50 pairs of scales for $2...

[PTRSAK]

... Well, okay, 50 POTENTIAL pairs of scales.

Was being towed around the weekend markets by "She who must be obeyed" on Sunday morning and picked up these off-cut strips of coloured perspex (acrylic) for $2 the lot.


The colour is a bit off on some of them in this photo, they are Translucent Red, Red, Translucent Orange, Yellow, Translucent Neon Yellow/Green, Dark Green, Blue, White and Black. 1.2m long and 25mm wide. (4 foot and 1 inch in the old money)
At 3mm it is slightly thinner than normal SAK scales, but there is lots of room for experimentation there. I must chase down some of the good glue, the stuff that "merges" the two pieces at the molecular level. Could have endless fun with laminated and then heated and warped and sanded down. Crazy blends and layers.. psychedelic man... (perhaps I should go lay down for a while)

Also got 3 nice little files for $6. Good quality with plenty of life left in them,
A 6" Warding smurf, 8" Mill smurf and a 8" Cant Saw  which is for sharpening Saw blades (funnily enough) but has a handy profile and nice fine teeth in a Mill cut.
Like this..

[PTRSAK]

   smurf files.....   B@stard   

[enki_ck]

That looks like some nice future scales there. Keep us updated on the process.

[Syph007]

Won't acrylic crack when drilled?  I did clear scales with polycarbonate since it can be machined and drilled and wont crack.  I didnt bother trying acrylic for that reason, but maybe if alot of care is taken to work it, its ok?

[PTRSAK]

Won't acrylic crack when drilled?  I did clear scales with polycarbonate since it can be machined and drilled and wont crack.  I didnt bother trying acrylic for that reason, but maybe if alot of care is taken to work it, its ok?

yes, it is not tough like Lexan, you gotta be gentle with the drilling and sawing,(too much feed cracks, too much speed melts) but work right down to 6000 grit and then "flame polish" and you can get a glass smooth finish on it.

[PTRSAK]

This stuff polishes up so glossy, it's hard to focus on.

this is my workbench knife, a much abused Bantam. it wears some of my first attempts at filework with about 4 thorns worth of vine on the back of the blade. Definitely harder than it looks, much more practice needed.

Anyway, the scales were pretty easy to make, I found that warming them up around the holes that snap (don't use that word!) over the pin bushings makes them push over and retain the scales just like factory, but doesn't crack the scale right in two across the hole. (Like the first one)
Also, relocating the T&T slightly to give more meat around the bushing hole helps.

[Frankctz]

Thats good items for $2, I would like to see some neon scales soon...