ROMO scale project- finished

Next candidate for a new pair of shoes...
Rosenbaum & Mogal
ROMO 30
13/16” Solingen with a deep engraving on the blade face. Pretty nice spike pt to watch out for, but just a good blade to work with.

Scales were warped so I removed them and took off the active rust. But that was a while ago and it got pigeonholed away.

Last night I took it back out and gave it the 0000 Steel wool & Flitz treatment. Lost the gold on the face, but I can bring that back.

Here we go...

Used a set of old scales for the top and bottom curves and picked out this wood for the grain pattern. Not a very dense wood so will probably go with a super glue finish.

Cut some shapes and placed over the template.

Something like that should work. Then I use some Reynolds wrap (3 pieces just in case of a hole ) and stuck the wood in there with double sided tape so it doesn’t float.

I was just about to add some carbon black powder in the resin when I remembered I wanted to try something different... go a little more transparent.

Traded the powder for some food coloring and here is what it looks like now.

Interested to see how this mold turns out. See you in a few days.
Enjoy your projects.
Tom

 

Had a feeling this wood could be a problem as it definitely wants to float- and the tape didn’t adhere well to it. Had to turn to some high intensity engineering ...

 

While I’m waiting, started messing around with a razor storage idea.

The thought is a turntable of sorts. A block of wood meant for turning on a lathe... but I have no lathe, so thought this could be interesting.



Added those tiny rare earth magnets to the center piece.


I know it’s not the prettiest but just wanted to try a little proof of concept.


Different sizes just to see how the diameter of the base and height of the center work. Learned a little.

Need to play around a little more.
Keep having fun.
Tom

 

very cool so far.. watching along..

 

Thanks Gary. Funny thing is my wife said I should have stuck with black. She’s “reserving judgment”... tough crowd.

 

Had some daylight to work with so got the dremel out and cut up the mold. Cutting disc and a 60 grit sanding drum later and the shape is starting to emerge...

Once I decide which side is the external side, I can thin them up and allow the wood to show. The transparency is what I was looking for, but we’ll see if I screw that up with sanding.

Having some fun with this one.
Tom

 

Nothing like sanding outside in the snow .
I like using the dremel with a 60 grit sanding drum to speed up the thinning process and to create the shape.

One thing to constantly remind myself is to stop early... the sanding drum will create a wavy surface almost regardless of how light I go at the end. Stopping early let’s me enjoy my 180 grit hand sanding even that much longer but I think it gives a more even final surface.

The wood is starting to show the design I was hoping for.

And the other side since they are taped together for this whole process.

Plan is to take to 400 and see what I got. Then apply a super glue finish. Interested to see just what I have to do to maintain the transparency.
Enjoy your projects.
Tom.

 

very cool ..

 

Thank you Gary.
400 grit in the books...

Now let’s start sniffing some glue!!!
The green really takes on a neat shade depending on the light.

 

Did a round of super glue yesterday... 5 coatings of thin super glue followed by 600 & 1000 grit sanding. Had so much fun, decided to do it again!
Here it is after the first application of the 2nd round.

The wood is starting to pop. And I’m liking keeping the inside with a slight haze so it’s not completely transparent. Still undecided.

 

looks awesome..glad you went the way you did..has character..

 

Thank you- I appreciate that very much.
Well, I think the scales are complete.
2nd round of applications and sanding, 600/1000/1500, then a rub with Turtle Wax rubbing compound, followed up with some Flitz.

The wood grain really popped and the CA finish brought some more depth to the green.

Now to the wedge. I’m trying something different and I’m giving it a 30/70 chance that it will work.
Have fun!
Tom

 

looks very cool.great job sir..if i had access to a small lathe i would make my own handle for my brit tech razor..personalized one off razors are cool..

 

I agree- I love the personalization opportunities of this hobby. That would be a cool project.

 

you do nice work sir, will be following along to see the final reveal..

 

So the wedge...
Was trying something a little different for me. When I was making these previous scales I had some extra resin, so I poured a small square, but it was so thin I wasn’t sure how to use it.

So I decided to try gluing brass on each side after thinning the resin square into a wedge. That was soooo thin I figured it would crack or deform.
But after a week of not touching it and keeping my fingers crossed, I think it worked. Mocked up the scales and rough shaped with a dremel sanding drum, being careful not to hit the scales.
Here it is formed, pinned into the scales and trying to bring it closer to the shape. I have 400 & 800 grit sandpaper on my socket so I can go back and forth.

It won’t be perfectly flush, but I shifted to 1500 without the socket so I can blend it all in and not risk the scales too much.

It is starting to show the metallic flake.
Almost there.
Tom.

 

Finished... I really like how the color shifts with the lighting.

Then in the light...

Blade is alright, but for me, this was about the scales.

And

And the wedge, while a complete PITA, turned out not horrible.

Thanks for hanging around and enjoy your projects.
Tom

 

Nicely done.

 

looks good.