Restoring a B.J. Eyre & Co Challenge, looking for some advice

Update/Edit -

So here is an update. I went to Home Depot and bought a filing kit and was able to file the pins down. I disassembled the razor and the first thing I noticed was how sticky the spacer was. It looked like it had sludge on it. The sludge was also around the pin hole of the razor.
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I put some Mothers near the tail and pin hole and started buffing away. I knew I would need to get some Mothers in the pin hole as well to get out any rusted metal. I found a leaf on the ground and started using the bottom of the stem to get the Mothers in the pin hole. Within a minute or so, I was literally scooping metal out of the hole with the leaf. The metal was so corroded it turned into the sludge I mentioned earlier. The crater that is in the handle is a little more than 1/8 of an inch, though the actual hole itself is a little smaller. Before I continue putting anymore work into it, I was curious if this would be a huge problem. I don't have many tools at my disposal. I haven't made scales before, nor have I tried repinning a razor. I imagine if I were to finish the restoration (which I would like to do), I would need to make the hole uniform so I could have a pin fit snuggly in there. Would I need to get a round file and slowly make the inner hole match the size of the crater?

Anyway, after an hour of Mothers and elbow grease/butter alternative, most of the active rust has come off. There is still some near the top end of the blade, so I think I'll need to grab the sandpaper. It isn't nearly as bad as I was expecting it to be, so I'll start on the higher end and work my way down if need be. Thank you everyone who has contributed thus far, your help is very appreciated.

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I was shopping around at the local flea market and came across this razor out of Sheffield. The man had it marked at $35, but after talking to him for a while about restoring it I was able to snag it for $20. There is a good amount of active rust on the spine. It isn't covering the entire top of the blade face and spine, but there is enough there to do some damage. The face and cutting edge of the blade are in pretty decent condition. The scales are original and there is a small crack by one of the pins. It measures out to a hair below 6/8. Out of the handful of straights I have, this is bar far the heaviest.

I don't have a drill press or a dremel, so I can't get the pins off just yet. I figured in the mean time I would get my 80 grit wet/dry sand paper and start getting the active rust off where I can. The stamp on the blade face isn't incredible deep, and I would like to preserve as much of it as possible. Would it be wise to run a course of Mothers and then start sanding, or should I just go for broke and go straight the the sanding process?

Though it has more rust than I would like (obviously), I felt that rust wasn't bad enough to warrant passing up on the razor. Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions are certainly welcome.

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I would suggest that you not start with 80 grit. I would start with no coarser than 220 and maybe even try 360 or 400.
You will need the 400 and finer grits anyway and you can see if they will work fast enough for you.
The deep scratches from 80 grit will take forever to get out.
Nice looking razor and I think it will prove well worth your time and effort to restore it.
It should shave well and hold a nice smooth edge too.

I have most/all the low range grits from 80-800 and I can get more if need be. I figured 80 was the starting point for most razors that have rust and pitting, though I could certainly be wrong. I hate asking this type of question when you can't get your hands on the razor, but do you think something along the lines of a 320 could cut through this stuff?

Just star with higher grits and assess if you need lower grit depending on how much pitting you want to remove. Just remember, the lowest grit you you, the longer/harder it will be to back up to a shinny polished razor. If it is your first restoration I would suggest to be easy on yourself and not to remove all that 150 year old deep pitting.

+1 on starting with a HIGHER grit.
80 will take FOREVER to get the scratches out!
You can always go down if it is not cutting through like you had hoped or expected.
Take it S L O W and have FUN!
GOOD LUCK

edit: Oh yeah... be CAREFUL around the etching if you want to keep it. DO NOT go near that with 80 grit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

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Originally Posted by Jullmg

Just star with higher grits and assess if you need lower grit depending on how much pitting you want to remove. Just remember, the lowest grit you you, the longer/harder it will be to back up to a shinny polished razor. If it is your first restoration I would suggest to be easy on yourself and not to remove all that 150 year old deep pitting.

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I took a stab some weeks back at restoring an F.A. Koch http://straightrazorpalace.com/custo...e-restore.html and I have the general feel for the process. I'll probably start cranking on this guy tomorrow with a 300-400 grit and see how it goes.

