I was browsing a local market and happened upon a Gillette fatboy red dot in decent condition. I was so excited about it that I just bought it without trying to adjust it and when I got home I found that it is stuck and will not adjust. Does anyone know how to fix this?
Just bought a Fatboy red dot, but the adjuster is stuck. Any help?
- Thread starter combatwombat
- Start date
Put it in hot water soak overnight, and use some dish detergent in it. It may loosen it up...heres a link on taking it apart at your own risk
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The most common response I have seen for this type of DE problem is to soak it in hot(not boiling) soapy water. Several times if needed. Often times its just "gunked up".
Jim
Jim
- Thread starter
- #4
Thanks guys I have already started soaking it. Im on the second soak now. It was really nasty but has cleaned up well so far I just need to get it to unstick! If I can get it freed up I will definately send this one off for replating!
I've had a couple that were stuck pretty bad, and here's my routine:
1. Spray Scrubbing Bubbles© on the razor while water comes to a boil in a teapot.
2. After a few minutes, scrub with a toothbrush, and rinse.
3. Put the razor in a coffee mug, squirt some dishsoap in there, and pour hot water over it. Let soak.
4. After 20 minutes, scrub with a toothbrush, rinse off, put a drop of mineral oil down the shaft.
5. See if you can work the mechanism a little (gently).
Repeat as many times as necessary.
Unless it is obviously bent (been dropped), taking it apart is unnecessary. I only took one apart, and that's just to see how it was done.
1. Spray Scrubbing Bubbles© on the razor while water comes to a boil in a teapot.
2. After a few minutes, scrub with a toothbrush, and rinse.
3. Put the razor in a coffee mug, squirt some dishsoap in there, and pour hot water over it. Let soak.
4. After 20 minutes, scrub with a toothbrush, rinse off, put a drop of mineral oil down the shaft.
5. See if you can work the mechanism a little (gently).
Repeat as many times as necessary.
Unless it is obviously bent (been dropped), taking it apart is unnecessary. I only took one apart, and that's just to see how it was done.
If it is a Red Dot, do not follow the steps in that link.
- Thread starter
- #7
I am already soaking it with dish soap and warm water. I dont have any mineral oil though to drop down the shaft. I hope that I can get this razor free. A ton of gunk has already came out of it, like the worst I have ever seen or at least had my hands on.
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- #8
well I assume that it is a red dot, there is a red dot by the adjuster.
Is it a red circular dot, or a red colored spring tab?
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- #10
can you post a pic of what I am supposed to be looking at
I would say this is good advice; that's everything I would have suggested.
I would not take it apart; not unless you really know what you are doing or as a last resort if all else fails and you have nothing to loose.
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- #14
I guess mine is just a regular fatboy my red dot is on the spring tab
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- #16
I will not take it apart I wil keep soaking it and see what happens
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- #17
Mine looks like the one on the left of the very bottom picture, is it the normal fatboy?
I L-O-V-E penetrating oil soaks for freeing up razors that may have stuck due to corrosion. Will most likely take the paint off but if all else fails before taking it apart - give a soak and see
- Thread starter
- #19
Well I have succesfully unstuck it at least part if the way. The razor will now freely move and click from about 7 1/2 down to 1 but I cant go any higher than that yet. I achieved this by soaking it in hot water with dish soap like everyone else said, and then soaking it in a few coats of antibacterial scrubbing bubbles in between soaks. My razor was green with grime and scum and it is looking damn good even before a good polishing. I have seriously cleaned out an amazing amount of gunk from this razor so far. On my trip to the farmers market today I also picked up a shaving stick holder for a mere 3 bucks. I will clean it up and post pics later. I seriously regret not taking pics of this cleaning process that I have gone through with this razor I will do better next time.
It is possible that your FatBoy is overclocked. If you set the dial to 1 and note that the 4 luges that raise the blade are still protruding up through the holes, then try this. With the dial set on 1, press in on the red spring above the dial with a straightened paperclip. While doing this, turn the dial down left to "below" 1. Now let go of the spring and see if you can now use all of the 9 to 1 range. If so you should be good to go. The FatBoy is really a 23 position adjustable counting the stops above and below the "normal range".
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