Finish Experiments: CA Part II

After last night's notable failure I looked for more information on doing CA finishes. I've seen some pretty spectacular examples, and while I can cross "easy" off the list of adjectives I still want to see that elusive wet-wood glimmer this finish purportedly offers. Thanks to some of the great folks at The Straight Razor Place I've got a new procedure to try:

1. Prepare surface to 2000 grit
2. Apply a very thin layer of CA
3. Dry 1 hour
4. Repeat 3x
5. Sand with 400 grit to an even layer
6. Repeat from Step 2 x2

With this procedure in mind I've prepared a walnut blank and put down the first layer of CA- I'm typing this while it dries. I'll update this post as the experiment goes on. (More in an hour or two!)

Finish Experiments: CA

As I’ve continued to learn how much little things can make a difference in razor scaling, I’ve noticed a wide variety of finishing techniques used by restorers and hobbyists. Most of these are promoted by someone or other as a near-miraculous, easy way to get that perfect finish on your scale…

…I set out to find out which, if any, this is true of. Tonight I wanted to put to the test the CA, cyanoacrylate, finish which is often touted as being simple, foolproof, and durable. In order to test this finish I prepared a quartersawn oak blank with four sections: One fresh from the jointer, and one each sanded to 150, 400, and 1000 grit. (Right to left, below.)

Once the surface was sanded it was tacked clean and the tape removed. I set up my finishing station with a nitrile glove, superglue, and my blank and rubbed enough superglue to saturate the pores of the wood into the blank.

I left the blank to dry, being careful not to force air onto it or allow moisture to contact the surface, as this would cloud the cyanoacrylate. When it had dried, however, I found a disturbingly ‘wooly’ surface waiting for me:

These fleecy-looking glue bits were anything but soft, however. With the understanding that this could be made a beautiful, smooth surface I attacked it with 800 grit sandpaper, my usual go-to for beginning the final finish on wood. The sandpaper was far more quickly abraded than the CA, and after 30 minutes I had a pile of 800-2000 grit sandpaper and very sore fingers… and this:

You can see a clear(er) spot on the far right, with the 1000-grit surface prep, but the whole thing is consistently messy. At this point in time my verdict is that if you own a buffer, this might (might) save time, although the glue is nasty to work with. If you only have hand tools, however, you will be far better served with a simple urethane or oil finish.

What baffles me is that this is nothing like the scales I’ve seen with a CA finish, which leads me to believe that I’ve either done something horribly wrong or that a buffer and fine polishing compounds are necessary to this process. I’ll happily take any suggestions!

For tonight, though, I’ll be using an oil finish. J

FOR SALE: W&B 9/16ths in Cherry

SOLD!

This is a lovely Wade & Butcher wedge, 9/16ths. Blade has been polished to a high mirror, though signs of age still exist- some small pits and stains. All are polished highly, though, and it is an attractive razor. Some original tooling marks remain, which I find pleasing.

Scales are made after the originals in American Cherry. They have been hand filed to precise standards, and the surface is even to both the eye and touch. Finished with 4 coats of polyurethane and hand-rubbed, the silk-smooth gloss finish will stand up to daily use, but look good in a large rotation display. My proprietary finishing process is tough and durable, but offers unparalleled clarity and depth. This wood is beautiful, and every angle capture different cross-grain; pictures cannot do justice.

Walnut wedge, brass pins and stacked stainless/brass washers.

This razor is NOT shave ready, but will come oiled and backed by my lifetime warranty: These scales will not loosen, crack, or warp under normal use: The finish will not separate and peel. If it should, provided no abuse was done, I will repair the problem for the cost of shipping. (I will, of course, repair accidents at a very fair price.)

Razor will ship 1st Class Insured CONUS, included in price. International prices can be quoted if requested. Comes with an itemized invoice. If dissatisfied a full refund will be offered upon receipt of razor in original condition. Email if interested, or with questions.

Thanks, Benjamin

For Sale: Scale Blanks

In response to a query about sourcing for affordable scales on SRP, I began looking for a way I could fill a hole in the market: Blanks for making scales. Without a fair number of power tools it is very difficult to produce quality blanks- but as an employee in the family cabinet shop, I have access to these tools. I hereby have done my part do distribute the means of production to the people, and provide:

DIY Razor Scales

All blanks are provided with two parallel faces; most (unless prevented by grain of the wood) have one face planed. All are 1/8 in thickness, unless otherwise noted; widths vary.

Quarter-Sawn Red Oak


Nicely figured quartered oak. 1 7/16ths wide.
Size Price
7"... ...$8ea
7" x 3/16ths... SOLD OUT
6"... ...$7ea

American Cherry

Fine traditional fruitwood. Some mottling, flashing of grain. As above. 1 3/4" Wide.
Size Price

6"... ... $7ea
7"... ... $18ea

Walnut

Dark, rich nutwood. With varying degrees of figured grain. 1 3/4" wide.

Size Price
7"... ...$8ea
6"... ...$7ea




ALL of these could make two or more basic (think Torrey, Engstrom) scales; the cherry and walnut can make two fairly large freehand scales. (Pictures in a post soon)

I will include 1 piece of material of matching or contrasting wood (random unless requested) for making a wedge. This will be a generous slice, and should be enough to make an extra in case you mess the first up. (Easy to do!) I will include up to 1 of these pieces per blank purchased, by request, at no additional charge. More than that will incur a small cutting fee.

FOR $5 more I will include 2" of 1/16 solid brass rod, already annealed, 4 washers (stainless or brass).

PDF Brochure with instructions for making scales coming soon! Until then, I will be happy to answer any and all questions by email or blog. In the coming days I will also be making an online walkthrough of how I make a set of custom or traced scales.

CONUS Shipping: $3
INT'L : TBA
Questions or Orders may be sent to : benjamin.kratchmer@gmail.com

Starting Out

Hello all!

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Benjamin. I'm a happily geeky college student who is studying religion, with minors in biology and music. (Dicking around on Facebook is not yet an academic pursuit. Perhaps for my children.)

In the last five months I have taken great interest, and later delight, in the 'lost' art of straight razor shaving- and have discovered that it is not so lost as I had thought. I've grown to love collecting and using these pieces of the past, and the delightful community at The Straight Razor Place ( www.straightrazorplace.com ) has been a tremendous help.

This blog, in coming days, will chronicle my support for straight shaving and -most significantly- the work and learning I will be doing as I restore forgotten relics.

I look forward to sharing with you, and hope we can learn a little from each the other.

-Benjamin