Scale wood suppliers - Any suggestions?

[Paxaddict]

I just got my first razor in the mail today. Going to shave a cheek tomorrow. Now I'm hooked. Haven't even started yet, and I'm hooked. So I have a W&B blade on the way that needs some love, ordered everything I need to get it looking fresh except for the scales. I have the tools to carve down a scale, but not the tools to carve it out of a big piece of wood. Anyone know any good scale blank suppliers? Specifically, exotic woods? Or does anyone here on the forums sell blanks?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Doc226]

Try ebay, lots of folks selling wood scales blanks. Make sure they are at least 6 inches.

 

[incucrash]

I got 5 pieces from the bay coming, I can not vouch for the quality but everything thus far has been amazing.

I have nothing to do with them, here is a link of the cocobolo blanks I bought:

I made an "offer" on her higher priced stuff, she accepted within minutes


You can filter it for "straight" as a keyword and you will find all under her account, be careful what you purcahse, some are for knives, swords, etc...

She mentioned they do custom woods, cuts, etc... of things not listed!


Awesome communication, and they do flat rate shipping

if you want more then one, I suggest you buy now or offer, and she will email an invoice with a link inside for you to pay

I got 5 blanks for about $18 shipped.

**I edited out the ebay links, I realized they had some live auctions upon clicking, not what I meant to link**

If you need the info, feel free to PM me, or search ebay for the username "handletheze-at-inbox-dot-com"

 

[Bear_Blade]

Check out Burl Source, all stabilized, great stuff.

 

[Paxaddict]

Incucrash, thanks a ton, she has some awesome pieces.

 

[incucrash]

Incucrash, thanks a ton, she has some awesome pieces.

no problem

again, I bought like 5 including some offers, and waited a few minutes, and I already had an invoice waiting for me

Do yourself a favor, something I did not, look up some hard woods to use or best woods to use for scales, I'm just rolling the dice =]

 

[Paxaddict]

Experimentation makes it fun, after all.

Plus I don't think she's stake her reputation on selling you crap

 

[Firewalker]

I have pen turning blanks, 3/4" X 3/4" X 6", got a box of 80, 10 each of 8 different woods for $34.00 delivered. I would like the 1" blanks but there is a lot of waste making pens with the bigger ones.

 

[Giant Kiwi]

@paxaddict and incucrash

I have bought from her before several times as I have the tools to shape but not to take from a larger piece of wood.
Her communication is top notch even letting me know she was snowed in and couldn't get to the post office.
Her wood has been great so far

 

[oakeshott]

Check out Burl Source, all stabilized, great stuff.

Bear

what does it mean to say the wood is "stabilized". Sounds important.

 

[Paxaddict]

Certain wood types, but mostly the burls, have air pockets in them. To stabilize a piece, it's generally epoxied so it can be cut and used like a normal piece of wood.

 

[daflorc]

Bear
what does it mean to say the wood is "stabilized". Sounds important.

All wood is made up of plant cells. Stabilization uses resin and a vacuum container to suck resin into and around the cells, vastly improving the strength of the wood. It also makes it waterproof i believe, and when working with it its kind of like sanding/cutting plastic. Some wood, like heavy rotted burl, would crumble and fall apart if it wasn't stabilized.

 

[professorchaos]

Bell Forest used to carry many different woods in a size good for razor scales.

 

[Bear_Blade]

You got it!

The top stabilizers use [SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]a[/SIZE] process that saturates wood with a special blend of monomers and acrylics. After saturation the mix is catalyzed into polymers, a process that creates long chain molecules. The result is a clear and durable material that has qualities of both acrylic and wood.[/SIZE] The best solution is methylmethacrylate.

The process begins with dry wood, placed in a pressure vessel. A negative pressure (vacuum) is applied to draw any and all air out of the vessel and the wood. Then the solution which is water thin is introduced to the vessel while maintaining the vacuum. Then the vessel is placed under high positive pressure. This process forces the solution into the wood to the cellular level (not into the cells them selves, but filling all voids) The wood is allowed to "soak" for a period of time, then the pressure is released, solution drained, and the wood is placed into an oven at about 240 degrees to catalyze. The heat kicks the solution to the solid state. Essentially you have turned your wood to lexan, or plexiglass.

[SIZE=-1]Once stabilized, your stock increases in weight by 20 to 150 percent (porous woods such as spalted maple take on more resin than dense woods such as ebony). It becomes harder, stronger, and will not change shape. The color darkens slightly, similar to the way wood darkens when you apply water to it. Because the acrylic saturated the wood fibers, the pigments in those fibers cannot fade through oxidation[/SIZE].

[SIZE=-1]You don't have to apply a finish to stabilized woods. You need only sand the work piece with a succession of 100-, 320-, and 400- grit abrasives, and then buff with a compound to bring out a deep sheen. A coat of wax protects the buffed surface.[/SIZE]

Hope this helps with the mental picture.

 

[oakeshott]

You got it!

The top stabilizers use [SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]a[/SIZE] process that saturates wood with a special blend of monomers and acrylics. After saturation the mix is catalyzed into polymers, a process that creates long chain molecules. The result is a clear and durable material that has qualities of both acrylic and wood.[/SIZE] The best solution is methylmethacrylate.

