What is the Best Way to get Rid of CA Glue on Horn Scales?

[Lyon Heart]

The other day I picked up three decent horn scaled razors all which appear to have their scales coated in CA glue. I will admit to having a bias on how my scales are finished. I consider coating a quality horn scale with CA glue to be the equivalent of buying an Italian leather sofa and then putting a couch-cover over it to ensure that it never gets dirty. I feel that holding a good horn scale that has been gently sanded, treated to neats-foot oil and had it's pins nicely tightened to be part of the quality experience of shaving with a vintage SR.

This brings me to the question of how to best remove this treatment. In the past I have soaked them in neat-foot oil and then sanded them with 1000 or 600 grit wet/dry paper. I'm hoping that someone can let me know whether this is the best approach or is there a better way.

I'm also hoping that I'm not the only person out there scrubbing away the coating that others clearly feel is an improvement.

 

[Bevel]

I've never heard on CA on horn before and doubt it is. Is it not just the shine?
If it is CA a thorough wipe down with acetone (nail polish remover) will get rid of it or you can just sand it off.

 

[Lyon Heart]

Acetone sounded like a good idea. I borrowed it from my wife so it came with Vitamine E and Aloe (Always nice to know that it's a healthy choice.) The acetone did absolutely nothing, which leads me to assume that I'm dealing with some form of varnish.

I'm leaning toward sand paper as being my next vest bet but am open to recommendations.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Looks like the two on the right could benefit from some sanding, regardless. But horn can be buffed to a very high shine, the blonde onw doesn't look unusual from here. What make you think it's been coated with a finish?

 

[Dobric]

I use medical gasoline (benzene) to remove all kind of stickers
It is used to remove all kind of medical tapes in hospitals
You can get it in pharmacy
My wife (she is pharmacist) told me about this, it doesent remove lacquer like acetone does, I used to scrub thing like an idiot before I met her.

Benzinium medicante

 

[Lyon Heart]

Looks like the two on the right could benefit from some sanding, regardless. But horn can be buffed to a very high shine, the blonde onw doesn't look unusual from here. What make you think it's been coated with a finish?

Thanks.

The blond horn could be just very well polished. It has no obvious extra layer. However, I've put some neatsfoot oil on it and it doesn't absorb any. If it is a coating, it's very thin and should easily be sanded off.

The other two have a thicker coating and spots where the coating missed or got absorbed. Sanding is an option, but if there is a potential solvent that is harmless to the scales, then I'm all for minimizing the required effort.

 

[Lyon Heart]

I use medical gasoline (benzene) to remove all kind of stickers
.....Benzinium medicante

I'll see if I can find it and will give it a try.

As I keep refinishing different razors, I'm gradually accumulating a small box of bottled chemicals that are very specific to rust removal, polishing, oiling, stripping and treating steel, bone, horn, etc...

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

Do not use harsh chemicals on horn, you will just dry the horn and make it more brittle and will not remove CA glue.

Hydrogen Peroxide will remove CA glue, it is how medical CA is removed, but it is not like removing a sticker or tape glue residue.

Use WD40 to remove tape and sticker glue, it is just mineral oil and is actually good for horn.

I don’t think you have CA on the two horn scales, but they need some, to solidify the delamination on the edges at the toe and to fill the bug bites.

They all need sanding and or scraping with a sharp scraper or knife. Sand and scrape over a clean cookie sheet to collect the horn dust, pack the holes with dust and apply a drop of CA. Keep filling until the holes are over filled then sand to shape. If you use dust the repair will be indistinguishable from solid horn. Use black horn dust for black horn and blond for blond horn.

Sanding horn while on a razor is difficult to do around pins, when pinned. Unpinned it is easy and you can get a high gloss easily. Sand inside of the scales if you need more dust.

Are you sure the black scales are horn? They look like plastic or gutta percha, hard rubber. It can be sanded and polished just like horn to a high shine.

 

[Lyon Heart]

Do not use harsh chemicals on horn, you will just dry the horn and make it more brittle and will not remove CA glue.......

Thanks, a lot of good advice here.

As it turns out, the black scales are not horn. They had me fooled given their thickness and stiffness with the extra coating of whatever it is. I'd also assumed they were horn because the inside of the scales looks like it was cut. I tried the acetone on a small spot and it had more of a solvent effect on the scale material then it did on the coating. Overall, no harm done.

I did look around the house for peroxide then asked my neighbour if they had any. They didn't have any but I did receive a round of jokes about changing my hair colour and how that might turn out.

I will pick up some peroxide and give it a try.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

Gutta Percha is what old black telephones were made of. It is pretty tough an will sand and polish to a high shin. Try some steel wool or 600 and 1k sandpaper, polish with any good metal polish.

If it breaks, nothing I have found will glue it. Horn on the other hand glues easily and well, with CA glue and excellent not visible repairs can be made with it and horn dust.

Horn sanded to 1k polishes easily to a high shine with metal polish or a buffer.

Make your repairs on the horn with CA, then toss the whole razor in a zip lock bag with neetsfoot oil to cover the whole razor and let it sit for a few day or a week. It will not hurt the steel and will re hydrate the horn and stop delamination.

Buff with 0000 steel wool and polish with metal polish. You can save the oil for the next pair of horn scales.

 

[Frank Shaves]

I use Mothers to polish horn. Works great!

 

[Vigilante Shaver]

Use Bob Smith industries "Un-Cure".

That is exactly what it is made for.

 

[Lyon Heart]

Hydrogen Peroxide will remove CA glue, it is how medical CA is removed.......

They all need sanding and or scraping w.......

I've been a bit slow in responding, but I did get some peroxide. On the faux tortoise-shell it did dissolve the coating. It dissolves it slowly and given the varying thickness, I rub some spots and dissolved it and scraped/sanded the rest. The blonde horn, I ended up sanding and polishing it and then treating both with Neatsfoot-oil.

Based on your suggestion as well as Frank Shaves' comment about using Mothers. I got a bit braver about how much of a polish I pursue with these scales as well as an old Northfield razor with buffalo horn scales. I have to admit, that a bit of 5K wet/dry paper and then Mothers really gets them looking great.

Thanks.