Making my balsa strops ...

[Slash McCoy]

Thicker acrylic can be harder to find and is probably more expensive. I just glued some thinner plates together to get a thicker base. Spray adhesive is really wonderful for this task (outdoor use recommend)

www.tapplastics.com will cut you whatever you want. That's where I get my acrylic. Currently using 1-1/2" thick.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I am looking to build my own strops and have a couple question-

Should the substrate be larger than the balsa wood or should they be essentially the same size? I assume the balsa being slightly larger than the substrate is not acceptable.

When applying the rubber cement does it have to be applied very evenly? I was thinking of buttering one side of the acrylic substrate with rubber cement trying to achieve 100% coverage, adhering my balsa to it and then laying the balsa wood faced down on a flat surface. Does it matter or is simply a few dots of cement work better? Would someone recommend 3M spray adhesive over rubber cement?

My acrylic is 3" wide, 12" long. My balsa is 3" wide, 12" long. I use 1/4" thick balsa, and I started out using 1/2" and 3/4" thick acrylic but now I like at least 1" thick, minimum. It's all in the thread, which really should be read from beginning to end or you WILL leave out something important. All questions are answered. It's all in there. Spray adhesive works great. Brushed on rubber cement, well, we use spray. It's in the thread. Brushed on is maybe okay but generally there are SO MANY factors that the fewer choices there are, the more you simply follow The Method, the greater your chances of getting perfect results first time. If you would rather trial and error and error and error and error and eventually get it "good enough", that's your choice, of course. Everything is in the thread. Some things have changed since first mentioned in the thread so read all the way to the end. Or don't. Your choice.

 

[Barbarian80]

Thanks Slash- I've read most of the thread and the pdf. It's amazing how dialed in it gets as you read closer to the end of the thread. I'm going to give this a shot- it'll be my first time ever shaving with a straight.

 

[rbscebu]

@Barbarian80 start a new thread to tell us of the trials and tribulations with your journey into the gentlemanly art. They make a good read for all and many will give you guidance (sometimes conflicting) to improve your experience.

 

[Frank Shaves]

Nice job!

 

[Slash McCoy]

Thanks Slash- I've read most of the thread and the pdf. It's amazing how dialed in it gets as you read closer to the end of the thread. I'm going to give this a shot- it'll be my first time ever shaving with a straight.

Well I have to say then, that you are going about this backwards. You REALLY need to learn to use the straight razor before you try to learn how to hone it. Its not impossible to do it backwards, but it is very much prone to failure and disappointment. I would urge you to buy a shave ready razor first. If you are dead set against that idea, then good luck.

 

[Barbarian80]

Well I have to say then, that you are going about this backwards. You REALLY need to learn to use the straight razor before you try to learn how to hone it. Its not impossible to do it backwards, but it is very much prone to failure and disappointment. I would urge you to buy a shave ready razor first. If you are dead set against that idea, then good luck.

That was my plan. I dont know how far I'll get the first few shaves but I wasn't planning on my razor touching a balsa strop in the beginning- just leather and linen. I was thinking about getting a month of shaves under my belt before going through the Method progressions. Sound reasonable?

 

[Slash McCoy]

That was my plan. I dont know how far I'll get the first few shaves but I wasn't planning on my razor touching a balsa strop in the beginning- just leather and linen. I was thinking about getting a month of shaves under my belt before going through the Method progressions. Sound reasonable?

Quite reasonable.