Thread: Domed washer preservation

Hi guys - im currently working on a fantastic 'Fine India Steel' Wade & Butcher 7/8. Since I took these pictures I have removed the blade from the scales, hand sanded it (preserving the etch) and prepared some new grey horn scales in the same vein as the originals. Since the original scales were broken I essentialy 'cut' the pins down the middle using a small jewelers saw (between the two horn plates at the wedge end and parallel with the tang at the pivot) in order to dissasemble the razor and avoid any damage to the original washers.

I now have four pristine vintage washers - with small lengths of brass pin seemingly fused to each.

What I'm looking for is suggestions on how the get the old pins free from the washers so I can reuse them. I dont want to try and hammer them out, as I can see myself flattening the washer or worse.

Look forward to your responses!

Use a 1/16th bit to drill them out. Use a punch or nail to make a small indentation before you drill, to that the bit will not slip. Once you have drilled past the collars on both sides, work very carefully with a punch and hammer to push out the pin that remains inside.

My idea would be to file them flush to the surface on the back side of the washer, and them push the pins out backwards. Drill a hole in a piece of wood that is the same diameter of the pin head and use the wood as a support while pushing the pin through from the back side.

I might also try heating th pin with a soldering iron to se if heat will help any.

Charlie

The simplest would be to cut the pins inside of the scales with a jewelers saw and a very fine blade. Then do as Spazola suggests. I have used a ball dental burr less than 1/16th of an inch diameter in a Dremel and used the side of it to carefully remove the peened portion of the pin from one side.
Then again use Spazolas idea.

+1 on using a wood block with a hole to push / tap the pins out backwards. This has worked well for me so far.