Question about polishing

[Kailand09]

Well I came across a cheap straight at an antique shop and snagged it so I could try to teach myself honing. Unfortunately, it needs some cleaning up first. I went and got mother's billet polish, decided to try polish first before moving to sand paper.

When polishing razors, I know you just take a soft cloth, put a little on, rub it in, and then use a clean dry cloth to wipe it off. Is that it? Do you do more? How much pressure to you apply/remove it with? If the razor is still dirty and not shiny, do you just keep repeating that (apply/remove) a bunch of times?

While I'm at it, how much pressure does one use when sanding?

I've tried reading and watching videos about these things, but couldn't find great answers I guess. Thanks for any help!

 

[chilliman64]

I recommend you try cleaning it before you polish it. soak it in some hot water and dishwashing detergent for an hour or two then hit it with some Scrubbing Bubbles for another soak. then rinse and spray on some more SB and hit it with a tooth brush for the hard to move gunk, rinse and repeat if necessary. then, when it's clean you can polish it and finish off with a quick sterilise in barbicide or isopropyl alcohol and you're good to go!

I don't recommend sanding as you will probably remove the nickel (or whatever) coating and damage the finish of the razor.

 

[Kailand09]

finish on the razor? Aren't they just steel, most of the wiki articles on restos say to go through ~200-2000 grit wet/dry sand paper? I may not have been too clear, I meant to say that the razor does have some small pitting and a couple superficial rust spots (mostly the tang).

I will try the cleanup idea there, that gunk is a pain for sure... maybe soaking can help. Thanks!

 

[smalltank]

Pics?...you are better off handsanding yourself or I can clean it up and rehone it as well...polishers are usually for a final"shine"once the edge is done and it's as clean as you want...ebay sells "mixed wet/dry wallpaper" 180-2k grit...pressure can be from light to firm pressure depending on pitting/rust levels

 

[Kailand09]

Awesome info smalltank thanks. I appreciate the offer, but I got these so that I can learn the process of fixing them up and honing them. They were cheap, so if I ruin them somehow it's not a big deal. I was able to grab some mixed wet/dry 320-2500 sandpaper from auto zone, not too expensive either.

I've read about the progressions of sandpaper etc, so I think I should be ok with it, just wanted to see how much polish could clean up before hitting it with sandpaper. I'll post up some pics in a separate thread after I give them some work, maybe I can make them look halfway decent. Nothing like other guys do but it's a start!

 

[mycarver]

The key words here are 'it's a start'.
There were some made,, but very few have some type of plating on them. The vast majority are just plain steel. Sand away!

 

[Kailand09]

I think they are definitely key words! You were my inspiration to pick up a razor that needs fixing up instead of a shiny dull one to learn to hone!

 

[mycarver]

Thanks.Hearing that makes my day!

 

[daflorc]

I don't recommend sanding as you will probably remove the nickel (or whatever) coating and damage the finish of the razor.

I have never, ever, after handling hundreds of old straight razors, ever encountered one that was nickel plated or plated with anything else. That's not to say that I'm 100% confident that there never was any - I see some common day, cheap crappo razors that might have fake damascas or something finish painted on...

If anybody has actual knowledge of any nickel plated razor, I hope they'd give more info or post a picture for our benefit!

 

[mycarver]

daflorc,, Me either. I've never come across one. The only reason I responded the way I did was because on a recent post I believe it was Greybeard who said some were actually made. In the post there was a photo of what looked like a damaged finish of some sort.
I can't say whether it really was some sort of plating or not just from the photo though. To me I looked like something I'd just sand away as patina.
I find it odd that some would be plated simply because of how these are honed which I think would defeat the purpose of a plating since the stones would wear it away at the spine let alone the edge. Perfect spots for a plate to begin lifting.
Stranger things have been known to happen as I guess anything is possible. Like guys actually shaving with a GD!

 

[Puerco]

Ebay is full of titanium plated razors (new, not vintage), in all kind of colors and very cheap.
I think they are crap but I never tried one myself and some people also think that about gold dollar razors..

 

[Firewalker]

Ebay is full of titanium plated razors (new, not vintage), in all kind of colors and very cheap.
I think they are crap but I never tried one myself and some people also think that about gold dollar razors..

Well... Yes and No. That is Titanium PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition), which involves coating the surfaces with a layer of protective metallic vapours (Ionic plating). Its not a plating in the general sense of the word and is u3-u5 thick. It is the same method used for cheap Ti plated drill bits and is worn off when the razor is honed.

Nickle or chrome plating would be uncomfortable at best at it would de-bond while honing takes place and the plating would inject itself into your flesh as you were shaving. That's why they don't nickle plate razors.

 

[buca3152]

Well I came across a cheap straight at an antique shop and snagged it so I could try to teach myself honing. Unfortunately, it needs some cleaning up first. I went and got mother's billet polish, decided to try polish first before moving to sand paper.

