What's new

My first unpinning

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
This afternoon I built up the courage to perform my first unpinning.

A few weeks ago I purchased a Cadman & Sons "Bengall" on fleaBay for about USD 30 including shipping. It was a dud. The blade had been heated in probably a gas flame and totally ruined the temper. The SR's Bakelite scales however, were in a reusable condition.

full

My available tools are limited, consisting of a small table vice, some jeweller's files, a 1.5mm pin punch and a very small ball hammer. I mounted the the SR in the vice, applied some insulation tape over the pivot pin and gently started to file the head of the pin. I quickly learnt that I had to take more care while filing so as not to score the scales.

IMG20210921123606.jpg

IMG_20210830_182803.jpg

It wasn't long before I had enough of the pivot pin head filed away that I thought it would easily punch through. I tried, again very gently, and it did. Success!

The pin pushed through one scale. I opened it up and was easily able to remove the blade which was binned. I was then able to tap the pin through the other scale to where I was able to just pull it all the way out with my fingers.

My filing effort did leave some slight scratch marks on one scale at the pivot pin. I used 1k and then 2k grit W&D to sand the scratches out and then polished it with Autosol. The result came up like new. I am not find of the smell of sanded Bakelite.

The newly polished area of the scales looked like new and nothing like the rest of the almost 100yo scales. This necessitated my to clean up all outside surfaces of the scales in a similar manner.

IMG_20211229_174200.jpg
I still have some more sanding and polishing to do on the other side and a bit more around the edges on this first side but it is all coming along surprisingly well.

I currently have no use for these scales but will keek them in reserve, just in case.

I have some brass pinning materials and am waiting to receive some nickel ones in the mail. Now that I'm an unpinning "expert", I will next try it on my Puma ⅝ that needs restoring.
 
Last edited:
You can drill a pin with a pin vise and a sharp bit. Once flat and center punched, it drills rather quickly, not as fast as a drill press, but you do have a lot of control. If careful and have a good deep center punch is very safe for the scales.

I like the pin vise with the ball end and short shaft for this kind of precision drilling, so you can apply a bit of pressure with the palm of the hand as you twist the drill. The closer you are to the work the more control you have.

If you file off the pin head, I have had good luck cutting a small flat piece from a plastic water bottle, punching a hole the size of the collar and taping it over the scale to protect it.

It also helps to make a wooden cradle with a hole to accept the pin on the back side to hold the razor steady. A small piece of rubber drawer liner between the cradle and the razor and taping the razor to the wood cradle will steady the work on the bench.

I have several pin vises, (they are not expensive) set up with various drills but you can change out drills if you only have one. A favorite is a tapered Diamond bit that will put a slight taper to a pin hole in a scale to prevent cracking.

zona-pin-vise (1).png
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
This afternoon I built up the courage to perform my first unpinning.

A few weeks ago I purchased a Cadman & Sons "Bengall" on fleaBay for about USD 30 including shipping. It was a dud. The blade had been heated in probably a gas flame and totally ruined the temper. The SR's Bakelite scales however, were in a reusable condition.

full

My available tools are limited, consisting of a small table vice, some jeweller's files, a 1.5mm pin punch and a very small ball hammer. I mounted the the SR in the vice, applied some insulation tape over the pivot pin and gently started to file the head of the pin. I quickly learnt that I had to take more care while filing so as not to score the scales.


It wasn't long before I had enough of the pivot pin head filed away that I thought it would easily punch through. I tried, again very gently, and it did. Success!

The pin pushed through one scale. I opened it up and was easily able to remove the blade which was binned. I was then able to tap the pin through the other scale to where I was able to just pull it all the way out with my fingers.

My filing effort did leave some slight scratch marks on one scale at the pivot pin. I used 1k and then 2k grit W&D to sand the scratches out and then polished it with Autosol. The result came up like new. I am not find of the smell of sanded Bakelite.

The newly polished area of the scales looked like new and nothing like the rest of the almost 100yo scales. This necessitated my to clean up all outside surfaces of the scales in a similar manner.

I still have some more sanding and polishing to do on the other side and a bit more around the edges on this first side but it is all coming along surprisingly well.

I currently have no use for these scales but will keek them in reserve, just in case.

I have some brass pinning materials and am waiting to receive some nickel ones in the mail. Now that I'm an unpinning "expert", I will next try it on my Puma ⅝ that needs restoring.
I just use a flush cutter pliers. They have to be the dead flat ones though. Very simple quick and clean. Takes only a few seconds to cut the pin clean with no damage to the scales. Peening the new pin takes a good bit of practice though. Getting old pin out is the easy part - just snip and go. There are good videos on YouTube to explain the process.
 
The bit i cannot get my head round if the blade had been heated the scales would have been toast, you might be batter to get the blade back out and try cleaning it as I have bought vintage razors and the blade looked as though been heated but found out it was a tarnish.

So you could have thrown a good razor with just tarnish on it.
 
There should be a few people around locally who can reliably heat treat the original blade. It's clever but not rocket science or super expensive to do.
 

duke762

Rose to the occasion
You mention a gas flame, is the blade discolored? Could be buffer heating, that would kind of explain why the scales were not damaged.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
There should be a few people around locally who can reliably heat treat the original blade. It's clever but not rocket science or super expensive to do.
The eBay vendor refunded the full purchase price to me once I told him of the heat damage to the blade. I effectively got a set of "Bengall" scales for free.

The blade was thrown out at soon as it had been removed from the scales. For the cost, it was not worth it 6o try and have it heat treated again to a useful SR.

I later purchased another Cadman "Bengall" that has a small piece broken off one of the scales between the pivot pin and the end of the scale. I will eventually use my free scales to replace the scales on this new "Bengall".
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
You mention a gas flame, is the blade discolored? Could be buffer heating, that would kind of explain why the scales were not damaged.
Yes, the blade was discoloured towards the shoulder, going from straw colour, through orange to blue nearest the shoulder. From the location of the colour, I doubt that it was caused by buffing.
 
Top Bottom