Aristocrat #16 Help please

[Jamies]

Good moring all,
Haven't got any pic's at the moment, but it's one of these for those that are unfamiliar.

Just aquired this from ebay, it came broken:icon_sad:, the handle is rotating/semi detached from the base plate, the TTO knob seized solid, (presumably this is why the handle is loose).

This appears to be a fairly common problem with British Aristocrat's, HD's, #58's, etc, due to the 6 pointed punch used to fix the handle to the baseplate, (strange how the American one piece TTO's use a 360 degree punch instead).

After a few goes in the ultrasonic cleaner & a soak in mineral oil the TTO knob is fine and I can unscrew & remove it & I'm also able to remove the silo doors/centre bar/end cap's assembly (comes out as one piece).

I know how to reassemble & fix the loose handle (suitable punch/modified screwdriver), but here's my problem.

The outside four corners of the silo doors are badly brassed & I mean rhodium gone, any other plating gone and 4 squares of brass showing. Looks like the razor has been stood on it's head in something aggresive. The rest of the razor is perfect/near mint.

I've been to a few jewelers to see about re rhodium plating, but non seem interested. So as far as I can see I've got three options.

1. Strip the rest of the head & send to Dave at Safetyrazors.co.uk to have replated in nickel (anyone know how to strip rhodium? I know Dave's nickel stripping tank doesn't touch Rhodium).

2. Find a suitable donor razor for the door/centre bar/end cap assemble (anyone know what model(s) I should look for that have the same head design as a #16). I'm thinking HD500's & Aristocrat Junior's!

3. Reassemble with the brassed doors & live with it (don't really want to do this, as the rest of it is great).

So I'm looking for help & ideas from anyone.

Should you have any similar spare parts lying around or a #16 that is trashed apart from the head (not much chance of that, I know) let me know & I'd be willing to buy the necessary. Or do you know how to strip rhodium?

Thanks a lot.

 

[Yellow Jim]

How about removing the doors and stripping the plating mechanically, then sending them to Dave for nickel plating? I'm thinking if you sand them with progressively finer wet and dry, get them to a good finish, similar to how people restore straights. Even something like Brasso might be abrasive enough to strip the plating.

 

[antdad]

The Razor Emporium does rhodium re-plating or REVAMP service, I cannot vouch for their work but I made some enquiries about a patchy Aristocrat OC, they seemed confident but I just haven't got round to it.

http://razoremporium.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=198

http://www.razoremporium.com/store/

 

[moodymick]

I have a '16 with a similar problem. The TTO knob is in the 'open doors' position all the time, by rotating the handle the head gets little loose and the doors open.

It's shiny, I love it, but the thought of sending it off where someone might not be able to put it back together means I can live with it.

 

[Jamies]

How about removing the doors and stripping the plating mechanically, then sending them to Dave for nickel plating? I'm thinking if you sand them with progressively finer wet and dry, get them to a good finish, similar to how people restore straights. Even something like Brasso might be abrasive enough to strip the plating.

Thanks for that, I've never looked into straights, so wasn't aware of the wet & dry thing.

I've alrady tried Brasso, Autoglym Paint Renovator (fairly aggressive) & some Menzerna Final Finish (excellent car polish) none of these have removed a thing:icon_sad:

But the "mechanical" idea has got me thinking, what about using a dremel with a polishing wheel & some polishing compound, maybe Autosol or the cutting compound that comes in the Dremel kits.

Has anyone ever used a Dremel on a DE razor with either good or bad results?

 

[FrenchBlade]

I've used a dremel, but if I were you I'd avoid it.
The best idea would be doing a "door transplant", I've done a few on non rhodium razors, and I know for a fact that rocket/superspeed/slims have interchangeable doors.
(I presume the others are the same, just haven't tried yet).
All you need is a "donor razor" with good doors. (and you can sacrifice)

It takes quite a bit if messing around to get them off, and especially back on, but well worth the effort if the rest of the razor is in good shape.

Max

 

[Jamies]

I've used a dremel, but if I were you I'd avoid it.
The best idea would be doing a "door transplant", I've done a few on non rhodium razors, and I know for a fact that rocket/superspeed/slims have interchangeable doors.
(I presume the others are the same, just haven't tried yet).
All you need is a "donor razor" with good doors. (and you can sacrifice)

It takes quite a bit if messing around to get them off, and especially back on, but well worth the effort if the rest of the razor is in good shape.

Max

Thanks for the advice Max, sounds like you're speaking from experience!

Thats an interesting idea, what sort of tools do you use when doing this and how do you end up without bent endcaps/frame?

 

[FrenchBlade]

Thanks for the advice Max, sounds like you're speaking from experience!

Thats an interesting idea, what sort of tools do you use when doing this and how do you end up without bent endcaps/frame?

Yeah, I have a bit of experience, and to be honest it takes a bit of fideling, but can give you a very good result. The endcaps need to be bent slightly outwards, without scratching them, (I've made myself a few bits to do this) and also to bend them back once I've replaced the door.

I'd advice you to try this on a cheap/disposable/crap razor a few times before you try it on the aristo, it's very easy to scratch the finish on the endcaps, baseplate or doors while doing this.

I'm not sure if I have donor doors, I'll have to look in my magic box, if I do, I could do it for you. (if you have donor doors, I'll do it for the price of shipping it back to you)

Max

 

[Jamies]

Thanks for the advice Max, sounds like you're speaking from experience!

Thats an interesting idea, what sort of tools do you use when doing this and how do you end up without bent endcaps/frame?

Yeah, I have a bit of experience, and to be honest it takes a bit of fideling, but can give you a very good result. The endcaps need to be bent slightly outwards, without scratching them, (I've made myself a few bits to do this) and also to bend them back once I've replaced the door.

I'd advice you to try this on a cheap/disposable/crap razor a few times before you try it on the aristo, it's very easy to scratch the finish on the endcaps, baseplate or doors while doing this.

I'm not sure if I have donor doors, I'll have to look in my magic box, if I do, I could do it for you. (if you have donor doors, I'll do it for the price of shipping it back to you)

Max

Max, thanks for that very kind offer, you are a true gent.

However, I may have a fix and also discovered something interesting.
Having spoken with Dave at Safetyrazors.co.uk he tells me that in his experience it's only the handles & TTO's that are rhodium plated on almost all Aristocrat's, the heads/doors are nickel plated.

Apparently the doors etc look really shiney/like rhodium because the underlying metal was polished so well on Aristocrat's, before plating (probably to keep costs down).

So the head is off to Dave and we'll see what happens, worst case is no plating strips and I'll fall back on the donor transplant route.

I would be grateful to see a picture (if you have the time) of the tools you've made, as I do have a few razors that would be candidates for transplants and I'm not to clumsy, so fancy having a go myself.

Thanks again.

 

[Dax]

Hello,
I have almost the exact same problem. Would you mind if I ask how the replating went/is going from SafteyRazors?
Cheers

 

[Jamies]

Hello,
I have almost the exact same problem. Would you mind if I ask how the replating went/is going from SafteyRazors?
Cheers

Hi,
It went perfectly, Dave did a superb job & just as he said the head was not rhodium plated, it was nickel (as it stripped in his tank).

He polished and replated it in bright shiny nickel:icon_razz: and it's even gone back together perfectly.

I cannot recommend Dave's work highly enough, he is a star.