Halk said:I appreciate you're a noodley God and you have incredible powers.... I've read that and found it a little daunting - how easy was assembly?
Edit : Tam, I'd like to hear anything and everything you have to say about it... how difficult it was, what difference you notice afterwards, if you think there's any potential for damage... anything at all
Mornin' H.
You have to realise that I am no expert with these razors, but I am willing to give most things a go after researching them a little. My first experience of a FB was when I was allowed a few days with Martin's FB out on loan. A few weeks after I was given the opportunity to purchase 2 FB's, was almost given one because it was so dirty, and the plating was pitted.
Anyway No 1 came apart very easily, made a small hard wire clip to unscrew the end cap. Catch the small coil spring as it is still under compression when you remove the cap.
Open the butterfly wings passed the point they normally go. There are small projections which need to clear the bottom plate notches. Then pull straight out. A little pressure needed. (The dirty one took a lot more to shift it.)
Place a cloth over vice jaws sit the razor between the jaws, then use a punch which will slide completely through the barrel till it touches the end piece. A reasonable tap with a small hammer and the end was resting in the cloth.
Using the piece of wood as described, with a cloth under it, you then need a thicker punch which just slides down inside the barrel. I use a piece of hard wood I turned to size. Another reasonable tap and the head piece was caught in the cloth. When this happens you must be careful as the small red spring CAN jump out, if the head parts come apart. Took me over ten mins. to find mine.
After this it is just a case of cleaning/polishing and putting it back together.
I assembled the head pieces, the red spring, the adjusting ring, then pressed the barrel onto the head piece in my vice fitted with aluminium jaw protectors. Open the vice a little more, then press the end piece back onto the end of the barrel. The razor body is now fully assembled.
The only real problem I had was when fitting the butterfly shaft back in, the end which open and closes the wings has a small slot which accepts the similar shaped end of the shaft. Possibly because this razor has so little use the tolerances where still very close. When you slide the shaft in you have to open the wings so as the wing projections slide through the gaps in the bottom plate, while trying to fit the oblong end of the shaft into the hole in the end cap. Persevere and they do fit.
Then fit the coil spring and the end cap and screw tight, a touch of clipper oil and then reset the adjusting ring by pressing in the clip while screwing up tight. Mine went about 2 turns then stopped about half way around the ring. Turn it back just past the stop and left it there. Had my first shave with it this morning, I had used it once just after I got it, feels no different to me.
No doubt it will take me a few shaves to really get used to it, will still alternate with my Slim until I get some shaves under my belt, then I can decide on which to stick with.
The really dirty one did take a bit more persuasion to come apart, and if ever in the future I had another to do I think I would soak it in some sort of release oil before getting stuck in.
Hope this helps you in some way, but if not sure I would leave well alone, as I said I'm always willing to give something a go, and have messed up a few things in my life, but hey-ho!
