I picked up a gold fatboy at the local flea market for $8 yesterday, the catch was it was gummed up and wouldn't move. After disassembly I've got the adjustment dial moving but the shaft of the razor doesn't retract to actually make the adjustments. I'd love to get this thing working as I sold my last fatboy and never actually used it. Has anybody disassembled a fatboy to the point of actually removing the adjustment ring? I believe it's pressed together. It's a 1st qtr 1960. If all goes sideways it's not a huge loss.
Have you seen this site? http://vintagesaws.com/fatboy/fatboy.html I haven't gone any further than that links shows.
Hm, I wish I tried to find a thread to help, but I couldn't get much. However, have you boiled it yet? Let it sit in a pan of boiling water a little bit, it may free up the mechanism a bit. Hope that helps, good luck.
Alternatively, if you don't want to do the full tear down, try using some gojo, hand goop, or whatever brand of waterless hand solvent you have available. Cram it in and let it work, rinse, repeat... it takes a while but it does help.
Boiled it assembled, stripped down as far as I could and boilded again, scrubbing bubbles boil, oiled, wd40 and let sit. The plating is rough so I'm not worrid about damaging the finish. It's a good chance to see what I can put this thing through so if someone has a mint shape that needs work at least they can see at what point damage will incur. That link is perfect Justin thanks so much. Out to the shop we go, I may have this puppy working right just yet.
When you get to the removal of the collet and head, this is where DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER! Comes into mind. I've reduced my fat boy to user grade at best during this stage and still am unable to remove the head. Gonna take some creativity now and hopefully not much more damage. She's nearly glued in there. I would advise anyone with a great condition adjustable to stop before this point. I would take pics but the ones on the link are almost exactly the same as what I'm seeing now, gunk like you wouldn't believe even after 4 boiling cycles. You can NOT sterilize this razor without disassembly.
Ugh... sorry to hear about the problems. I tear all my adjustables apart for that very reason. Boiling really doesn't do the job. It is amazing how much shaving cream and old whisker concrete is in these things. Well maybe not as amazing as it is disturbing. Of course I don't go to the full 100 % tear down because I am worried about damage as well. However, I get them mostly torn apart. I have a pair of super adjustables that did get completely torn apart in order to repair and I can't get them pressed back as tightly as they were to begin with.
The problem I ran into was that I didn't build the wood barrel clamp properly and slightly squished the barrel. Still trying to knock the head out as it's seized in there solid. I'm hoping when I press the bottom knob back in it will re round out the lower end. Very interesting assembly anyhow.
Arrrr, Well, anybody have any fatboy parts laying around? I need a new adjusting ring stop spring, new head (not silo doors) and maybe a barrel. If you have them in silver that would be kind of interesting, I'd like to combine my gold with a silver for some sort of franken fatboy. Otherwise all is lost on this one. On the bay to look for another in meh condition to tear into.
I personally think that the process described on that link is either overcomplicated or I haven't faced that REALLY dirty razor yet, however, first mine was obviously from The Horde of Dirty Ones. I was using just a lot of soft material to cover the blade platform barrel and other parts from the pliers and my own hands backed up with biceps, triceps and a couple of other muscles YMMV eek I think you should just get another one (probably, in even worst condition to lower the investments) and use it as a donor. Speaking of interesting assembly, you should try to disassemble The Toggle
That was America Think back, somewhere in time there was a factory..yes a real live factory in America. And people had jobs and food and everything because of it.....Seriously there was a factory or a room where people sat and assembled these and other models by hand. Someone placed them in the plastic cases, packed them and did all this by hand and by memory. I took a Smith and Wesson armorer school for work on the metal frame guns of the 90's, the 4566 is what we had back then, now the M&P 45 which is much easier to completely tear down. Believe it or not each weapon is still today assembled the same exact way. People sit at a table with a lazy Susan of parts bins and assemble the weapons by hand. Much the same as these razors were most likely assembled back in the day.
The process is actually very simple, he has over explained it to show what could happen with an excessively dirty razor. I had no problem knocking it down most of the way. You can see down the tube in this razor that the soap/whiskers/mystery substance has created a super human glue that rivals cyanoacrylate for bonding things together. I plan on finding another in similar condition and trying again, this will be a razor for myself and so I'm in no hurry. You learn the most from working on the worst. @gman41 - it's actually a very interesting thought, to know that before me it was most likely only one other person 50 years ago that knocked this thing apart that far. I love the assembly of this razor and very much enjoyed taking it apart. I wish it would have gone better but whatever will be will be I guess.
Piece Work I'd bet it was piece work back then. Believe it or not Smith an Wesson is stiill piece work and a salary last I went to class. I guess you won't eat tonight and we'll deduct it out of your pay.
I promise I'll do better tomorrow boss! I was just hungry from dulling that straight razor yesterday and not getting paid!
I just soak mine in CLR and then rinse thoroughly. The only ill effect I've seen is that it seems to remove the bluing from the little ring below the adjuster knob. I can live with that for a clean, functional shaver.
Well she's all back together, a little worse for the wear but it was a learning experience. The adjusting ring spring is toast and thus it has become a -1 to 18 adjustable. I have some spring steel at work maybe I'll toy with making a new spring. I can't believe the amount of crud that I pulled out from inside this razor after I think 4 boiling's. Unreal.