The process begins with dry wood, placed in a pressure vessel. A negative pressure (vacuum) is applied to draw any and all air out of the vessel and the wood. Then the solution which is water thin is introduced to the vessel while maintaining the vacuum. Then the vessel is placed under high positive pressure. This process forces the solution into the wood to the cellular level (not into the cells them selves, but filling all voids) The wood is allowed to "soak" for a period of time, then the pressure is released, solution drained, and the wood is placed into an oven at about 240 degrees to catalyze. The heat kicks the solution to the solid state. Essentially you have turned your wood to lexan, or plexiglass.

[SIZE=-1]Once stabilized, your stock increases in weight by 20 to 150 percent (porous woods such as spalted maple take on more resin than dense woods such as ebony). It becomes harder, stronger, and will not change shape. The color darkens slightly, similar to the way wood darkens when you apply water to it. Because the acrylic saturated the wood fibers, the pigments in those fibers cannot fade through oxidation[/SIZE].

[SIZE=-1]You don't have to apply a finish to stabilized woods. You need only sand the work piece with a succession of 100-, 320-, and 400- grit abrasives, and then buff with a compound to bring out a deep sheen. A coat of wax protects the buffed surface.[/SIZE]

Hope this helps with the mental picture.

Yes. That's brilliant, thank you.

 

[Bear_Blade]

As an FYI. There are two companies in the US at the top of the game. One is WSSI, the other is KNG. The will take your woods, that have had no treatment (they frown on mixing chemicals) and will stabilize them for you. The will also do horn, ivory, bone, etc. Some woods do not lend themselves to being stabilized. For example, cocobolo, ironwood, and african blackwood to name but a few. The natural oils found in the wood, makes the stabilizing process ineffective.

After stabilizing, going through grits, you will find that the grain doesn't "raise" when you wet it. Kind of nice, you can go right from sanding to buff or finish coat.

The finished product looks like wood, grinds for the most part like wood, but smells like plastic as you work it. It takes a nice finish as is, but will accept a coat of oils to give it that final "pop". I like True Oil, by Birchwood Casey. It is a gunstock finish. Quite durable, and does a great job of protecting your finish.

 

[bridger berdel]

I'm a woodworker. I live in Arizona. the only wood that might be appropriate for razor scales native to here is mesquite. if you're interested I could be persuaded to make a trade....

 

[Mr Bob]

Hi, I just wanted to add that you should avoid breathing the dust from stabilized wood. For safety, it's a good idea to wear a dust mask when working the stuff. Also be weary of the dust from certain woods, like the real oily exotic stuff, as it can cause immediate respiratory problems. The popular cocobolo can be trouble for some people, and some woods like wenge will be a problem for most people. Stabilized wood works nicely, but if you can, practice on little piece of scrap to get a feel for it before working your scales.

 

[Paxaddict]

Well, one should take precautions as not to breathe in any wood dust at all. Especially if you plan on working wood over a course of years, as the more exposure you have a certain kind of wood dust, the more you react to that dust. I've been doing luthiery work for years, and I can't do major cocobolo and purpleheart projects anymore because of the reactions I get just from being in the same room as airborne dust. On the talkbass forums we make it a bit of a ceremony when a fellow luthier has to retire a specific wood because of wood allergies.

Even the greatest precautions don't eliminate the building towards a reaction, the best you can do is prolong it.

Chances are if you're working with small things, like razor scales, or are working less frequently with them (or with the same woods) then you wont run into an issue, but that's the problem with luthiery. It takes so much sanding, of so much wood. Plus you get in the habit of using a certain wood for a certain piece. My first 30 bass guitars had purpleheart/maple necks. Now I can't use purpleheart anymore. Just too much exposure.

 

[Mr Bob]

Well, one should take precautions as not to breathe in any wood dust at all. Especially if you plan on working wood over a course of years, as the more exposure you have a certain kind of wood dust, the more you react to that dust. I've been doing luthiery work for years, and I can't do major cocobolo and purpleheart projects anymore because of the reactions I get just from being in the same room as airborne dust. On the talkbass forums we make it a bit of a ceremony when a fellow luthier has to retire a specific wood because of wood allergies.

Even the greatest precautions don't eliminate the building towards a reaction, the best you can do is prolong it.

Chances are if you're working with small things, like razor scales, or are working less frequently with them (or with the same woods) then you wont run into an issue, but that's the problem with luthiery. It takes so much sanding, of so much wood. Plus you get in the habit of using a certain wood for a certain piece. My first 30 bass guitars had purpleheart/maple necks. Now I can't use purpleheart anymore. Just too much exposure.

Interesting coincidence... I first learned of the fun of wenge dust building a six string bass. I used a wenge and birdseye maple sandwich for the neck, and I inhaled a good dose of wenge dust when I began shaping. My chest seized up and I could barely draw in breath for 10 minutes. I went and learned up on wood toxicities shortly thereafter. So now, I may sound like a broken record, but I always suggest wearing a dust mask.