Just thought I share my method for making straight razor scales. While this isn't necessarily 3d printing, it is 3d carving (the total opposite of 3d printing).
The scales in this post are for a Dubl Duck Special N0.1 blade that I restored some time ago.
First I trace the scales from pictures and scale to size by referencing the blade dimensions. The idea is to keep the geometry as close to the original as possible, but since I'll be using birds eye maple, I will add just a bit more thickness. After tracing, I'll create a 3d model that will be used for programming the 3d tooling paths on a CNC router.
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Once the tooling paths are generated, the CNC router takes over and does the dirty work. For this project, two 3d passes are generated. The first pass is the roughing pass which removes the bulk of the material and prepares the surface for the finishing pass.
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This is after the finishing pass. They are now ready for sanding.
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The Dubl Duck trademark is added with a laser before sealing and coating.
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The next step creates extra work, but it's well worth it. I dip the scales in CA glue for about five minutes, and then they air dry for about an hour. At this point, the CA has penetrated the wood enough to almost turn it into plastic. After some more sanding, natural tung oil is used for surface coating. The tung oil cannot penetrate the CA coating, it only creates a working surface for polishing.
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After some alternating passes of sanding with 5000 grit pads and polishing with Mother's Plastic Polish, this is the end result.
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