What's on your work bench right now?

[StoleYourTV]

First Post Here, it's about time I joined this forum. My experience is mostly from working with chef knives.

Currently working on 2 straight razors. A Wade & Butcher 5/8 square tip half hollow and a Rodgers & Sons (havent measure yet) barber notched wedge.

Im not quit sure if I should make a custom handle for the Rodgers, I can try my hand at sanding, oiling, adding a resin. I'll repin for sure and give a mirror polish. Slight pitting and rust, overall in good condition to work with. There's a slight crack/scratch? near the pin, dont know if this calls for making a new set of scales.

Wade & Butcher is a B**** and a half. I'll give it a mirror polish. Scales were flimsy and scratched. Very badly pinned at the pivot point. Will be making a sanded, burnt cherry wood handle. Hardest part will be sanding the hollow and fixing the frown since it's my first project.

Any questions on process or criticism/suggestions on what should, could be done are extremely welcome.


Rodgers & Sons
Wade & Butcher

 

[Njguy1977]

I recently bought this one because I always wanted to try a frame back. Hope it cleans up and holds and edge. I have a question about honing this one tho, do I tape the edge or do I go without tape? Any help is appreciated.

Larry

 

[LJS]

I have a question about honing this one tho, do I tape the edge or do I go without tape? Any help is appreciated.

Did you mean to ask if you should tape the spine? Answer to that is generally yes with framebacks as the spine tends to be softer material and will hone away. Good luck

 

[Frank Shaves]

Welcome, @StoleYourTV.

In terms of cleaning up the blades, you want to remove all active rust and, based on my experience, you need to remove metal until there is no red rust. After this it's more a matter of aesthetics in terms of how much pitting you want to remain. Wet/dry sandpaper followed by steel wool and then polish like a Mothers or Flitz works well. And because blades are ground perpendicular to the edge, you want to sand in the same direction.

Good luck, ask questions, and we love pics of finished work .

 

[Njguy1977]

Did you mean to ask if you should tape the spine? Answer to that is generally yes with framebacks as the spine tends to be softer material and will hone away. Good luck

Thats what I thought as I was looking it over. I have no problem with taping, just wanted to know if I should or not. Appreciate all the help. This is my 2nd sweedish razor in my collection, hope it wont take too long to hone.

Larry

 

[StoleYourTV]

Welcome, @StoleYourTV.

In terms of cleaning up the blades, you want to remove all active rust and, based on my experience, you need to remove metal until there is no red rust. After this it's more a matter of aesthetics in terms of how much pitting you want to remain. Wet/dry sandpaper followed by steel wool and then polish like a Mothers or Flitz works well. And because blades are ground perpendicular to the edge, you want to sand in the same direction.

Good luck, ask questions, and we love pics of finished work .

Definitely will post before and after. Currently working with 120 using windex or wd 40 as lubricant for wet/dry. Used Barkeeper's friend and cork to rub off rust. After I get rid of a good amount of pitting, I'll just need to progress (220, 400, 600 800, 1k, 1.5k 2k 3k 5k 7k ).

The biggest challenge, however, will be making a smile on the edge profile of the W&B. I'll be using a 1k stone for that and tape on the spine.

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[Frank Shaves]

The biggest challenge, however, will be making a smile on the edge profile of the W&B. I'll be using a 1k stone for that and tape on the spine.

If you have never honed an edge with a smile before, go easy on any rocking motion (rolling x-strokes), and frequently check your work with a loupe. To paraphrase Brylcreem, a little rocking will do you. Depending on the amount of smile, you may be able to finesse the toe and heel by just applying pressure with the finger(s) of your non-dominant hand. This is worth watching:

Honing A Smiling Straight Razor Blade - YouTube

 

[Frank Shaves]

I want to separate the scales from the Dorko 43 so I can use the not broken scale to trace the new scales, but the two scales are glued to the the wedge. Any ideas? Hacksaw (seems kind of crude and I would clearly destroy the wedge)?

I am guessing the glue is not water soluble, but I will still try soaking in water.

 

[StoleYourTV]

If you have never honed an edge with a smile before, go easy on any rocking motion (rolling x-strokes), and frequently check your work with a loupe. To paraphrase Brylcreem, a little rocking will do you. Depending on the amount of smile, you may be able to finesse the toe and heel by just applying pressure with the finger(s) of your non-dominant hand. This is worth watching:

Honing A Smiling Straight Razor Blade - YouTube

Smiles are not a bad thing, correct? The frown's biggest challenge for me will be reestablishing the edge profile evenly but since it isnt a wedge it might just seem more daunting than it really is due to my background with knives, not hollow ground, thin edges.

So the video is very helpful, shifting pressure along the stroke. I thought honing was to be done with edge trailing strokes, though, not edge leading.


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[2bit_collie]

I recently bought this one because I always wanted to try a frame back. Hope it cleans up and holds and edge. I have a question about honing this one tho, do I tape the edge or do I go without tape? Any help is appreciated.

