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Blade gap asymmetry

After throughly cleaning (Dawn soak and mineral oiling) my newly acquired J4 Slim Adjustable has an uneven blade gap. Is this a big deal and how do I correct it?
Thanks in advance for the shared wisdom and insight of this group.
 

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R

romsitsa

Hello, both pictures were taken on setting 1? Seemingly the T bar is bent, the right side is lower, left higher than it should. Open up the razor and you can be bend it back with your fingers. Check the rivets of the rod, before bending, for any cracks.

Adam
 
Hello, both pictures were taken on setting 1? Seemingly the T bar is bent, the right side is lower, left higher than it should. Open up the razor and you can be bend it back with your fingers. Check the rivets of the rod, before bending, for any cracks.

Adam
Can you clarify what you mean by T bar, the blade positioning bar or the base plate?
I kept the setting on 1 as it shows the asymmetry most clearly in the photo, the asymmetry is present regardless of adjustment setting.
Thanks.
 
R

romsitsa

T-bar is the T shaped bar, connected to the center rod, in the middle of the head. It holds the doors.
Judging by your new photos it could be that the base plate (safety bar) is also bent, hard to say.

Adam
 
Got it.
Recommendations?
This is my second AS so far don’t mind tinkering with it, although the “James Bond vintage” is cool. I’ve never taken one apart but would that help to define the problem and solve it?
Also, getting back to my second question, does it matter if the gap is asymmetric?
BTW, I have not tried shaving with it...maybe that would answer this question.
 
R

romsitsa

Don’t bend anything before making sure what is actually out of alignement.
Your major problem is imho the T bar as the doors are slanted both in open and closed positions.

Adam
 
Thanks for everyone’s input. Assuming the t bar/positioning bar is bent; what’s is the best way to straighten it?
 
Thanks for everyone’s input. Assuming the t bar/positioning bar is bent; what’s is the best way to straighten it?
Sorry I was too hasty, my last post was wrong, it is the T bar out of alignment; see attached. A pair of wide jawed self locking pliers, allowing you to adjust for correct pressure, will give you enough purchase on the T bar to gently move it back to its correct position.
sa.jpg
pliers sl.JPG
 
Sorry I was too hasty, my last post was wrong, it is the T bar out of alignment; see attached. A pair of wide jawed self locking pliers, allowing you to adjust for correct pressure, will give you enough purchase on the T bar to gently move it back to its correct position.
View attachment 1099756View attachment 1099759
Thanks Invicta. I’ll have to MacGyver a vice grip, cool tool.
From your image it looks like a translational problem, should I be bending the t bar back to balance the “redlines” you marked or should the correction be in the perpendicular plane, ie side to side at the blade is facing me?
 
Thanks Invicta. I’ll have to MacGyver a vice grip, cool tool.
From your image it looks like a translational problem, should I be bending the t bar back to balance the “redlines” you marked or should the correction be in the perpendicular plane, ie side to side at the blade is facing me?
Yes correct, looking at the red lines they should be equal on both sides, you need to centralise the T bar laterally with the centre post. The centre post and T bar are connected as a unit so don't break the unit. Have a good look before you start any adjustments including loading with an old blade. The other problem with the T bar lopsided is the blade exposure will also be different on each side so centralising the T bar should solve that problem as well. Check when you finish that blade gap and exposure are balanced.
You will also find a spark plug gap gauge invaluable in getting the gap adjustment checked on both sides; they are quite cheap too. You may need a spacer with the gauge to check when the adjustment is opened up to 9. Hopefully there are no other issues and the blade tray has not been bent.
Here is an old thread that may help and couple of videos which explain how things work. The disassembly is of a Fatboy but it gives you an idea how the razor is built.
 
Thank you! I’ll post some results after making the adjustments.

Just for my knowledge, is disassembly a bad idea? Would it help me to pinpoint the bend/problem or do I run too high a risk of damaging the razor? I realize that the technique is different for a Slim vs Fatboy and will require a small socket to loosen the press fit retaining ring.
 
Thank you! I’ll post some results after making the adjustments.

Just for my knowledge, is disassembly a bad idea? Would it help me to pinpoint the bend/problem or do I run too high a risk of damaging the razor? I realize that the technique is different for a Slim vs Fatboy and will require a small socket to loosen the press fit retaining ring.
If you know what you are doing you won't damage the razor but try adjusting the T bar first because it seems it just needs a little re-alignment.
 
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