Thread: Beginners restoration question

So I brought a razor off ebay and thought I'd attempt my first restoration by hand using sandpaper. Just wondering what is the best progression of grits in order to get the best results. I have some 80 grit in the garage is that okay to start to get the rust and staining off? or should I go and buy something a little higher grit to start?

Cheers.

I would probably start somwhere around the 300 grit range, and go from there, something like 325, 600, 1200, 2000, 2400, and if you can find it where you are, micromesh. I would say 80 is way too coarse, and will leave some nasty scatches. Unless, that is, you have a lot of rust to remove, in that case I would question the sense of trying to restore something that far gone.

I suspect the Mods will move this to the Workshop forum, but here's the link that will help you a lot.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...wers-here.html

Regards,

Howard

+1 to the advice above. A good rule of thumb is to start with the highest grit possible. As Thisisclog said, lower grits (for example 80, 120, even 220) will leave distinct scratches that you'll want to remove at a later stage with higher grit. And that can take a LOT of work to do. So if you can, best to avoid making the scratches in the first place. I will typically start at around 400 or higher just to see how it works, and only go to a lower grit if absolutely necessary.

If it is active (i.e. red) rust, much of it can be removed with a razor blade. A single-edge disposable blade is great for this and it should go without saying that a straight razor blade should *never* be used in that way!

There are other techniques that can help depending on the type of rust you're dealing with. If you post some pics, we might be able to give some more suggestions better tailored to your situation.

Good luck