'58 fatboy adjustment stuck

[dmm26]

I just bought and cleaned up a 1958 fatboy, there's a couple spots where the finish is down to brass but other than that it's a nice looking razor! My big problem is that I can't get the adjustment to work.

I soaked in scrubbing bubbles twice and then scrubbed with a toothbrush, used polish and then oiled the whole thing with mineral oil. The adjustment dial won't budge!

 

[Crixus]

dmm26, did the dial work before you started cleaning it up?

 

[Go West Young Man]

99% of the time, stuck adjustables are due to years of hardened gunk that's sitting up inside the razor. Warm soapy water soaks usually solve the problem, although it can take hours or even days if the crud is particularly tough.

 

[Haiku]

First and foremost, before you do anything, look at this webpage:

http://vintagesaws.com/fatboy/fatboy.html

Almost everything you need to know about fatboys is there.

The one thing that isn't there is if your fatboy does not have the "unscrewable" bottom plate. If that's the case, send me a PM for instructions.

Generally, it's either full of gunk, in which case if it's that full of gunk that the adjuster won't turn, you may well need to take it apart.

Before you do that though, read the instructions on the webpage. You'll find out that the adjuster is a simple screw type arrangement. Push in the pin very very gently using a tooth of a comb or a pencil and try turning the adjuster. It may be "overclocked" or "underclocked". This is common.

If it needs a cleaning and you don't want to take it apart, stand the razor up on a paper towel and pour some paint thinner through it. Not paint remover, paint thinner. That is virtually guaranteed to dissolve the gunk at least well enough to allow the mechanism to turn. I've done that with at least two fatboys and two slims and that's what did the trick. At first the paint thinner came out black, and I just kept pouring thinner though until it came out clear.

Don't worry about any thinner residue. It will evaporate and it will certainly wash out just with some soapy hot water.

 

[amishmotorboat]

A 1958? Could you be more specific? A D1 is a very different animal than a regular fatboy.

 

[dmm26]

This is a D4 fatboy, the dial was stuck when I got it but there was also a layer of brown waxy stuff all over the handle which I'm assuming is soap scum and is probably in the adjustment ring as well. I'll give the soapy water a go while I read that other link posted here.

 

[Haiku]

This is a D4 fatboy, the dial was stuck when I got it but there was also a layer of brown waxy stuff all over the handle which I'm assuming is soap scum and is probably in the adjustment ring as well. I'll give the soapy water a go while I read that other link posted here.

D4 is the fourth quarter of 1958 which is when Gillette first introduced the fatboy in national distribution. Prior to that there were some regional sales and a few prototypes.

 

[jd428jd]

D4 is the fourth quarter of 1958 which is when Gillette first introduced the fatboy in national distribution. Prior to that there were some regional sales and a few prototypes.

So a D-3 is different from a D-4? How?

 

[dmm26]

Push in the pin very very gently using a tooth of a comb or a pencil and try turning the adjuster. It may be "overclocked" or "underclocked". This is common.

I tried this and it did nothing unfortunately

If it needs a cleaning and you don't want to take it apart, stand the razor up on a paper towel and pour some paint thinner through it. Not paint remover, paint thinner. That is virtually guaranteed to dissolve the gunk at least well enough to allow the mechanism to turn. I've done that with at least two fatboys and two slims and that's what did the trick. At first the paint thinner came out black, and I just kept pouring thinner though until it came out clear.

Don't worry about any thinner residue. It will evaporate and it will certainly wash out just with some soapy hot water.

Thanks for the tip I will definitely try this out

 

[Haiku]

So a D-3 is different from a D-4? How?

I believe that the D3 was the same as the D4, but I'm not sure about that as I don't own a D3. I understand that the D3 was regionally sold only and so the production was much more limited than the D4. For what it's worth, I think that the very early fatboys (ie the prototypes) were quite different than the design that they ultimately settled on, Gillette ran limited productions in 1958 and they sold fatboys regionally only up to the middle or end of 1958 when they went into full blown production with national distribution with the D4. I would not be surprised to learn that there were models from say D1 up to D4 differed as they tweaked the design

My point really is that from what I understand, Gillette was tweaking the design of the fatboy and finally settled on the D4 design and they may well have been selling that design earlier in 1958 as the D3 or perhaps earlier models when they moved beyond the prototypes.

