Thanks for the info! I was gifted a fatboy in need of a slight adjustment so this will certainly help.
Adjusting a bent or asymmetric safety bar on a slim or Fat Boy adjustable
- Thread starter ctakim
- Start date
Thanks for this information
Easily salvageable, and if you have patience, you can do it yourself. There are tons of threads here on B&B that will walk you through it. Basically, bend a *tiny* amount, measure, repeat until you get an even gap all along - about 0.032" at Setting 5.
Does the cable tie method around the safety bar beat out the flat head screwdriver or are they about as risky as eachother?
Also one of the silo doors has bent inward slightly. Not obvious from pics.
Thanks for advice
Sorry, I've never used anything other than a butter knife - never considered the cable tie or screwdriver since the butter knife works so well fire me.
As for the bent door, you'll need to address that before evening out the gap. The gap measurements are made with respect to the blade positioned by the doors.
Right I have made some adjustments.
Didn't notice originally until I put a blade in but it was under clocked & the "good" side safety bar bent upwards slightly!
However after some ticketing with a small hammer & a little pry bar ( spanner you get with IKEA furniture)
I have got it back to something almost even.
Didn't notice originally until I put a blade in but it was under clocked & the "good" side safety bar bent upwards slightly!
However after some ticketing with a small hammer & a little pry bar ( spanner you get with IKEA furniture)
I have got it back to something almost even.
Sorry for digging up this thread but I'm also having an issue with my Slim Adjustable.
It's only a small difference but it's noticeable.
In the attached image the razor is on setting 5 and you can see the safety bar is slightly out of alignment. (red lines)
When you look inside the gap you can see that on the right side the "endblock" of the safety bar is almost touching the door and on the left side it has a bigger gap. (green lines)
I assume that the right side of the safety bar should be lowered.
I tried the screwdriver and the zip-tie technique and when I do this the safety bar moves but also gets back to the same position afterwards. I'm hesitant to put more pressure on it as I don't want to screw up my razor.
It shaves well enough but obviously I want it to shave perfectly
Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
Kim
It's only a small difference but it's noticeable.
In the attached image the razor is on setting 5 and you can see the safety bar is slightly out of alignment. (red lines)
When you look inside the gap you can see that on the right side the "endblock" of the safety bar is almost touching the door and on the left side it has a bigger gap. (green lines)
I assume that the right side of the safety bar should be lowered.
I tried the screwdriver and the zip-tie technique and when I do this the safety bar moves but also gets back to the same position afterwards. I'm hesitant to put more pressure on it as I don't want to screw up my razor.
It shaves well enough but obviously I want it to shave perfectly
Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
Kim
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R
romsitsa
Sorry for digging up this thread but I'm also having an issue with my Slim Adjustable.
It's only a small difference but it's noticeable.
In the attached image the razor is on setting 5 and you can see the safety bar is slightly out of alignment. (red lines)
When you look inside the gap you can see that on the right side the "endblock" of the safety bar is almost touching the door and on the left side it has a bigger gap. (green lines)
I assume that the right side of the safety bar should be lowered.
I tried the screwdriver and the zip-tie technique and when I do this the safety bar moves but also gets back to the same position afterwards. I'm hesitant to put more pressure on it as I don't want to screw up my razor.
It shaves well enough but obviously I want it to shave perfectly
Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
Kim
Hello Kim,
I'm not sure that the base plate is bent.
The later slim variant, like yours, has the end connectors pressed onto the T-bar. This connection can become loose and the adjuster plate will push the affected side of the door slightly higher. Open the doors and check wether the end connectors have a slight play.
Adam
Hi, it's a 1967 (M date code).
I can "rock" the end connectors from left to right a little bit and the t-bar moves along with them.
When I push the left end connector with 2 fingers on both sides of it it moves very slightly but the doors stay still.
When I push the right end connector the same way it moves more and the doors wiggle along with it.
Is this what you mean? If yes, can I solve that myself?
I can "rock" the end connectors from left to right a little bit and the t-bar moves along with them.
When I push the left end connector with 2 fingers on both sides of it it moves very slightly but the doors stay still.
When I push the right end connector the same way it moves more and the doors wiggle along with it.
Is this what you mean? If yes, can I solve that myself?
R
romsitsa
Hello Kim,
yes, this could also cause the uneven gap. If you can adjust the gap by fiddling around with the end connector on the closed head, this will be the root of the problem. It can be crimped back, but it's really tedious to do as there is almost zero space next to the connectors.
Adam
yes, this could also cause the uneven gap. If you can adjust the gap by fiddling around with the end connector on the closed head, this will be the root of the problem. It can be crimped back, but it's really tedious to do as there is almost zero space next to the connectors.
Adam
Also,
Now I'm looking at it differently it seems that the safety bar is straight but that the doors are out of alignment.
They open and close perfectly en smoothly but when you look at them in de direction as I took the picture and close them slowly you can see that 1 side is higher than the other...
Now I'm looking at it differently it seems that the safety bar is straight but that the doors are out of alignment.
They open and close perfectly en smoothly but when you look at them in de direction as I took the picture and close them slowly you can see that 1 side is higher than the other...
Hi,
Sorry for bringing back an old thread but this is the best one I’ve found about bending things straight. I have recently acquired a slim adjustable that looks like it’s been thrown across a room. I’ve got no problem with bending things back and stripping it down. What I’m struggling with is working out exactly what part or parts are bent. The safety bars look bent but also when raising the doors one end looks to reach the baseplate faster. One door looks a little lower to me and they open different to my aristocrat Jr tried to add a video. I’ve already bent the end plate back as this was very obviously out with one door miles ahead. Ive felt the crimps and I can wobble both sides a tiny amount but no up and down movement. I’ve tried to include as much detail in the pictures as possible. I’ve heard Caps name mentioned a lot in many threads but as I’m in the UK I’m not sure sending it anywhere would be worth it.
