Tighten the pivot pin?

[gaj90027]

I purchased a really nice razor but if you hold it upside down the blade swings all the way out, there is absolutely no resistance like there is with all of my other straights.

Is the problem most likely with the pivot pin or something else? Can anyone outline some easy fixes for this?

I love the idea of using microfasteners but how do I remove the existing pins without breaking the scales.

Am I in over my head?

 

[Luc]

I hate micro fasteners, they always get stuck on my fingers.

To tighten the pins, you need to do it progressively. Use a hard surface that can be bruised, hit, smashed or destroyed (not a piece of wood, you are trying to shape metal after all, I now have a nice print of my pin in the bedroom window...).

Some use a spoon, there's one side of the pin that will be nice and round and the other side will be a bit flat. Usually, when someone re-pins a razor, they use one side only. Some might use both but I generally see one. Pick the side that is not round.

Start with light taps and test the razor frequently.

I usually use a small hammer to do so. Do not tighten the pins too much otherwise the scales will crack. That's why you need to check frequently.

 

[gaj90027]

Thanks Luc - sounds like something I can handle doing myself.

 

[Freedom]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz9qW_VnelY "I wouldn't use the base how he did without a divot hole in it"

If you have any spare metal and a drill set try drilling with a 1/8th 2-3mmish drill bit to make a slight dome in the metal then you can use this to stop the other pin from flattening. I.e like this video look at the hammer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vihhWXSbPQY&feature=related

There was a nice video with someone using an ice cream scope on a stone table top but I can't find it.

 

[BillEllis]

I cringe when I hear, "microfasteners". It's like someone telling me I get soggy turnips and mustard for lunch or something. Learn to peen properly. You will get a much more professional looking job.

Those two youtube videos were helpful and either method will work. By now, everyone who decides to dabble with restorations and repairs has probably heard about my instruction to tap the pins lightly. For years I've said to only hit the pin as hard as you are willing to hit your fingertips with the hammer.

Incidentally, a polished round surface of the ball peen hammer to do the peening works best because it displaces the brass pin in a more consistent manner.

Now I will explain why you need to hit the pin lightly. I'm not even sure if I had given the reason on my CD. Sometimes my instruction is kinda like, "don't ask questions, just do it." Ok, the reason to hit lightly:

• The pivot hole in the tang is almost always bigger than the pin being used to hold the razor together.
• Light taps will encourage the head of the pin to mushroom, which is what you want.
• Hitting the pin too hard doesn't allow mushrooming and instead causes the pin to bend within that area of the larger hole in the tang of the blade.
• While the scales may be tight with a bent pin, it may cause an offset in the dynamic of the scales and actually encourage the blade to come too close to the inside surface as it is closed. It also often creates an offset at the very tip of the scales that is unprofessional and unsightly.

The other reasons that a blade hugs one side when being closed are warped scales or a bent tang, but that's another thread altogether.

 

[Luc]

Great explaination, thanks Bill!

 

[gaj90027]

Over the past 2 days I have spent an hour or so each day trying to tighten the pin and feel like I am just barely starting to make a difference. I am using an 8oz ball peen hammer and am tapping 20 times on one side then flipping it over and tapping 20 times on the other side. If I had to guess I would say I have tapped each side at least 2000 times.

Any guesses what I'm doing wrong or any circumstances you can think of why this might not work for this particular razor? There is nothing different or exceptional that I can see with the scales or the pins.

I am noticing a slight increase in tension but wasn't expecting this to be an 8 hour project. Am I just being impatient?

I am using the advice of tapping only as hard as I would be willing to tap my own fingertip.

 

[Freedom]

try holding the blade in the position where it's movement is most free then tapping, what you might find is when the blade closes it is actually pushing against the peening loosening it. Failing that you may have a fake peening with a cap and a screw undernieth (very rare) or the metal pin is not peened its heat expanded and tapped into the scales creating a cone as it goes through the scale material making it difficult to peen, this is common with old razors. Photos would be useful

 

[gaj90027]

Thanks for the reply, I did notice that the pin is tightening up for the first 45 degrees or so then past that point it's completely loose. I will try tapping the pin with the razor open past that point and see what happens.

I plan on keeping this thread updated with my progress and will try to post photos tomorrow evening when I am back home.

I'm hoping that the progress I have made so far means that this is not a fake peening, time will tell I suppose.

 

[mdunn]

You might also want to try it with the blade open at various angles, as it will be less tight in various positions

 

[BillEllis]

Over the past 2 days I have spent an hour or so each day trying to tighten the pin and feel like I am just barely starting to make a difference. I am using an 8oz ball peen hammer and am tapping 20 times on one side then flipping it over and tapping 20 times on the other side. If I had to guess I would say I have tapped each side at least 2000 times.

Any guesses what I'm doing wrong or any circumstances you can think of why this might not work for this particular razor? There is nothing different or exceptional that I can see with the scales or the pins.

I am noticing a slight increase in tension but wasn't expecting this to be an 8 hour project. Am I just being impatient?

I am using the advice of tapping only as hard as I would be willing to tap my own fingertip.

Hmm... maybe I have a higher threshold of pain... How 'bout this; Hit it slightly less hard than you would to put a bruise or blood blister on your finger. Or maybe as hard as you would to put one of those tiny nails in a picture frame hanger bracket. You know, the ones about a quarter inch long...

2,000 is way too many. If you are looking for a benchmark, shoot for 100, at most. Use the polished side of the rounded end of the ball peen. The hammer I use weighs about 4 oz.

try holding the blade in the position where it's movement is most free then tapping

This is sound advice.

 

[Luc]

Are you putting anything on the other side when you tap?

I always have something flat and hard (steel) on the other side so the pin wouldn't be tapped out of the pivot.

 

[gaj90027]

Thanks for holding my hand through this process guys

I am resting the straight pin on the head of another hammer as demonstrated on this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz9qW_VnelY

I noticed on the above video and a few posts that most people use a 4oz ball peen but Harbor Freight only had the 8oz. The extra weight of the hammer is probably making me tap lighter than I should for fear of cracking the scales. I will change this up tonight and start tapping harder. Just to clarify, I am using the polished side of the rounded end of the ball peen hammer.

In addition to the harder tapping I will also try holding the razor open at it's loosest point while tapping.

Regardless of the progress I make tonight I will be posting photos of the razor in this thread as well.

Even though this stupid pin is giving me attitude I can see how someone would grow to love restoring old razors. I ordered a GD razor for $7.00 shipped the other day for my first honing attempts and can't wait to give that a go as well.

 

[gaj90027]

Mission accomplished!

The pivot pin is now nice and snug all the way around. I used heavier taps and tapped with the razor open past the point where it was still loose. It took about 100 taps on each side but it worked

Next project is how to make the scales a littler shorter on this same razor. In the last photo you can see that the scales almost completely cover the monkey tail. I will ask for advice on this as well in a separate thread.

Thanks again to everyone who posted in this thread!

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