Dremel = Open Comb?

[Zig the Pirate]

I have a few Mühle R89s, and I wish there was an open comb.

Would taking a Dremel to the baseplate help (open up the slots), or would it not remove enough metal depth-wise? If I go too deep, I risk cutting through the safety bar. I made the measurements and everything looks good; I'm just seeing if anybody has tried it. I'm not worried about my technique with the Dremel, as I use it in knife mods almost daily.

Thanks for any input

EDIT: I see there are open comb baseplates available. I'd rather not order one because I have a spare R89 baseplate, and I won't cry if I mess it up.

 

[Kyle89]

I'd rather not order one because I have a spare R89 baseplate, and I won't cry if I mess it up.

Well, have at it! Let us know how it goes.

 

[APBinNCA]

Can't wait to see the outcome!

 

[Zig the Pirate]

Before and after photos:

Back side:

And with the caps on...

Not too much of a difference, but I'm not going to remove much more metal. I still need to smooth the cuts out and polish, but I think I'm done removing material.
We'll see how it shaves coarse beard hair tomorrow.

 

[APBinNCA]

Wow, five minutes! You are faster than pizza delivery.
That should work nicely with the Perma Sharps

 

[Zig the Pirate]

Wow, five minutes! You are faster than pizza delivery.

I actually started right after my initial post, before there were any replies.
In other words, I was gonna do it anyway.

 

[ouchyfoot]

What is that base made from anyway

 

[Zig the Pirate]

What is that base made from anyway

I think it's all stainless steel. There was no color change underneath when I cut into it, ie. not brass that was plated.

 

[santamariasteve]

I thought the heads of the Muhle R89's were Zamak. Maybe it was the caps only?

 

[Zig the Pirate]

I thought the heads of the Muhle R89's were Zamak. Maybe it was the caps only?

Didn't look like pot metal to me. They look smooth and shiny.

 

[bdehne]

Nice work!

 

[Kyle89]

Nice! Tuning in to see how it shaves.

 

[romsitsa]

It is pot metal, thread is brass.

 

[muzichead]

These are definitely made of Zamac and "ARE" going to be worthless in less than 10 shaves as by the looks of the plate on the right, the corrosion has already started!! I'd never put that against my face!!!

 

[ouchyfoot]

These are definitely made of Zamac and "ARE" going to be worthless in less than 10 shaves as by the looks of the plate on the right, the corrosion has already started!! I'd never put that against my face!!!

If it is Zamak, what you are seeing in the photo is not rust, but copper, which needs to be applied in a thin coat to the Zamak in order for the nickel plating to stick.

 

[muzichead]

If it is Zamak, what you are seeing in the photo is not rust, but copper, which needs to be applied in a thin coat to the Zamak in order for the nickel plating to stick.

As I mentioned, corrosion, not rust... Though it is possible that it could be the copper flash showing through Id doubt it as the copper isn't very thick when prepping for zinc.

 

[Zig the Pirate]

These are definitely made of Zamac and "ARE" going to be worthless in less than 10 shaves as by the looks of the plate on the right, the corrosion has already started!! I'd never put that against my face!!!

I knew that I might ruin them by trying, and I can live with that.
Regarding the rust color on the photos... those were shot right after grinding. Before polishing. I believe what you're looking at is just debris left over from the grinding process, as all of that discoloration is gone now.

 

[huck1680]

Yeah, do your best and then throw the abused razor out. Whereas I applaud your initiative and the "'what could happen" part...I have to say hmmm...what if?

 

[RayClem]

Hopefully, your experiment will work, but I have my doubts. Most open comb razors are designed to hold the blade close to the lip of the top cap to make the blade more rigid. The R89 and many other safety bar designs hold the blade well back from the end of the cap.

If you look at the design of the Karve Chris Bradley razor you will see that it has been designed so that the top cap can be used with either an open comb or solid bar base plate. However, both hold the blade near the lip of the top cap. That is why the base plates can be interchanged.

 

[sakaltras]

The colour of the corroding part will show the type of metal. Green=copper, gray=ZAMAK.