My Wade n' Butcher has a giant pivot hole?!

[Hobbies_n_Travels]

I need to re-scale my Wade and Butcher but I noticed the hole for the pivot pin is huge. Maybe twice the size or more of a typical pivot pin. I forgot how this razor originally had been setup to work before I disassembled it a long time ago. Any recommendations on how I can re-scale it?

 

[ShawnF]

Do you have a drill press? You could drill a normal 1/16 hole in the end of a piece of 1/8 or so brass rod, chuck that piece in your drill press and use it as a lathe with a file and emery paper to turn down your diameter to fit the hole for a bushing.

Another option if you don't have a drill press or not confident hitting the center of the rod would be to get a 1/16 bolt or machine screw, or worst case sacrifice a piece of pin stock by peening one end.
Stack a few of those scale washers onto the pin and chuck that in a normal drill held in a vise or something to do your "turning". You could then use those washers as your bushing.

 

[Hobbies_n_Travels]

Do you have a drill press? You could drill a normal 1/16 hole in the end of a piece of 1/8 or so brass rod, chuck that piece in your drill press and use it as a lathe with a file and emery paper to turn down your diameter to fit the hole for a bushing.

Another option if you don't have a drill press or not confident hitting the center of the rod would be to get a 1/16 bolt or machine screw, or worst case sacrifice a piece of pin stock by peening one end.
Stack a few of those scale washers onto the pin and chuck that in a normal drill held in a vise or something to do your "turning". You could then use those washers as your bushing.

Thanks @ShawnF
Those are both great ideas. Unfortunately the hole is more oblong than a perfect circle but I think the direction of making a bushing is the right way to go. I'll have to brainstorm and/or experiment on how to do that exactly. I don't have a drill press or a lathe but I can throw a drill in a vice and hope for the best. Worse comes to worse I can rent some time at a local makerspace.

I might heat up some brass and mash it in there to fill the space before drilling a new hole. Do you think that would work?

Would you happen to know anyone that would weld in new steel and drill a hole for a fee?

Thanks!

 

[ShawnF]

The problem with welding is the heat traveling. You can ruin your temper that way in a hurry. Not much steel there to dissipate it before it gets to the blade.

As far as brass, you probably wouldn't even need to heat it for something that small. Cut it a bit longer than the tang thickness and hammer it down onto some sort of anvil. Your vise or whatever, just something solid. The existing steel should force it into the gap. Copper would work also.

 

[CBLindsay]

The problem with welding is the heat traveling. You can ruin your temper that way in a hurry. Not much steel there to dissipate it before it gets to the blade.

As far as brass, you probably wouldn't even need to heat it for something that small. Cut it a bit longer than the tang thickness and hammer it down onto some sort of anvil. Your vise or whatever, just something solid. The existing steel should force it into the gap. Copper would work also.

I have had great success using the heat blocking paste when I heat the tail end of the tang to put custombends into it. I forget whether the tube I have is "Thermo-trap" or "bloc-it" but I am sure there are several good options. I have heated the tail red hot with a generous amount of heat blocking paste applied and for good measure I ice the blade before and after.

I think a lot of old Wade and Butcher razors (especially those WONDERFUL moster sized blades) have the oversized oblong hole in the tang, makes me wonder whether it is wear or done on purpose. The last one I rescaled I used a piece of copper tubing from the hobby store as a bushing. Get it as close to the size needed to fill the hole, cut it a bit longer than the thickness of the tang, slip it in then flare the ends using one of those cheap little screwdrivers (like eyeglass screwdrivers). The light flaring holds the tube in place thne if you want you can sand the excess OR finish flatteing it against the tang. Use little brass washers between the tang and scales and pin as usual.

 

[ShawnF]

I think a lot of old Wade and Butcher razors (especially those WONDERFUL moster sized blades) have the oversized oblong hole in the tang, makes me wonder whether it is wear or done on purpose.

I have seen it a bit also. I would say it is a manufacturing thing for whatever reason.
I have seen things wear through steel (even AR armor plate) that you would never think could ever, but that was under a lot more use than you would ever get from the occasional folding and unfolding of a razor.
Possible, but I would place my bet on manufacturing.

 

[Rudolph]

Oops, wrong thread.

 

[Fenster]

Just saw this.

Possible, but I would place my bet on manufacturing.

Me too. I have an old Aston and Jackson (1862'ish) with an oblong, oversized hole. The blade is in too good of shape to have that much wear and tear on it to get a worn out pivot hole. I believe some of them were just made that way.

I found a brass bushing at work that was almost the right size and only had to drill the tang hole a tiny bit to get the bushing to fit in.

@Hobbies_n_Travels , Give me a couple days and I might be able to find a picture of what mine looks like, and I might even have a bushing I could send you to try. If I remember correctly, I had a couple different sizes bushings. I will look through my stuff as soon as I get a chance.

 

[Hobbies_n_Travels]

I have had great success using the heat blocking paste when I heat the tail end of the tang to put custombends into it. I forget whether the tube I have is "Thermo-trap" or "bloc-it" but I am sure there are several good options. I have heated the tail red hot with a generous amount of heat blocking paste applied and for good measure I ice the blade before and after.

I think a lot of old Wade and Butcher razors (especially those WONDERFUL moster sized blades) have the oversized oblong hole in the tang, makes me wonder whether it is wear or done on purpose. The last one I rescaled I used a piece of copper tubing from the hobby store as a bushing. Get it as close to the size needed to fill the hole, cut it a bit longer than the thickness of the tang, slip it in then flare the ends using one of those cheap little screwdrivers (like eyeglass screwdrivers). The light flaring holds the tube in place thne if you want you can sand the excess OR finish flatteing it against the tang. Use little brass washers between the tang and scales and pin as usual.

Heat blocking paste you say? Didn't even know that was a thing but makes total sense. Glad to know it exists.

 

[Jaro1069]

I wasn't gonna comment but decided to anyway.... I have seen others "fix" the pivot hole by filling them in with either epoxy or even JB Weld and then redrilling the size they need through the filled in place and then just scaling and peening like normal.... So there's also that to think of , I guess...

 

[Hobbies_n_Travels]

I wasn't gonna comment but decided to anyway.... I have seen others "fix" the pivot hole by filling them in with either epoxy or even JB Weld and then redrilling the size they need through the filled in place and then just scaling and peening like normal.... So there's also that to think of , I guess...

Now why didn't I think of that?!

 

[Jaro1069]

Now why didn't I think of that?!

Because its so simple that most don't think of it or don't like it... There are several youtube vids where they show doing it and it seems to work fine for them... I mean I just wanted to mention the ideas because it does not require a lot of "specialized tools " or know how. If you did the jb weld make sure after you "pack it in" to trim off the excess thats sticking up off while its still "wet" as its easier to do than waiting until after its hardened and makes it where you dont have to do as much sanding to get it smooth.....Also with the JB weld you don't have to worry about getting your razor too hot and messing up the hardness... I wish you the best of luck with however you decide to "fix" yours...