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First attempt fail
- Thread starter Tetraodon
- Start date
Dave in KY
Shave Newbie
That stinks !!
hey Chad, there was more cracks and doesnt seam savagable to me at least. I do have other,materials to make scales and lesson learned about peening the pins
My sympathies, I know the feeling. Nothing like being a few taps away from perfection only to have it snatched from your hands.
Hardly an expert but I have cracked a few myself. Hammering too hard can be a problem but so too is over-peening so the finished work is too tight. I think having a hole that is a little bigger than your pin will allow for more expansion of the pin without cracking. If done softly enough you get a well peened round finish with minimal swelling of the pin in the hole. If you pay attention to how things look when you remove old pins and scales you often see original work had plenty of swelling of the pin.
If you want to try to fix a broken scale there is one trick to try. Mix talc with some super glue. The paste will allow some working time but dries harder than you can imagine. Do your best to mold the paste into the shape you want, overlapping good material a little. Once dry you can sand and drill a new hole. This works well for white bone but might need a little coloring to match with other material. Never tried it but I imagine you could put some color in the paste. In any case the hardened patch can be painted.
Hardly an expert but I have cracked a few myself. Hammering too hard can be a problem but so too is over-peening so the finished work is too tight. I think having a hole that is a little bigger than your pin will allow for more expansion of the pin without cracking. If done softly enough you get a well peened round finish with minimal swelling of the pin in the hole. If you pay attention to how things look when you remove old pins and scales you often see original work had plenty of swelling of the pin.
If you want to try to fix a broken scale there is one trick to try. Mix talc with some super glue. The paste will allow some working time but dries harder than you can imagine. Do your best to mold the paste into the shape you want, overlapping good material a little. Once dry you can sand and drill a new hole. This works well for white bone but might need a little coloring to match with other material. Never tried it but I imagine you could put some color in the paste. In any case the hardened patch can be painted.
Sorry to hear...I know many of us around here would have liked to have seen it!
Chris pretty much nailed it. Very light taps are also important, and it is easy to get impatient and hit a little harder than is good for the piece. Being too heavy handed can cause the pin to bend, which will keep the razor from centering properly. I've had this experience more than once, and it is a pain to correct. What material are you using for the pins, and what are you using to do the peening? It might be worth it to invest in a 4oz jewelers hammer. You can find them for cheap, and they make it easy to keep your touch light.
the pin came in a pin set from,maggards so its nickel silver. The pin did bend so i was hittimg too hard. The smallest ball peen I have is a 6-8 oz one but I know ive found smaller tack,hammers
I'lll second that!
This is the hammer and block that I use:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0073VBSXC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013UD43Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Jellodancer
Shave Member
I have found the pin will bend if it is too long before peening it. It can be surprising how little of the pin is needs to be above the washer before peening. File down the pin to a mm or two above the washer. That will stop most pins from bending.