Honing out chips

[bmc1979]

I have a few ebay razors that I'm looking to restore that have some small chips along the blade that need to be worked out. I have a DMT 325/1200 combination that I was going to use to do this. Now I guess this is a multiple part question. First, the chips aren't huge (unfortunately don't have pictures of the blades with me at the moment) but should I hone them out with the 325 or the 1200? Second when honing out the chips should I tape the spine to stop the removal of too much metal from the spine? If I do this should I continue the entire honing process with tape or, once the chips are removed, can I proceed without tape to set the bevel and work through my progression? Thanks.

 

[johnmrson]

I would start with the 325 when honing out a chip and when it looks like it's gone, switch to the 1200. If it's a largish chip, you can lift the spine a little as you run the razor along the hone so it grinds away faster. As for the tape, I'd put some on and leave it on until you get to the finishing step which in my case is a 12000 stone. Others might have different opinions but this works pretty well for me.

 

[jkh]

If you do you tape on the spine keep in mind the 325 DMT plate will chew through it really fast, so you may need to remove and reapply.

 

[walto]

To hone out small chips I use 3 layers of tape on the spine on a low grit hone. When the chips have disappeared (use thumb nail test) I remove 2 layers tape and do ~ 20 strokes on the low grit stone. 325 in your case. Then I proceed to higher grits keeping 1 layer on the spine.

 

[bmc1979]

Thanks for the info guys. Gives me a good idea about how to proceed.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Taping while removing chips will throw grind angle significantly out of whack. To the tune of several degrees depending on the size of the chip. Think of the first week of Trig. Angle relates directly to the depth of the blade vs the width of the blade. Removing a chip will substantially reduce one. Doing it without reducing the other in tune with it will substantially alter the grind angle of the razor.

In this case you've got to grit your teeth and do your honest physical labor. No shortcuts for you.