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Originally Posted by Chevhead

+1 on starting with a HIGHER grit.
80 will take FOREVER to get the scratches out!
You can always go down if it is not cutting through like you had hoped or expected.
Take it S L O W and have FUN!
GOOD LUCK

edit: Oh yeah... be CAREFUL around the etching if you want to keep it. DO NOT go near that with 80 grit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

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I'll definitely be careful around the stamp on the face of it. It is engraved incredibly shallow, so I'll take my time on it for sure. I might be able to get away with a 600 or 800 grit on the face of the blade followed by some Mother's. Guess I'll find out tomorrow when I start on it.Attachment 128755

Hope it goes well for ya!

While I know that there is rust on the razor, why start low on the sanding? Try just using some MASS or Mothers Mag Wheel polish on it to see what you have before you begin!

If you don’t like what you have after spending some time with the polishes, then start at about 400 grit on the spine, but I’d advise using no lower than 600 grit on the blade, and only if you don’t like the look of the blade after some time with the polish!

If you start using the polish with crumpled newspaper it goes faster as the paper has an abrasive in it! Also, don’t give up on the polish when it turns black as it’s still able to work!!

Also if you put a dab of liquid soap such as dishwasher soap on the blade, then rinse off the residue from the polish, then dry it you will see a much better view of your progress as the residue blocks what’s below!

A mirror finish isn’t necessarily the best! Many out there like to leave a little history behind!

Have Fun!:tu

I hadn't thought about using a newspaper to apply the polish. I had been using cotton rags up to this point. I'll see how that works out tomorrow and figure it out as I go.

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Originally Posted by Jonah

I hadn't thought about using a newspaper to apply the polish. I had been using cotton rags up to this point. I'll see how that works out tomorrow and figure it out as I go.

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You can also use some 0000 steel wool, but there again you may not want to get very aggressive! You may like what you find left behind!:shrug:

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Originally Posted by cudarunner

You can also use some 0000 steel wool, but there again you may not want to get very aggressive! You may like what you find left behind!:shrug:

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Excellent common-sense advice. Low-grit sandpapers can never be undone, and the entire sanding process requires a level of patience that I know I don't possess. Proceed with caution and respect....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jonah

I don't have a drill press or a dremel, so I can't get the pins off just yet.

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If you have a drill you can steady it on a table with one hand and steady the razor with the other. That's how I took my pins off and it wasn't too tough. It will be much easier to sand the whole thing once the scales are off.

I also picked up a tumbler after I had sanded a bit and later wished I had done the tumbling first. It looks like most of your rust is on the thick parts of the razor, which is fortunate. But, the tumbler makes it easier to remove the rust around the stamp, so that you can see the pits before you start sanding. Just a thought - I'm very new to this as well.

So here is an update. I went to Home Depot and bought a filing kit and was able to file the pins down. I dissasembled the razor and the first thing I noticed was how sticky the spacer was. It looked like it had sludge on it. The sludge was also around the pin hole of the razor.
Attachment 128842

I put some Mothers near the tail and pin hole and started buffing away. I knew I would need to get some Mothers in the pin hole as well to get out any rusted metal. I found a leaf on the ground and started using the bottom of the stem to get the Mothers in the pin hole. Within a minute or so, I was literally scooping metal out of the hole with the leaf. The metal was so corroded it turned into the sludge I mentioned earlier. The crater that is in the handle is a little more than 1/8 of an inch, though the actual hole itself is a little smaller. Before I continue putting anymore work into it, I was curious if this would be a huge problem. I don't have many tools at my disposal. I haven't made scales before, nor have I tried repinning a razor. I imagine if I were to finish the restoration (which I would like to do), I would need to make the hole uniform so I could have a pin fit snuggly in there. Would I need to get a round file and slowly make the inner hole match the size of the crater?

Anyway, after an hour of Mothers and elbow grease/butter alternative, most of the active rust has come off. There is still some near the top end of the blade, so I think I'll need to grab the sandpaper. It isn't nearly as bad as I was expecting it to be, so I'll start on the higher end and work my way down if need be. Thank you everyone who has contributed thus far, your help is very appreciated.