Larry

View attachment 1281784View attachment 1281785View attachment 1281786

Good luck! If that is the one I am thinking of, I took a hard look at it thinking the same thing “hey, I don’t have a frameback yet…”

 

[Frank Shaves]

Get carpet tape from your local hardware store

I got the carpet tape and got to work making my first set of scales - replacements for the Dorko 43 scales that I accidentally cracked.

I went with 1/8 inch thick white and black acrylic with the black for the wedge. I used a coping saw to cut the basic shape. Took a few minutes to get the hang of the saw, but the hand saw works pretty well. Then I used 100 grit wet/dry sandpaper to shape the scales by hand, followed by 220, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000 to smooth them. Sanding by hand is a lot of work and took many hours. Not sure I want to do this too many more times. What surprised me was how the scales took shape - not as difficult as I expected.

Here are the original scales next to new. I decided to duplicate the original shape but to go with a FBU style end. The new scales look shorter then the originals in the photo but in reality the new scales are only about 1/32 inch shorter. The original scales were a tad too long in my opinion.

Here are the new scales by themselves. I am still debating whether to make the end a bit straighter.

I still need to drill the holes and remove 1/32 inch in thickness to match the thickness of the originals.

After putting this much effort into make the new scales, I just couldn't bring myself to drill the holes by hand, so I took my first trip to Harbor Freight, and bought a small drill press and belt sander - the same sander that Brad Maggard uses in the Straight Razor Restoration video series. And my right hand is already thanking me!

 

[Doc226]

I got the carpet tape and got to work making my first set of scales - replacements for the Dorko 43 scales that I accidentally cracked.

I went with 1/8 inch thick white and black acrylic with the black for the wedge. I used a coping saw to cut the basic shape. Took a few minutes to get the hang of the saw, but the hand saw works pretty well. Then I used 100 grit wet/dry sandpaper to shape the scales by hand, followed by 220, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000 to smooth them. Sanding by hand is a lot of work and took many hours. Not sure I want to do this too many more times. What surprised me was how the scales took shape - not as difficult as I expected.

Here are the original scales next to new. I decided to duplicate the original shape but to go with a FBU style end. The new scales look shorter then the originals in the photo but in reality the new scales are only about 1/32 inch shorter. The original scales were a tad too long in my opinion.

View attachment 1284718

Here are the new scales by themselves. I am still debating whether to make the end a bit straighter.

View attachment 1284719

I still need to drill the holes and remove 1/32 inch in thickness to match the thickness of the originals.

After putting this much effort into make the new scales, I just couldn't bring myself to drill the holes by hand, so I took my first trip to Harbor Freight, and bought a small drill press and belt sander - the same sander that Brad Maggard uses in the Straight Razor Restoration video series. And my right hand is already thanking me!

View attachment 1284722

Nicely done.

Next time shape the contour of the scales and get it where you want it, drill the holes while the scales are still flat, then shape the roundness of the scales.


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[Frank Shaves]

Next time shape the contour of the scales and get it where you want it, drill the holes while the scales are still flat, then shape the roundness of the scales.

Yeah, I realized that when I went back and re-watched Brad's video. The good news is that the hand shaping took so long that I only rounded the edges, and the tops of the scales are still flat.

 

[Doc226]

Yeah, I realized that when I went back and re-watched Brad's video. The good news is that the hand shaping took so long that I only rounded the edges, and the tops of the scales are still flat.

You can lift the inlay off the old scales if you like. Soak the scale in acetone and it will lift right off


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[Frank Shaves]

You can lift the inlay off the old scales if you like. Soak the scale in acetone and it will lift right off

What is the best way to fasten the inlay to the new scales?

 

[Doc226]

What is the best way to fasten the inlay to the new scales?

Crazy glue.


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[CongaJon]

The Kayser Ellison steel, unknown maker with dog logo razor. Pinned and set the bevel tonight. Dead opposite from the last one! 75 half strokes per side and app. 50 X strokes and time to move on.

 

[trentr]

Put some 3d printed scales on a plain jane Gold Monkey just for the heck of it. I use this one as a shaver and am NOT a fan of the scales. Different scales make a world of difference to me. Anyway, the holes in the scales were a bit larger than the hole in the shank. I thought "perhaps the shank is not as hard as the blade and I can drill it out". Well I did not go as far as to find a carbide drill that small, but HSS was not gonna do it. So apparently it is pretty hard LOL.

This Gold Monkey originally had a "method edge" on it, courtesy of crescent city razors . I have touched it up a time or 2 on my stones. It is a mighty fine shaver as far as I can tell.

No that is not my work bench. That is actually my office desk lol And the black on the end of the scales is graphite

. Too dirty here to try to clean anything. Do that when I get home.

 

[2bit_collie]

The Kayser Ellison steel, unknown maker with dog logo razor. Pinned and set the bevel tonight. Dead opposite from the last one! 75 half strokes per side and app. 50 X strokes and time to move on.

View attachment 1286387

View attachment 1286388

View attachment 1286389

Nice scales! What wood is that?

 

[CongaJon]

Nice scales! What wood is that?

Pretty sure it's Mahogany, with CA finish.