Sorry for bringing back an old thread but this is the best one I’ve found about bending things straight. I have recently acquired a slim adjustable that looks like it’s been thrown across a room. I’ve got no problem with bending things back and stripping it down. What I’m struggling with is working out exactly what part or parts are bent. The safety bars look bent but also when raising the doors one end looks to reach the baseplate faster. One door looks a little lower to me and they open different to my aristocrat Jr tried to add a video. I’ve already bent the end plate back as this was very obviously out with one door miles ahead. Ive felt the crimps and I can wobble both sides a tiny amount but no up and down movement. I’ve tried to include as much detail in the pictures as possible. I’ve heard Caps name mentioned a lot in many threads but as I’m in the UK I’m not sure sending it anywhere would be worth it.
Thank you!
While searching for some advice on how to fix a Slim adjustable I purchased at auction, I came across this thread. Mine has "slanted" safety bars on both sides, with the gap going from mild at one end to aggressive at the other.
You often hear advice on this site to buy a wonderful Gillette adjustable for the shave of your life, etc. But you don't hear much about the risks of getting a damaged razor, and what to look for. Judging from this and other threads, as well as photos of razors at auction, this is not an uncommon problem.
Back in the 50s and 60s, I bet a lot of guys in a hurry shaved in the shower, provided the razor was mild enough, and dropped them. The damage was not as devastating as a broken post on a three-piece razor, so most went on using the razor, especially young shavers. Other older, more knowledgeable guys would buy a new one, and put the damaged razor away, sometimes in excellent condition; decades later, these are showing up for sale.
I suspect one reason many Gillette razors were so mild during this period was to make it easier to shave in the shower. But when they got bent, they were no longer so mild, and the adjustable settings that had worked before were now more like a shark attack. I came to hate my Gillette adjustable, and couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. Now I know.
I have another clean, top of the line Gillette adjustable that is not damaged at all, but it does not provide a close, efficient, comfortable shave. So I am moving on.
But there are plenty of others who might like them, perhaps just to look at in their collection. Look closely at the photos of the razors online before buying. And if there aren't clear photos allowing you to see if parts are out of alignment, don't buy them, unless the price is right and you think you can repair them. Or, buy a clean, inspected razor BIN from a reputable seller, which in the long run can be cheaper than hit-or-miss quality auction razors.
It's one thing to scrape some grime and corrosion off a New Type long comb brass razor with a toothbrush and have the satisfaction of rehabilitating an ancient razor to working condition. It's quite another to try to repair a pressed metal razor with complex internal and external moving parts that have to line up just right.
The heading of this post might be a bit misleading. Many DE razors are asymmetrical by design, with different gaps, angles, etc. on both sides (this is NOT due to incompetent manufacturing or handling of the razor in shipping, as some reviewers allege). But what I presume he is referring to is asymmetrical through damage.
BTW, I've learned my lesson: Never shave in the shower with a DE razor! That's what cartridges were designed for.
You often hear advice on this site to buy a wonderful Gillette adjustable for the shave of your life, etc. But you don't hear much about the risks of getting a damaged razor, and what to look for. Judging from this and other threads, as well as photos of razors at auction, this is not an uncommon problem.
Back in the 50s and 60s, I bet a lot of guys in a hurry shaved in the shower, provided the razor was mild enough, and dropped them. The damage was not as devastating as a broken post on a three-piece razor, so most went on using the razor, especially young shavers. Other older, more knowledgeable guys would buy a new one, and put the damaged razor away, sometimes in excellent condition; decades later, these are showing up for sale.
I suspect one reason many Gillette razors were so mild during this period was to make it easier to shave in the shower. But when they got bent, they were no longer so mild, and the adjustable settings that had worked before were now more like a shark attack. I came to hate my Gillette adjustable, and couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. Now I know.
I have another clean, top of the line Gillette adjustable that is not damaged at all, but it does not provide a close, efficient, comfortable shave. So I am moving on.
But there are plenty of others who might like them, perhaps just to look at in their collection. Look closely at the photos of the razors online before buying. And if there aren't clear photos allowing you to see if parts are out of alignment, don't buy them, unless the price is right and you think you can repair them. Or, buy a clean, inspected razor BIN from a reputable seller, which in the long run can be cheaper than hit-or-miss quality auction razors.
It's one thing to scrape some grime and corrosion off a New Type long comb brass razor with a toothbrush and have the satisfaction of rehabilitating an ancient razor to working condition. It's quite another to try to repair a pressed metal razor with complex internal and external moving parts that have to line up just right.
The heading of this post might be a bit misleading. Many DE razors are asymmetrical by design, with different gaps, angles, etc. on both sides (this is NOT due to incompetent manufacturing or handling of the razor in shipping, as some reviewers allege). But what I presume he is referring to is asymmetrical through damage.
BTW, I've learned my lesson: Never shave in the shower with a DE razor! That's what cartridges were designed for.
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Thanks for the tips guys. I have tried to follow the instructions here and managed to get my first ever shave with my Slim, however it felt rather “razory” and pulling on my face even on lower settings.
I am wondering if I bent the safety bars too much on the wrong direction. My reference was that the caps open simultaneously so they must be straight, but then I do not know how the safety bars look like on a new Slim.
Should there be minimum gap between the caps little arms and the safety bars, while they are closed and on setting 1? Or is there meant to be a wider space there?
I am wondering if I bent the safety bars too much on the wrong direction. My reference was that the caps open simultaneously so they must be straight, but then I do not know how the safety bars look like on a new Slim.
Should there be minimum gap between the caps little arms and the safety bars, while they are closed and on setting 1? Or is there meant to be a wider space there?
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