Introduction: Wood Turned Razor With Stone Inlays
In this video tutorial I will show you my process for creating a wood turned razor handle with a stone inlay. This easy lathe project is super fun and the end result makes a beautiful gift or product to sell!
Feel free to watch the YouTube video or read through the individual steps and be sure to Subscribe to my channel for more small wood working and jewellery projects!
Let's begin...
Step 1: Preparing the Wood Blanks
The process begins with opening the razor kit and measuring the brass tube that will form the center of the handle.
The tube here is 75mm so mark and cut the wood blank at 80mm (slightly more than needed to give room for error).
Next mount the blank for drilling. I'm using the lathe here but you can also use a drill press if you have one big enough.
With the hole drilled it's time to apply some CA glue to the brass tube and push it carefully into to wooden blank.
Trim the ends of the blank with a barrel trimmer to ensure they are flush.
Step 2: Shaping the Razor
Mount the blank on a pen mandrel. Go to work with a roughing gouge and start shaping the razor handle.
When the desired shape has been achieved sand the razor handle up to a 600 grit.
With a parting tool, gently mark where the two inlay channels will be cut and create two grooves.
Finish cutting the grooves with a triangular file until they are deep enough to accommodate the stone inlays.
Step 3: Setting the Stone Inlays
With the inlays cut it's time to start setting the stone. Here I am using a medium viscosity CA glue and finely crushed malachite.
Carefully apply a few drops of the CA glue into the groove using a thin cocktail stick. Try and avoid spill over and get as much as you can in the recess.
While the glue is still wet pour some of the dust on. Wait until it is cured and then brush off the excess.
Repeat the process as many times as necessary to ensure the inlay channels are filled completely and there are no nasty gaps.
Clean up the inlay with whatever chisels suit you best., then sand the blank up to a 1200 grit and clean with white spirit.
Step 4: Finishing & Polishing the Razor
Change to using non-stick bushings (I made mine with HDPE) and prepare for CA finishing.
Simply apply a few drops of CA to the blank and rub it in quickly with a paper towel. Spray the blank with Super Glue activator and wait 30-60 seconds before applying another coat.
Repeat until you've built up a nice finish covering the whole blank. Here I used 15 coats of CA.
Take the blank from the mandrel and carefully remove the bushings. This is where non stick bushings are a god send!
Gently clean the ends up with a sharp craft knife.
Wet sand from 240 grit – 12,000 grit to create a smooth, even surface.
Use a little white spirit on a paper towel to apply Tripoli and then move on to Rouge polishing compounds. Rub the compound in and buff until an epic shininess has been achieved!
Step 5: Assemble the Razor and Enjoy a Shave!
Finally assemble the razor in a drill press clamp or fancy pen assembly kit if you have one!
Pop the razor in, admire your handy work and go for a well deserved shave!
Thank you for watching/reading, if you liked this tutorial then give it a thumbs up, share and subscribe to my Youtube channel to see my tutorials as they come out!
You can find me everyday on Instagram and Facebook with my handle @Zebranowoodcraft. If you make any of my projects then feel free to tag me in a finished photo of your work! See you in the next one!