They then kept tweaking the design, the D4 is certainly different than later models, it's a "double" stripe ring instead of a single black ring under the adjuster for one thing. And lots of guys think the D4 gives better shaves than later models. They also at some point I believe in 1960 changed the screw bottom to a press in plate (which can be removed but it's a different process than earlier models which just unscrew).

 

[Haiku]

Thanks for the tip I will definitely try this out

If you look at the "take down" webpages, you'll see that the adjuster is just a screw. There's nothing about the mechanism that's complicated or that would get blocked through use or anything. It's more than likely that it's just gummed up with gunk. Try putting the razor in paint thinner and turning the adjuster.

It's always possible that the brass has so corroded that the adjuster just won't turn anymore, and the razor needs to be taken apart and cleaned.

 

[ackvil]

Thanks for the tip I will definitely try this out

Let us know if it works.

I was lucky. My FB (E-3) had not been used in many years. I soaked it in hot water with dish washing detergent changing the water every few hours. Everything worked after that. But, mine was not in bad shape - it was just that when it was stored it wasn't thoroughly cleaned.

 

[wimbouman]

Nice tips and techniques here.

If they do not work - post in the Fatboy Owners group?

.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Paint thinner sounds like a good way to remove the paint from your razor. I'd stick with soapy water, and if that doesn't work maybe try vinegar.

 

[dmm26]

Finally got it free. I ended up trying a silicone lubricant on it and a little persuasion a la some pliers and vice grips with the razor wrapped twice in a towel and got it freed.

 

[Crixus]

Finally got it free. I ended up trying a silicone lubricant on it and a little persuasion a la some pliers and vice grips with the razor wrapped twice in a towel and got it freed.

So, have you stuck a blade in there and checked each adjustment stage to see if indeed both sides are elevating evenly and properly? Don't forget to open the barn doors before each new adjustment--FB has probably had all the trauma it needs for one day.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Finally got it free. I ended up trying a silicone lubricant on it and a little persuasion a la some pliers and vice grips with the razor wrapped twice in a towel and got it freed.

I'd suggest a nice long soaking clean anyways - you broke the seal on the internal crud, but it's probably all still stuck up in there anyways.

 

[jd428jd]

I believe that the D3 was the same as the D4, but I'm not sure about that as I don't own a D3. I understand that the D3 was regionally sold only and so the production was much more limited than the D4. For what it's worth, I think that the very early fatboys (ie the prototypes) were quite different than the design that they ultimately settled on, Gillette ran limited productions in 1958 and they sold fatboys regionally only up to the middle or end of 1958 when they went into full blown production with national distribution with the D4. I would not be surprised to learn that there were models from say D1 up to D4 differed as they tweaked the design

My point really is that from what I understand, Gillette was tweaking the design of the fatboy and finally settled on the D4 design and they may well have been selling that design earlier in 1958 as the D3 or perhaps earlier models when they moved beyond the prototypes.

They then kept tweaking the design, the D4 is certainly different than later models, it's a "double" stripe ring instead of a single black ring under the adjuster for one thing. And lots of guys think the D4 gives better shaves than later models. They also at some point I believe in 1960 changed the screw bottom to a press in plate (which can be removed but it's a different process than earlier models which just unscrew).

Thanks for the great info, I have a D-3 I shave with everyday and I love it. I might switch to a later model Fatboy to see if I notice a difference...

 

[Crixus]

Thanks for the great info, I have a D-3 I shave with everyday and I love it. I might switch to a later model Fatboy to see if I notice a difference...

I also have a D-3 FatBoy. Would you look on yours and see if you have a brass ring in addition to a black or chrome ring below the adjustment knob? Mine has more rings than the FB shown with that slim in the comparison photo.

 

[jd428jd]

I also have a D-3 FatBoy. Would you look on yours and see if you have a brass ring in addition to a black or chrome ring below the adjustment knob? Mine has more rings than the FB shown with that slim in the comparison photo.

On the pic I think your talking about the adjustment is closed all the way. Is the extra ring the space between the black ring and the adjustment dial? Or do you have a whole other ring? Do you have a picture of your razor?