When polishing razors, I know you just take a soft cloth, put a little on, rub it in, and then use a clean dry cloth to wipe it off. Is that it? Do you do more? How much pressure to you apply/remove it with? If the razor is still dirty and not shiny, do you just keep repeating that (apply/remove) a bunch of times?

While I'm at it, how much pressure does one use when sanding?

I've tried reading and watching videos about these things, but couldn't find great answers I guess. Thanks for any help!

Don't be afraid to sand away. I've used Drexel buffing wheels with different polishing compounds on extra hollows even. Just take it slow and be careful. Run the dremel on lowest speed. Pitting can't be removed. You have o sand or grind the whole thing to below the pitting and that can be fatal. I usually use some tarnish remover and metal polish. Then look at it with a magnifier to see if there are pits etc. Then emery compound then up from there. I used a Drexel sander once and never again. Too abrasive but it was a cheap lesson, 7 dollar Junker but the scales were good.

 

[hillbilly pick]

I swear that I have a vintage Clauss that is plated on the tang and could have been up the spine.

Give me some time and I will see if I can find it. I put it away because I sent it off to get honed and the gent was unable to get it shave ready. It has some nice scales that I am thinking of putting on a W&B French Point. I also tried honing it but this thing is really hollow ground.

 

[hillbilly pick]

Ok here it is. I thought that I was going to have to hunt.

 

[Kailand09]

Hard to tell in the picture, it almost looks like it's just a layer of rust/grime hillbilly? Then again, you have them in person so I'm sure you can tell better!

@buca - yeah there is 1 somewhat deeper rust/pit and since this thread I have done a lot of sanding with ~300 grit. I'm thinking of just leaving it where it's at, as I got most of the rust out but the pit is still there, don't want to go too far. It's near the spine, so I can keep going but not much more preferably. So far it's looking PRETTY good for just being at 300 so far, I have all the way up to 2500 grit, then I have mother's polish. Excited to keep goin!

 

[mycarver]

Don't be afraid to sand away. I've used Drexel buffing wheels with different polishing compounds on extra hollows even. Just take it slow and be careful. Run the dremel on lowest speed. Pitting can't be removed. You have o sand or grind the whole thing to below the pitting and that can be fatal. I usually use some tarnish remover and metal polish. Then look at it with a magnifier to see if there are pits etc. Then emery compound then up from there. I used a Drexel sander once and never again. Too abrasive but it was a cheap lesson, 7 dollar Junker but the scales were good.

I'm sorry but I have to disagree. Pitting can be removed which is done regularly and it's not fatal. Here are two examples that show this. A bit extreme examples but the razors survived just fine.

 

[Kailand09]

This question might as well go in here as well -

when there is some stubborn pitting that can get a bit deep, when do you just let go and move on to the next grit? I have a few stain spots and one badish pit that was under rust, im doing it all by hand with lowest grit of 300... I know i wont be able to get it perfect but how long and how much sandpaper do you guys usually go through until you say good enough? These last bits are stubborn

 

[mycarver]

Not seeing exactly what the situation is I can only arm chair quarterback. Some of the call will depend on where on the blade the rust is. Also how deep it is. If it's on the lower 1/4 of a blade such as a CVH you're basically out of luck as these are quite thin. ( again, not knowing how deep the pit is, so,,,,) If it's a wedge type blade you have a much greater chance of getting it all as you have much more steel to work with.
How much paper? Lets just say I'm considering buying stock in 3M. But it depends how far you want to take it. You can swipe with a relatively coarse grit , knock off the big stuff , work up some grades and call it done.
Or you can sweat the details and keep at the lower grits until the pits are gone then the higher grits are just removing the scratches from the previous papers. Remember, all the while you're still removing some amount of steel.
When does anyone say 'enough'? Whenever you feel the outcome is something you can live with. If you're happy with it , then it's done.
The last bits are stubborn? Yup. Remember you're not removing a localized pit. To do it correctly you're removing the surrounding surface. Otherwise you could just sand that one little spot, have a depression there and call it done. No pit,, but it looks like you have a dent in your blade.
Whatever you decide , it's your decision. Besides,, there are lots more to play with. And however it comes out , it's yours and you built it and get to use it warts and all or mirror finish. Doesn't matter in the long run. How many cartridge guys can say that?

 

[Kailand09]

Great response, that gives me a good answer. I would take pictures, but lighting ATM+cell phone camera I can't pick up those details even when I tried. One side there are small almost little circles of a darker hue the center is still silvery. most of those unfortunately are near the edge, on the other side most of it has been cleaned off but one pit about 1-1.5cm(?) in diameter. It's a shapleigh, not sure if it's full hollow or what, but it's 12,13, or 14 on http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/Straight_Razor_Grind . I don't want to eat in too much, so I think I'll move on to preserve the razor.

I've used about a full sheet of the 300 grit so far on it.