Repairing Scales Quandary

[Gamma]

This one looked hopeless when I got it. I spent a ridiculous amount of time removing rust off the blade, plus it arrived with the added attraction of broken, warped, and shrunken scales.

I decided to spend too much time restoring it because I liked the engraving on the tang and the logo on the front scale.


There was an active running crack from the pivot-pin hole when I got it. I broke it out so I could glue it up with CA. It's solid and it seems stable. Does anyone know if there is a way to camouflage that glue-line?

I repinned the blade into place so I could remove and refit the wedge - the scales had shrunk and the blade wouldn't close. That bit of surgery went ok and now the blade closes nicely.

I never thought I'd get this far. I figured that there would be a catistrophic failure along the way and I'd have to ditch the scales.

If there is a way to soften or mask that glue line I'll unpin the pivot to deal with it. I may do that anyway just so I can sand down that end to smooth it out.

Any tips on dealing with that glue line will be much appreciated.

 

[Kentos]

I would color some epoxy and fill the crack, then sand and buff out.

 

[mdunn]

Could be a bit too late, but if you mix some dust from sanding the scales in with the glue it will mask it a little

 

[onimaru55]

As above . If the scales are celluloid you can mix acetone & the sanding dust to essentially weld the crack but you could also lift the logo & put it on new scales.

Who is the maker ? It looks German but I see a Sheffield mark.

 

[Gamma]

Ahh - this blade.. what a mess this turned out to be. Lesson learned; don't sweat the scales until you know the steel
isn't swiss cheese. I got so ticked off after I realized my error in judgement here that I taped it and tossed it.
Yeah - extreme - I get like that. I didn't scrutinize the back side of the blade well enough. Feh...
But thanks everyone... I'll remember the dust trick for the next one. Live - learn.

 

[mdunn]

Wooah! No chance to even mine through to good steel?

 

[Gamma]

None - it was toast, rotten, I should have looked better before I started.

 

[dakotaev]

Sorry to hear that. It's always disappointing to put a lot of work into something and not have it come out.

 

[Pkrankow]

I would have breadknifed that blade quite a ways before tossing, but that is me. Learning is sometimes cheap, and sometimes not so cheap.

Phil

 

[Gamma]

I did breadknife it..it was toast.

 

[Wid]

That really sucks.

 

[Pkrankow]

Was the celluloid rotten? Celluloid gives off acetic acid (vinegar) as it breaks down, which can corrode even stainless.

Phil

 

[Gamma]

There was a kind of a film of unknown gunk on the inside of the scales that seemed 'off'.