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This is before any Mothers

Given the age an over sized pivot is all too common. Looks like you get to do a Sleeved Pivot. Take a look at sleeved pivot search for other ways to do it.

On my last restore I hand sanded the inside of the pivot by using some twisted 1k wet dry sandpaper. Then I packed the pivot with mothers and twisted some paper to fit in the pivot and used it to polish the inside of the pivot. You could alternatively soak the pivot with one of the acids used to force a patina to convert any active rust to black rust. I would use a phosphoric acid based product like "Krud Kutter The Must for Rust Rust Remover and Inhibitor".

Personally I would stick with the mothers to remove all the rust and not do any sanding, also try to save the original scales.

You are making good progress, keep it up.

Jonathan

Thanks for the link and advice. I actually just finished a very light sanding and another run of Mothers. I taped over the face of the blade to cover the stamp and used some 400 and 600 grit wet dry just to get the active rust off. Once that came off, I went back to the Mothers. There is still pitting and some darkening, but I didn't want to grind off more than was necessary. A few members mentioned possibly leaving some of the imperfections on it. Thinking about it, it's great advice.

I still have the scales and the spacer, though the scales have seen better days. I have some wood slats that will be coming in the mail next week, so I will most likely try my hand at making some new scales.

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Originally Posted by Jonah

Thanks for the link and advice. I actually just finished a very light sanding and another run of Mothers. I taped over the face of the blade to cover the stamp and used some 400 and 600 grit wet dry just to get the active rust off. Once that came off, I went back to the Mothers. There is still pitting and some darkening, but I didn't want to grind off more than was necessary. A few members mentioned possibly leaving some of the imperfections on it. Thinking about it, it's great advice.

I still have the scales and the spacer, though the scales have seen better days. I have some wood slats that will be coming in the mail next week, so I will most likely try my hand at making some new scales.

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Nice work!:tu

I’m glad you left a little ‘character’ to it!

Feels good to be bringing an item that was of great value to someone long ago back to life and into service doesn’t it!! I like the way it looks! Nice Job!:y

While I’ve sent some blades in for buffing, all of the straight razors that were given to me by my old Boy Scout Scoutmaster (he’s 92) were all just treated to the newspaper and MASS, then cloth and MASS and they all still look great! When I showed them to him he just beamed!! When he looked at one of them with some nice etching on the blade he exclaimed, “Boy! You can actually read what it says”! One of the razors was his fathers and has no COO (Country of Origin) all it says on the tang is Hair Op. It’s a very nice shaver!

Here’s a link that will help you with making scales, he does a very nice job explaining and showing you how it’s done.

making straight razor scales with a minimum amount of hand tools - YouTube

This one shows how he pins his razors. I’d like to watch him cut those custom washers on a lathe!

Pinning and Peening - YouTube

Keep up the good work!:tu

Thanks for the encouragement, and that's awesome about your old straights. I love going to antique stores and thrift shops, mainly because so many old items tell stories. I wouldn't say I'm a history buff, but I do like history a bit and that's part of why I like straight razors so much. Each maker seems to have their own back story, design, and touch of character. I love working with my hands and finding something that once had value and making it have value again is truly pleasing. I also have a lot of appreciation for those that can work with their hands and have a craft from it. I wouldn't say I'm to that point, but I do absolutely love working on straight razors so far. I'm a college student (one more class until I graduate) so time and money aren't something I have a ton of. That being said, it is awesome being able to restore a razor with hand tools and sand paper.

I actually have the first video favorited, though I haven't seen the second one. For now, there isn't much more I can do. I have drawn out a few ideas for some scales, though I have a feeling I am going over the top. It's all part of the fun though. I bought a coping saw while I was doing my Home Depot run, though they don't carry pin vices so I will need to order one online. Until then, all I can do is stare at the blade and day dream :hmmm:

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Originally Posted by Jonah

I would need to make the hole uniform so I could have a pin fit snuggly in there.

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'Snug' could be a bad thing as most razor tangs are rarely true. Aim for a little free play.
If centring is a problem -> Blade Centering - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Please trust the counsel that Oz gives!! My friend will never steer you wrong!

I'm a "Do right man" Roy. Arethra would love me. ;)