Materials for scales, size problems.

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9
I have recently made my first pair of scales and I've been totally bitten by the bug. I've begun looking into different sites and the problem I'm finding is that most of them sell either blocks or sets of precut sheets that are 120 or 125 mm long which is on the insufficient size of it when it comes to scales for straight razors.

Where do you gentlemen go when you need to purchase materials? I've already checked the pinned post on this sub-forum, looked at moonrakerknives and have come across the same problem.

Thanks!
 
I have tested making my own 4mm blanks from blocks of wood using a hand saw, it is doable but using ready made 4mm or even better 1/8 inch blanks is definitely more fun.
 
I have tested making my own 4mm blanks from blocks of wood using a hand saw, it is doable but using ready made 4mm or even better 1/8 inch blanks is definitely more fun.

I suppose that's the route I'll end up going. There's no question of bringing a band saw into my home much as I love all kinds of machinery. However I have been getting the hang of using a ryoba recently, I am trying to restore an antique stand, and I feel confident I could make my own blanks with some precision.

I am only on my first set of scales and I've gone the acrylic route with a coping saw, plenty of time for me to try my hand with wood.

Thank you for the link, by the way. ;)
 
I suppose that's the route I'll end up going. There's no question of bringing a band saw into my home much as I love all kinds of machinery. However I have been getting the hang of using a ryoba recently, I am trying to restore an antique stand, and I feel confident I could make my own blanks with some precision.

I am only on my first set of scales and I've gone the acrylic route with a coping saw, plenty of time for me to try my hand with wood.

Thank you for the link, by the way. ;)
I like the colours available with acrylic...very cheap too
 
I know its probably a bit late now, but i had the same problem sourcing wood blanks, and they can be expensive depending on the type of exotic wood purchased. This year i have pruned the Sycamore tree that overgrows my front garden and with some nice size branch's cut down to around 6 inch's x half inch or less i have got 4 nice peices of sycamore blanks upstairs now drying out, which i will turn into scales, although not an exotic wood, with some nice oil think they may well look the part when finished. I suppose there is loads of free wood lying around all over the place for free. I am going to source some Oak at some point to do the same thing.
Hope this helps
tony
 
So far I've got the grand total of one pair of scales behind me using some old lumps of walnut. It wasn't hard to cut out rectangular sheets with a mitre saw and then cut them roughly to shape with a coping saw before rough-sanding them into the final shape with P80.

Then I think I went up to 240 or so before applying a Tru-Oil finish.

Tip: stick the two scales together with double-sided tape before you start sanding so they'll end up exactly the same shape.
 
I'm currently using Perspex for any scales I need, I have a scroll saw so can accurately cut them out and leaves little sanding, just clean up edges and round them off a little if I want, I use a .5mm liner of contrasting colour, the Perspex is 3mm.
 
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