Gillette adjustable, blade gap

Hi everyone, I've been playing with the settings on my 82 black beauty and find the blade gap to be very small compared to my RazoRock mission. In fact on 1-3 it doesn't seem like there is enough of a gap there to even get a serviceable shave. 1 seems to put the blade right on the guard and 3 just a smidge more. Is this normal? Also I notice that the gap is not even, it smaller on the right side of the razor and is this way on both sides. I haven't had a shave with it yet but just found this curious.
Setting 1

Setting 3

Setting 5

RR Mission

 

I don't know about your BB, but I know my Fat Boy on 1 or 2 is nearly useless IMHO. I believe the Badger & Blade website has a "ShaveWiki" that has a blade gap comparison chart.

BTW is it me or is the blade really crooked in the "1" pic?

 

That's what I'm talking about with the gap not being even. It's more apparent in the lower settings

 

I have a fatboy that had an uneven exposure. I have a set of feeler gauges, and so took a pair of pliers and bent the safety bar very gently making measurements after each adjustment. I finally got it so it was the same gap all the way across. It now has gaps that are the same on both sides and shaves great.

 

What did you use to bend the safety bar? My Super Adjustable is slightly off on one end, too. I'm thinking the previous owner must have dropped it.

 

Did you do it with the butterflies closed or does it matter?

 

Uneven gaps are an easy fix. All it takes is a butter knife.

Butterknife Fix-
To increase gap-Loosen the doors, just until they start to open. From the top, insert the knife, between the door and the safety bar. . Gently pry, in an outward motion, a little at a time. Check the gaps by tightening the doors. Repeat as needed. If the mechanisms under the razor are touching the safety bar ends, you have opened it up too much.
To decrease gap- Open the doors almost completely. From the underside, insert the knife under the safety bar, and pry, in an outward motion, a little at a time. Check the gaps frequently. Repeat as needed.
This technique is used to adjust all four corners, one corner at a time.

 

Do not use pliers, it's way too easy to gouge and scratch these razors. I have fixed many razors with the Butter knife technique.
The only time I use pliers is with some Gillette #15 razors, with bent teeth. Also, I used special nylon tipped pliers.

 

I should have mentioned that I padded the pliers.

 

Success! Many thanks!

 

Doors open. Small changes. Be sure to pad the pliers if you use pliers. You don't want to scratch the surfaces.

 

I like that technique.

 

I too used the pliers, at first, and padded them. Unfortunately, the teeth of the pliers cut through the padding. A Very little gouge, that I filed down. It also hard to get a decent grip on the safety bars, with pliers. Especially if you need to open the gap up, in any way.
Pliers will work, but it has risks. The butter knife fix has almost no risks, and is very fast to do.

 

All of my Gillette adjustable are spot on from side to side......guess I am fortunate.....no adjustments are needed.

 

Me too.

 

I wonder...

Could this technique used to to open up a Weish or similar TTO to make it more aggressive ?

 

Also,

Another question about checking blade gap with feeler gauges. Do you do it with a blade in the razor ?

 

I don't know about other TTO razors with safety bars. As long as there is sufficient space for the knife to be inserted, it should work.. I've only used it on FatBoys, Slim Adjustables, and Gillette Starbursts.

 

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

Since you're using it as a personal reference, it shouldn't matter. Just make sure that if you measure the first with the blade in, make all measurements with the blade in.