Trying to get this Slim Adjustable to adjust and it's giving me problems. The adjuster barrel ring moves from 1-9 and 9-1 no problem. However, the plate isn't moving like it's supposed to. Last night, I soaked it in hot, soapy water for ~30 minutes, scrubbed it with a toothbrush, and gave it a good alcohol bath. The barrel moves smoothly, and clicks in every position, but I can't get the plate to move. I've looked close and even put a blade in to see if maybe my eyes couldn't see it moving. But it looks like it's stuck in the 9 position as it looks pretty far up with a blade in it. Need some expert advice.
Gillette Slim Adjustable Stuck
- Thread starter wells1229
- Start date
Maybe overclocked? That means the adjuster has been pushed all the way around, past 9.
Or the riser may still be stuck or stuff. If you set it on 1, can you push down on the four pieces of the riser plate?
Or the riser may still be stuck or stuff. If you set it on 1, can you push down on the four pieces of the riser plate?
I got a Fat Boy loose with the same issue by spraying WD-40 under the adjustment plate collar and slowly working it back and forth.
Mind you, this was a replate candidate from the start, so I'm not sure how kind WD 40 is to a good finish, but it will loosen a stuck adjustment plate, or at least it did in my case. Make sure you THOROUGHLY soak, wash, and rinse the razor prior to use, or the remaining WD 40 will cause skin irritation during a shave.
And go slow, it takes a lot of patience.
Mind you, this was a replate candidate from the start, so I'm not sure how kind WD 40 is to a good finish, but it will loosen a stuck adjustment plate, or at least it did in my case. Make sure you THOROUGHLY soak, wash, and rinse the razor prior to use, or the remaining WD 40 will cause skin irritation during a shave.
And go slow, it takes a lot of patience.
- Thread starter
- #4
Got the plate to move down by prying with a flathead screwdriver while turned to 1. I move up to 9 and it adjusts, but when I move back down to 1 it stays at 9 until I push it back down with the screwdriver.
Have you applied WD 40 or other lubricant? Plan to move it back and forth a lot, it will most likely eventually loosen up.
- Thread starter
- #6
Took y'all's advice and sprayed her down with the WD 40 and moved the plate up and down. Its working a lot better now and I believe we have got her back into working condition. Must have been a lot of gunk in there. She's soaking in hot, soapy water again, afterwards I'll give her a good scrub down and another function check to verify its working.
Hey Leatherneck, do you take your DE razors in to the field with you? SEMPER FIDELIS from an old Beirut 0311.
- Thread starter
- #8
Alright guys. I got her working good. Thanks everyone.
- Thread starter
- #9
I just started de and wet shaving so I haven't had the chance. But next time I do, I definitely will. Probably an arko stick and my escali brush-maybe a travel brush by then. Haven't used arko yet but it seems its perfect for situations like that.
What about you? How did you shave in the field in your day?
::: Cue Homer Simpson Voice :::
WD 40 and Duct Tape. Is there anything they can't fix??
Remember to clean and rinse that razor thoroughly. WD 40 in a cut or on newly shaved skin is just asking for a reaction.
WD 40 and Duct Tape. Is there anything they can't fix??
Remember to clean and rinse that razor thoroughly. WD 40 in a cut or on newly shaved skin is just asking for a reaction.
Notch and groove. B and C. You want it to get in there, penetrate, and loosen up the surfaces.
Soak in mineral oil?
Well a good sea story would be that we shaved with Kabars and MRE peanut butter but the truth is most of us used Bic disposables and Barbasol. Stay safe...
I always used a can of barbasol and a disposable too. Besides KaBars should not be sharpened, a dull knife causes a worse wound and MRE peanut butter has better uses than shaving cream (like putting in someone's hand and tickling their ear with pine needles) but under no circumstances should you ever eat the MRE peanut butter. I remember when the peanut butter first come out in MREs along with vegetable crackers and jelly, I think it was the same time they did away with ham slice (the best MRE ever) whoever decided that was a good idea should be shot in the face. Prior to that all MREs come with regular crackers and cheese, but in true military fashion anytime you have something good someone is going to screw it up.
I'm pretty sure MRE peanut butter wasn't meant for consumption, they put it in there for purely utilitarian reasons like sealing leaky amtracks, reattaching the soles of your combat boots or stopping sucking chest wounds. Semper Fi brother!
Thanks to the OP for starting this thread and Kramerica for the WD-40 magic for my slim adjustable.
I've used WD-40 on my Slim for many years , just to keep it lubricated, It does not hurt the finish. By keeping my Slim clean after every shave by running it under the hot water, then towel drying, 2 or 3 times a year spray some WD down the barrel, After 60 years my Slim still looks good and works great . WD-40 is not only a lubricant but also penetrates to free up things that don't move.
Duct tape and WD-40 are household essentials in this house
Duct tape and WD-40 are household essentials in this house
No worries as Water Displacement Formulation 40 is completely harmless to metal and subsequently plating.
VIOLA! Great tips on the thread that helped me get two razors working! In between just one use, blade removed, rinsed and dried every time, my Gillette Super adjustable 84 froze as if it was welded shut when it got to the 1/4 turn, which had previously just been very tight. This razor looks almost NOS, and was treated to boiling water, an overnight soak in simple green and a mineral oil lube when I got it 3 months ago. I’ve only used it 4-5 times since, so I have a hard time believing it could have much, if any old soap in the mechanism. I literally would have needed pliers and a vise to move it at all, and it was working 100% when I rinsed, dried and stored it last as I do religiously with ever razor I own. I have always kept it lubed with mineral oil. These adjustables obviously WILL cement shut so tightly you will swear a mechanism is bent or stripped, but dried soap can make it just as tight. Had another Gillette slim that was in a lot off eBay that I assumed was broken because the plate doesn’t move at all when you twist the adjustment knob. I boiled two cups of water in the microwave, but in about 1/2 a tsp of liquid dawn dishwashing detergents and dropped in the razors, fully submerged overnight. Although still a little stiff, the super adjustable 1/4 turn returned by this morning and once i used a nail to push in the indent on the Slim and reset it, the Slim works too! I now suspect that mineral oil may not be the best lubrication when mixed with shave soap? I wonder if it mixes with soap and dries hard, or is just too thick? I’ll try WD40 after letting these razors soak for the rest of today. BTW, WD40 is a water based lubricant and will not hurt nickel. It’s actually suggested as a cleaner for nickel plated bath fixtures. The next mystery- which of my soaps are capable of being such a glue that one one use can freeze a razor? I can’t remember which soap I last used with that razor as I don’t log my shaves. Are some soaps to be avoided with adjustables? Do some interact with mineral oil to make a super cement? Anone else suspect that maybe some soaps and/or some lubricants are to be avoided in adjustables?
Similar threads
- Locked
- Article
