Shave of the Day Thread - 2023

[Razor Burn]

Soap: PAA Gondolier
Brush: Italian Boar
Razor: Smart Helix Apollo
Blade: Dorco Prime (2)
I've had maybe a dozen shaves with this razor now. Fairly early on I had concerns about the threaded post coming out of the top cap. I tried epoxy gluing the threaded post into the top cap knowing that would make Plan B more difficult but Plan B wasn't that attractive. Maybe I got half a dozen shaves with the glued post before a tightening of the handle post blade install dragged the threaded post out of the cap. OK, so initiate Plan B, silver soldering the post into the cap, only problem is the expoxy glue had to be cleaned out of the threads. I knew there was a risk of destroying the cap but what did I have to lose? I had some 50% silver solder on hand so I fluxed it up, set it up,....... then ballsed it up . It could have gone worse....... I used a general flame thinking if I used a pinpoint flame there would be higher risk of warping the top cap if I didn't get even heat distribution, the problem being the solder travelled further than I would have liked.
Good news is I effectively soldered the threaded post in. Bad news....... I had to spend an hour on the dremmel cutting back excess solder so the bottom plate would engage. I achieved cleaning up the top cap and post enough so the bottom plate engages properly and the post accepts a blade, but it's ugly, but thankfully 99% of the ugliness is under the top cap. The top of the cap is burnished and one edge suffered a small amount of flux corrosion which presents as a short black stain. I buffed the top cap which made the top of the cap presentable but the underside is a mess.
I gave the razor a run this morning and there is no loss of functionality, so I'm happy. Yes, warranty options were explored, that's another story.......

I don't know that I love this razor enough to buy another top cap, especially when I've retained full functionality of this one.

sorry to see that I wasn't the only person to see the post come apart as luckly it still screws so useable but won't stay. I thought about using locktite but just left it as it functions and they did send me a replacement under warranty but that was well before 2022. i recall they said they used a special tool to assemble the posts and I eventually moved on the replacemnt head/razor keeping the damaged head that gets occassional use.

 

[Pbgoose]

sorry to see that I wasn't the only person to see the post come apart as luckly it still screws so useable but won't stay. I thought about using locktite but just left it as it functions and they did send me a replacement under warranty but that was well before 2022. i recall they said they used a special tool to assemble the posts and I eventually moved on the replacemnt head/razor keeping the damaged head that gets occassional use.

Hey @Razor Burn , all the best for the new year!
The thread on my post was dodgy (not a clean cut thread from new I'd guess) so I knew I'd have to do something. Thought about loctite but thought I'd give a two part epoxy designed for metal a go. I'm wondering whether loctite would've been better. Anyway......I don't think the solder will let go

 

[alfredus]

That's it for 2023 - many thanks for all your contributions!

2024 shaves go here