How do I "shave" a case?

[gasebah]

Hi guys,

from the experienced builders I always here how they shaved the crownguards or slimmed a case. The question a guy with two left hands like me has: How do you do this? What are tools? di you use professinal milling machines? Or just a dremel or a jeweler's file?

Would love to work a bit on my 6058 Silix case. 

-Alex

 

[Nightwatch]

Hi, from what I read most will use a dremel and jeweler´s file, just because it´s the most commonly available. Pro´s have a drilling machine, but than they also have the know-how to work with it and bring them to another levelalso shortening lugs and redoing that nice thin brushed part between lower caseset and lug. To drill the lugholes You need additional equipment to get them straight and to not overheat the drillbit in the lugholes.

As common mortal and inexperienced user I just had a go at it with the Dremel, only crownguards and polishing. As time goes by (days, not 1 or 2 hours) the results keep getting better. The most amazing part for me is that in the end all scratches get polished away and with several passes the metal gets a deeper shine. Just try all the pieces in Your kit to see what works best, use polishing paste and have several goes at it. You need a small anvil, there are some with rubber around, that worked perfect for me. What does come in handy for the final finish is a 4 or eight sided nail polishing file as it goes from coarse to ultrathin/ smooth.

Before and after

rough&dull vs. shiny

[PeteM]

There are many methods and processes used and from that many tools we all use... it really depends on the extent of the 'shaving' the other terms you use are all different methods that achieve different outcomes... milling for example is better done on a lathe or fixed tool (dremel) etc

But if say your playing with a CG or just 'shaving' you can get away with a good selection of grit paper and/or compounds to achieve what you want.. you can then use that paper say around a pencil or a screwdriver stem or blade etc etc...

There used to be a lot of How To's on here that might be worth searching for more specific info.. plus Youtube has some great info too..

For me I used to watch vids etc and think how can I achieve that with what I have available or can easily or cheaply source (unless you plan on doing much of it then its worth investing..)

 

But even reshaping a case can be done with a few types of buffing wheels and mops and about 4 types of compound...

 

You best off getting an old case and playing with it yourself to see what can be achieved... personally I would recommend you start by practicising removing a scratch on a brushed finish then making a brushed finish a mirror finish etc etc then a deeper scratch and so forth... becaue its no good reshaping anything if you cant achieve the original finish plus it get you used to working with the tools etc

A lot of guys over polish or over brush and with the poorer quality steel that reps use regardless of whether they say '316L like gen' etc they are not anything close to gen quality and so need to be treated differently and with more care.. thats why so many guys bugger up say CG pins.. the steel is too soft or rather far softer than gens are so its much easier to round off a pin head or quickly misshape a pin or CG etc

 

 

[gasebah]

Thanks, guys. I have some crappy old reps in the drawer  and will start there.