I kept it on setting 1 when I straightened out the Slims so I could check my progress. It isn’t meant to budge much, took me a half hour to finish mine without damaging anything. You’ll get there. I’d leave my caps and doors alone, the more you use and clean your razor razor after use, it will be fine.
Uneven blade gap on Gillette Super Adjustable (and other questions)
- Thread starter OldSkoolMillennial
- Start date
I kept it on setting 1 when I straightened out the Slims so I could check my progress. It isn’t meant to budge much, took me a half hour to finish mine without damaging anything. You’ll get there. I’d leave my caps and doors alone, the more you use and clean your razor razor after use, it will be fine.
You're right. I had to enlarge the pics to see the difference, but it is there.
Given the different design of the end caps I'm really not sure what to suggest but it appears that something is bent, if only slightly.
I took pics of my Slim for something you can check on yours. In the pics below you'll see how the blade tray can slide up and down inside the adjustment collar.
It doesnt matter which setting the razor is on. With the doors open holding the razor head up, you should be able to push the blade tray up with your thumb and it should fall, freely, back down with gravity. If it doesnt, its binding. Either from something bent or a buildup between the two pieces.
Try that with yours, if it binds you know something isnt right. Figuring out what and why is the next step.
- Thread starter
- #43
It sticks in the up position on all adjustments except 1,2, and 9. Going down the adjustments though, 8 also doesn't stick. So for most of them, it sticks in the up position. I tested this a couple of times to make sure it wasn't a fluke. Sure enough it's repeatable.
If it is falling free on some settings but not on a few, that is old soap. Open up your razor, pour either CLR on non bleach scrubbing bubbles in the hole. You will notice that it will exit from the small hole at the bottom of the handle. Turn the TTO and turn the adjustment knob several times as you do this. You can let it sit for a while in the handle and repeat if necessary. Make sure to rinse after.
I’d recommend taping the numbers to protect them if that applies to others reading this. You can tape your handle too but it should be fine.
I’d recommend taping the numbers to protect them if that applies to others reading this. You can tape your handle too but it should be fine.
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R
romsitsa
Hello and sorry for being anal, but the handle is aluminum, check the safety instructions of the cleaning substance before using it on the razor.
Adam
Adam
CLR metal clear is fine. Scrubbing bubbles works great too.
Took apart a trashed SA once for parts and used toilet bowl cleaner to free it up. That didn’t even hurt the black handle or discolor the outside. Don’t recommend that but a 5 minute scrubbing bubbles interior soak in the handle won’t hurt that razor.
If thats the case then yeah, I'll agree with the below and say its not quite clean yet.
That old soap residue and mineral/alkali/calcium buildup can be as hard as a rock and it takes time to clean it all out.
I use a margarine tub or something similar and fill it with enough water to submerge the razor in. Pop it in the microwave and get it hot, obviously without the razor in it. Take it out and add a good shot of Dawn and stir to mix with the water, you dont want bubbles, you just want it mixed. Drop the razor in and let it soak until the water cools. Take it out and under hot/cold running water, work the razor focusing on where its sticking. Repeat as often as necessary.
As it warms it expands, as it cools it contracts. Thats what happened with my fathers. I ran it under hot running water until the razor was the same temperature, then instantly changed to cold. When I did, the buildup inside broke free of the inside of the handle and fell into the threads. Working the knob under running water trying to focus the water stream into the razor eventually broke it all up and flushed it out.
- Thread starter
- #48
I'll pick up some CLR metal later today. First I'm going to try putting some soap directly down the holes and putting it in hot water. Then follow up with the cold/hot bath. Maybe try WD40.
If only these were easy to disassemble, yes I saw the disassembly video. But Gillette probably thought of them more as disposable than repairable.
If only these were easy to disassemble, yes I saw the disassembly video. But Gillette probably thought of them more as disposable than repairable.
You'll get it where you want it. In the mean time, keep using it. The little its out shouldnt affect the shave that much. My Regent was a lot worse than yours and I used it without issue.
Like most things made that long ago, they might not have been meant to be repaired, but they are serviceable.
The T-bar is actually very easily bent, I've repaired many, many of them where the center bar was no longer perpendicular to the rod. Pinned connection, not welded.
Its hard to see in the small pic I found. It looked like a spot weld but I really have no idea.
- Thread starter
- #52
So sitting in the hot water with dish soap in the holes, it's actually gotten worse. The adjuster is a struggle to move now in either direction.
R
romsitsa
Hello,
it’s can happen, my best guess is that soap and fats were dissolved and the really hard gunk now has no lubrication. One of my Fatboys froze shut after soaking and the adjuster gave a cracking sound while turning after it came free again.
Adam
it’s can happen, my best guess is that soap and fats were dissolved and the really hard gunk now has no lubrication. One of my Fatboys froze shut after soaking and the adjuster gave a cracking sound while turning after it came free again.
Adam
- Thread starter
- #54
Thanks for the reassurance Adam.
I also noticed at one of the adjustments the doors finally sat equally when closed. This was only temporary after I switched through the adjustments, it went back to misaligned.
I've had a couple Slims that were frozen solid with old soap. I got them freed up by putting a few drops of lighter fluid down the holes. I will cut through the old soap and evaporates quickly. Not sure how safe it is on the black handle though.
- Thread starter
- #56
Update-
Wow, it's bad. In my prior hot water and dish soap soaks, this much gunk didn't come out. I used hotter water this time and got dish soap into all the holes.
Wow, it's bad. In my prior hot water and dish soap soaks, this much gunk didn't come out. I used hotter water this time and got dish soap into all the holes.
Yep. The insides of all the parts, like I've said, can hold a lot of buildup and it takes time to get it all out, but you'll get there.
After you soak it, hold it under running water and turn the knob to open and fully close the doors, turn the adjuster and just keep at it until it all free's up.
My Regent was so bad, all the crud inside it was even keeping the knob in place and when I finally got it all clean I had to fix the knob dropping issue. Thats an easy fix if you need too but I doubt you will.
R
romsitsa
What kind of soap are you using? It's weird that only the aluminum parts have the white build up.
adam
adam
- Thread starter
- #59
Discussing it with @THall, he believes the best approach forward is with chemicals. That further soaking will destroy the razor.
Palmolive, no bleach. The aluminum probably has pin sized rust holes. I wasn't expecting that considering how good of a condition the resin was in.
The razor will survive but your finish will go eventually.
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