How to tighten steel pins for scales
- Thread starter Razorboy666
- Start date
Those look like home made scales with improvised pins. They have not been peened properly, and the hole has enlarged. There is not a lot you can do except rescale, or learn to live with it.
unless you drill them out and replace the pins but put washers on the top but it won't look pretty, but your better off making new scales and new pins they will look a whole lot better.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Not much you can do without risking damage to the scales. If they were nickel/silver or brass pins, you could carefully file the head off one end of the pin and pop the freed scale off the pin, then punch it down through the razor and out the other scale. That would leave you with the slightly oversized hole that you apparently have. The cure is to drill the hole out more oversize, fill the hole with epoxy, and re-drill a standard 1/16" hole for a standard pin. Very likely the pivot hole in the razor is also oversized. It can be filled with JBWeld or similar, and drilled, or just left alone.
You could also simply use oversized rod for pin stock. However, you can see now that steel is not the right material for this. The industry and hobby standard is nickel/silver rod. Brass is sometimes used by DIYers who are not actual straight razor hobbyists, but it is really a bit soft for that.
The options above of course depend on removing the pin with the scales remaining intact. You could try drilling out the pin, but unless you have a very good drill press and a drill press vise or holder, the drill point will just scoot off the pin and into the wood of the scales. Even with a perfect drill press with perfect bearings and chuck, there is probably enough flex in the bit to allow it to wander off center and into the wood.
Your most practical course of action is to rescale. Get some horn or bone from Maggard's or whoever else has scale material in good quality and price. G-10 or Micarta will also work. Or even wood, but you really ought to spring for some ebony or ziricote instead of just whatever lies at hand. You can make the scales using the old ones as a pattern, or buy them pre-made. If you make them, re-use the old wedge if possible. Again, use nickel/silver pins. Generally, washers are used and the pin has one end peened to a head. The pin is then cut slightly over length, and then the end is peened down into a head, over the washer. Some guys use size "0" brass bolts, washers, and nuts from Microfasteners.com for trial pinning, but generally you would not want to let them be permanent.
There is a lot more to rescaling than meets the eye, and I am not going to write a book about it here. I suggest you just do it and see how it comes out, then let us know your results.
You could also simply use oversized rod for pin stock. However, you can see now that steel is not the right material for this. The industry and hobby standard is nickel/silver rod. Brass is sometimes used by DIYers who are not actual straight razor hobbyists, but it is really a bit soft for that.
The options above of course depend on removing the pin with the scales remaining intact. You could try drilling out the pin, but unless you have a very good drill press and a drill press vise or holder, the drill point will just scoot off the pin and into the wood of the scales. Even with a perfect drill press with perfect bearings and chuck, there is probably enough flex in the bit to allow it to wander off center and into the wood.
Your most practical course of action is to rescale. Get some horn or bone from Maggard's or whoever else has scale material in good quality and price. G-10 or Micarta will also work. Or even wood, but you really ought to spring for some ebony or ziricote instead of just whatever lies at hand. You can make the scales using the old ones as a pattern, or buy them pre-made. If you make them, re-use the old wedge if possible. Again, use nickel/silver pins. Generally, washers are used and the pin has one end peened to a head. The pin is then cut slightly over length, and then the end is peened down into a head, over the washer. Some guys use size "0" brass bolts, washers, and nuts from Microfasteners.com for trial pinning, but generally you would not want to let them be permanent.
There is a lot more to rescaling than meets the eye, and I am not going to write a book about it here. I suggest you just do it and see how it comes out, then let us know your results.
You do not have to ruin or damage the scales to get the blade out. Use a jewelers saw, aka piercing saw, to cut the pin between the blade and the scales - no damage to the wood. Then assess the situation. You might be able to get a heavier brass pin to work, maybe use washers creatively, etc.
One thing to consider, is that the wood might be very soft, so getting a pin to tighten down well might be challenging.
One thing to consider, is that the wood might be very soft, so getting a pin to tighten down well might be challenging.
- Thread starter
- #6
- Thread starter
- #7
Btw, can I use shellac and wax finish on the scales? ( frequent contact with water)
