Hi All,
*EDIT*
My computer went in standby mode while I was on the phone and screwed up this post. I will get the pictures back up today and post some more of the tools I assembled.
A couple of weeks ago I went to see a lot of 16 straights from about 1945. I ended up buying six of them.
This first picture shows six blades and a new Dovo 5/8 for comparisson:
View attachment 292398I started work on the one in the middle. The first thing I did, after removing the old scales and giving it a bath, was to give it a quick once over with a dremel-like tool and a brass brush head.
Multi-tool (cheep dremel rip off):
View attachment 292400
The scales were no good so I got a small sheet of opaque black acrylic plexiglass. (very expensive - cost almost as much as the multi-tool!).
With a fine saw I cut out two strips and stuck them together with double sided carpet tape.
From the linked PDF file on this site:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/188023-Scale-Templates
... I selected a Theirs-Issard "Le Dandy" for the shape of the scales and carefully cut it out. I then used a simple glue-stick to paste it to the strips of acrylic.
At a hardware store a bought a cheap belt grinder for about $45 bolted it to my bench and did the rough grinding.
Then I went to work on the scales and the blade again hand sanding starting at 100, then 180, 240, 400 and finally 1000 grit paper.
This is the blade after the first clean up in detergent and after use the brass brush head:
Today I received a package with 3 polishing wheels, grinding compound and 2 types of polishing compound and a spindle tap for my drill. I clamped my drill in a vice and got to work polishing.
Here are the results so far:
View attachment 292401
View attachment 292402
This is my first project and I'm quite pleased so far. The pictures are not that good (cell phone), but the scales look like black glass and the blade has turned out great. The scales may need a little more rough sanding because they're not 100% the same thickness. (I think the acrylic sheet was a bit too thick).
I've found some round brass nails that I will use for pins, but I'm still waiting for washers. I'm thinking of using a cheep plastic kitchen chopping board (white) for the wedge.
If I hadn't become a member on this site, and seen the great work and advice posted by the other members, I never would have started this "journey". So thanks to everyone here, it's been a privilege learning from you guys.
Finally, if anyone wants to see the tools and gear I've bought to work with, just say so and I'll post some more pics.
*EDIT*
My computer went in standby mode while I was on the phone and screwed up this post. I will get the pictures back up today and post some more of the tools I assembled.
A couple of weeks ago I went to see a lot of 16 straights from about 1945. I ended up buying six of them.
This first picture shows six blades and a new Dovo 5/8 for comparisson:
View attachment 292398I started work on the one in the middle. The first thing I did, after removing the old scales and giving it a bath, was to give it a quick once over with a dremel-like tool and a brass brush head.
Multi-tool (cheep dremel rip off):
View attachment 292400
The scales were no good so I got a small sheet of opaque black acrylic plexiglass. (very expensive - cost almost as much as the multi-tool!).
With a fine saw I cut out two strips and stuck them together with double sided carpet tape.
From the linked PDF file on this site:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/188023-Scale-Templates
... I selected a Theirs-Issard "Le Dandy" for the shape of the scales and carefully cut it out. I then used a simple glue-stick to paste it to the strips of acrylic.
At a hardware store a bought a cheap belt grinder for about $45 bolted it to my bench and did the rough grinding.
Then I went to work on the scales and the blade again hand sanding starting at 100, then 180, 240, 400 and finally 1000 grit paper.
This is the blade after the first clean up in detergent and after use the brass brush head:
Today I received a package with 3 polishing wheels, grinding compound and 2 types of polishing compound and a spindle tap for my drill. I clamped my drill in a vice and got to work polishing.
Here are the results so far:
View attachment 292401
View attachment 292402
This is my first project and I'm quite pleased so far. The pictures are not that good (cell phone), but the scales look like black glass and the blade has turned out great. The scales may need a little more rough sanding because they're not 100% the same thickness. (I think the acrylic sheet was a bit too thick).
I've found some round brass nails that I will use for pins, but I'm still waiting for washers. I'm thinking of using a cheep plastic kitchen chopping board (white) for the wedge.
If I hadn't become a member on this site, and seen the great work and advice posted by the other members, I never would have started this "journey". So thanks to everyone here, it's been a privilege learning from you guys.
Finally, if anyone wants to see the tools and gear I've bought to work with, just say so and I'll post some more pics.
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