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Post by PJGH on Dec 29, 2013 5:41:49 GMT -6
Another one ... An E21, this time, cleaned up with Cif and polished with Peek. ... one whole tube of elbow grease later ... ... and with a blade in place, shave ready: I was very pleased with this one. It was in reasonable condition to start with, but has polished up beautifully, especially the handle. Later, I completely stripped this razor down ... There are two screws to remove the head from the handle. Actually, there are four, but you might as well leave the gear housings on the handle bracket. Next, there are four screws underneath the head, all of which came free easily ... Then, a little bracket and a spring dropped out. No drama! I cleaned up the razor further, as best as I could see and then set about re-assembly ... Three hours later, I finally nailed it! More by chance than skill, although I did have all the pieces back in the right place, compared to another model that I had. Getting the bracket in and the spring compressed, then head clamped down requires three hands, but there is not enough space on the razor for three hands. I have nothing but the ultimate respect for the folks who originally assembled these razors. I'm certain that there must be a simple way of doing this; perhaps the folks on the factory line had special tools? Almost certainly. Anyway, it's back together now ...
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Del
Shave Master
Posts: 123
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Post by Del on Jan 2, 2014 20:28:21 GMT -6
Glad you got it back together. I like the Wilkinsons--one of the few adjustable SE's. I've seen people get nervous just by thinking about shaving with it. Drives like a tank, but shaves like a dream.
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Post by drumzalot on Jan 2, 2014 22:02:52 GMT -6
You must be a proud owner of the Wilkinson they are highly coveted razors. It's great to learn, not just about the history of a razor, but also how it mechanically works. The know how that you gain will come in handy all of the time. Good going Paul and a fantastic razor she is!
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RocketMan
Gem Star
RazorAddict
Welcome To The Sharp Side!
Posts: 4,167
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Post by RocketMan on Jan 3, 2014 0:51:28 GMT -6
You are a brave guy! I took an electric lawn mower apart once....didn't go so well. : /
That must have been a pretty interesting project. Sounds like it was a challenge to reassemble. Like you say, an appreciation for those who manufactured such items is worth considering.
These always used to look a little scary to me! Pretty darn good shavers though.
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Post by PJGH on Jan 3, 2014 6:12:42 GMT -6
Cheers fellows!
Yup! It's got four screws underneath and a couple on on the sides, not all need undoing to pull the whole thing apart. How hard can it be? I thought ...
When a spring dropped out and a tiny tab, my heart sank. I got it all cleaned up though - there were clods of old soap gunk which had not succumbed to a long soak.
Figuring out the ingenious spring loading method, setting it back together was a real challenge. These things were assembled, presumably quickly, so it should have been straightforward, but I just didn't find the technique. Perhaps a special tool was used?
Maybe it's so simple I missed it, like when I removed the dash and pulled the heater adjustment rod off my Classic SAAB 900. It's about a foot long with a D shaped recess on an angle joint. I spend a good hour prodding into the dark trying to get that thing back on only to realise that I could have removed the speaker grille on top of the dash and had immediate and convenient access. Doh!
Anyway, it went back together ...
I do agree - it's a beast to drive, but delivers a lovely shave. I can't wait to drop a Feather single edge into some of these old contraptions.
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