestions and let you know the outcome.

McP

The advice suggested is a far better alternative than the O.P wanting to re-pin them I feel.

To be clear, I wasn't going to practice repinning on the 7 day set. I have a few other razors that I would try that on first. However, I do not have any razors where the blade is loose and therefore don't really have anything to practice on and so was going to try tightening them again.

I jumped to the conclusion, likely incorrectly, that they were bent because of some of the threads I read where folks posted that they tried tightening but it wouldn't tighten. So, I figured I'd need to repin.

That said, the key word in Glen's post was "around". In all the posts I read and video's I watched the forming of the mushroom was quite clear. Further, the need to go around was clear as well. However, what wasn't clear is that it is the mushrooming that actually tightens the scales together. As such, I thought the mushroom was formed so that the pin wouldn't fall out, but that it didn't have an effect on actually tightening anything. I thought this was needed as a step if you were repinning - not to tighten. As the suggesting was to go "around" to actually tighten - that's when the lightbulb went off. In retrospect, I feel like an idiot for not realizing this, but everyone has their moments...

The other thing was that I simply had a relatively thin piece of metal (whatever the cover for an electrical junction box is made out of) on my workbench and was using that as the backing material against which the opposing pin rested. I transitioned to the end of another hammer (as depicted in one of the videos I saw in the "how to" thread).

My guess is that it is a combination of both the above, but I can report that I have successfully tightened up the 4 razors that exhibited looseness. I could probably tighten them more (I have other razors that are tighter), but they are tight enough now that I won't have them flopping around when I strop them. I figured I'd stop while I was ahead.

Thanks for the assistance!