Unsticking an adjustable

[Legion]

I think we need to see one of these back in the younger days pics with gold chains/rings.....

Careful what you ask for. I'm pretty sure the rings were not on his fingers, if you know what I mean...

 

[preidy]

It's a long shot but just let it soak. Hot tap water and Dawn. A good 48 hours occasionally putting in new hot water and Dawn. 30 + years of gunk takes a while to loosen if that's the problem. If that doesn't work most likely something broke loose inside and is jamming the process.

 

[xiletero]

The last batch of used vintage Gillette razors I got (not adjustable) were filthy. Soaked and resoaked many times for 3 days, brushed etc....., Then I put them face down in an ultrasonic cleaner.... the amount of yellow/gray gunk that care out was nauseating. None was gold either.

 

[been around]

I was going to disassemble and clean my slim, but i have a lot of respect for Murphy's Law.

 

[Legion]

I was going to disassemble and clean my slim, but i have a lot of respect for Murphy's Law.

Same. If the thing was jammed on 1 or 9 it would already be fixed, or broken beyond repair. Because it's jammed on 5 where I like it, I don't wand to do anything that might mess it up. And the dawn/hot water hasn't gotten it done.

 

[gigadeath]

Bite it up and bring it to a local business equipped with a professional ultrasonic cleaner? I don't think they might charge that much for a single razor.

 

[Haiku]

The adjuster is a threaded screw type of mechanism with a springy pin made out of a very flexible bit of steel like a spring that clicks on the numbers. Mechanically, there really isn't a whole lot that can go wrong. I would try some WD40 sprayed into the threads. That will tell you whether there's gunk that's gumming up the threads.

If it isn't gunk, then it could be a mechanical problem which leads me to think it's the indicator spring. I would take a toothpick or a plastic fork and try to move the spring by pressing on it and seeing if it moves.

Perhaps the number pin somehow got misaligned.

 

[been around]

I don't know what effect it may have on the gold or lacquer, but maybe a good soak in I believe its call calcium, lime, and rust (CLR). It could be so full of lime and calcium from the water quality the last owner had, and over the years that it has gotten rock hard. Calcium is bone after all. If that is the case oil, WD40, or Dawn won't have much effect. Also, if the gunk had the adjuster tray jammed (it should move freely with slight hand motion) and the last owner forced it to 5 the dial may have locked up against the tray.


I'm now out of ideas. If you manage to get it unstuck an update would be appreciated. I hope it is something simple.

 

[Spang]

I don't know what effect it may have on the gold or lacquer, but maybe a good soak in I believe its call calcium, lime, and rust (CLR).

I would not use CLR. I tried it on a frozen Fatboy several years ago and it took most of the nickel plating off. It did not unfreeze the razor. I did eventually get that Fatboy unstuck, with PB Blaster, and then had it replated. It's now my user FB. So, all's well that ends well, but I'd steer clear of CLR.

 

[been around]

Thanks Spang. I was going to use it under the adjustment plate of my slim as a "tune up". You saved me a lot of grief. Gold is relatively inert, but nickel isn't.