- Thread starter
- #21
Zamak handle with stainless head
- Thread starter Andris83
- Start date
There are nylon, rubber or even cork washers which you can use as a locking de stress medium between handle and head.
M
mtcn77
I'm no chemist, but it would be funny if strange galvanisation reaction took place between the foreign materials and the head decomposed even faster than previously thought.
It is the reason why steel ships have zinc electrodes on the hull. They rot instead of the hull. Problem is the zamac is the zinc…
Would be interesting what would happen if you used copper paste on the threads or graphite
M
mtcn77
I have to double check to understand, it is difficult stuff. I hope what you say is funny, though.
Naaaah it would have been funny when I suggested to use sperti which is for hemorrhoids or durex play for you guessed it.
Copper paste and graphite paste are two industrial lubricants which should have conductive properties.
Afaik those zinc electrodes rot away where exposed to air/water not the part where they are soldered to the hull (boatmen out there correct me when wrong). Now the question is going to does the plating go loose quicker or not.
M
mtcn77
I think nickel plating develops boils and go horrid looking, wonder how chrome looks...
I still doubt it cars paint and chrome stays put as long as you do not bang it bend it etc.
Pretty sure an all brass or steel razor will live longer prettier though.
I was thinking about this, too, after making the post.
I'm not sure how quickly the zamac will "rot" when it is exposed to air and/or water, as I haven't encountered this problem. Probably, it would deteriorate enough to affect the fitting of the bolt.
But there are a variety of glues or varnishes like urethane that could be used to coat the inner hole, as well as seal and waterproof the bolt.
If anyone has a discarded cheapo razor they want to experiment with, they could try putting a bolt in the cap. They could also just scratch or cut up the cap or baseplate to expose the zamac, and record their observations of what happens, and how quickly.
Heck, you can get one so cheaply from China, why not smash one for science?
My best guess is a year or so with frequent use, maybe longer if the razor is completely disassembled, dried and lubricated after each use, otherwise all bets are off. Dissimilar metal in contact with zinc. The resulting effect would be that the hole in the top cap would enlarge irregularly, throwing off the blade alignment fairly quickly and requiring hand alignment. This would likely result in increasingly variable shaves, although should be usable quite a while in the sense of holding a blade as you scrape it over your face. An interesting experiment, but considering you can get a plated brass razor head for less than $15, minus the cost of a screw and whatever your time is worth (which might actually turn out to be a negative cost), and the more than distinct possibility of ultimately an increasingly really bad shave, the juice is definitely not worth the squeeze except as an academic exercise.
M
mtcn77
If multi-piece razors aren't robust, they are no different than TTOs imo.
Merkur makes a hollow handle that is very light and I believe it is stainless.
I use a titanium handle with pretty much all my razor heads. The heads themselves are stainless steel, coated brass, and a couple are Zamac. I store the heads separately from the handle when they are not in use.
Metal experts, this shouldn't cause any problems should it? I've been doing this for years and haven't had any problems so far.
Metal experts, this shouldn't cause any problems should it? I've been doing this for years and haven't had any problems so far.
If the question was related to using a Titanium handle, shouldn't cause a problem at all. Titanium itself is fairly corrosion-proof in the context of a razor material, and it won't react with any of the metals mentioned significantly. Titanium "galling" is a thing with very tight tolerances or fine threads and excessive torque, but nothing you'd encounter using a razor. The biggest risk is tightening a handle too tight on a Zamak post, placing undue stress on the plating or solder (both common failure points), but normal use and a gentle touch will give you years of service. I do recommend light lubrication of post threads (of any metal) with food-grade mineral oil, which provides extra protection of wear surfaces and displaces water, but rinsing and drying shaver parts between use should be sufficient for maximum shaver life (generally exceeding a human's by a considerable amount).
Similar threads
