Brass Beard Comb

[Mike_Morgan]

I have developed a fascination with beard combs recently... Might be the fact that I have a bead... but I digress... I searched hign and low for a solid brass comb, because I like brass patina. My search has led me to several brass plated and brass colored versions, but nothing in solid brass... yet.

Well, I own a darned machine shop, and I decided to have one of my guys program up a comb of my design, based on the best features of others I have purchased that didn't quite fit the bill... and VOILA... He's what I came up with... The Sold Brass Beard Comb... I'm most likely going to mass produce these. They are milled out of 1/8" Half-Hard 360 brass sheet.

I decided to take the first one and do a quick bit of free-hand engraving on it... here are the results.

 

[speeedy6]

That's very nice. Being you designed it, does it perform like you expected ? You do nice scroll design and cutting considering how long you've been at it. I was still cutting scribbles at 6 months.

 

[Big-Un]

I want one!

 

[Eugene Carkoski]

looking good, the comb I mean

 

[Mike_Morgan]

That's very nice. Being you designed it, does it perform like you expected ? You do nice scroll design and cutting considering how long you've been at it. I was still cutting scribbles at 6 months.

The comb works really well, once I figured out how to deburr it, up until that point it could double as a torture device. I ended up putting in in a vibratory polisher with walnut shells for two days, that cleaned it up nicely and it no longer snags.

Thanks for the compliments on the scroll design and cutting, but I see every flaw. As I said, it's a free-hand engraving, no planning, drawing, layout... Just a couple lines with a sharpie to break up the space into fields of scrolls. The leaf cutting was done absolutely unplanned. I just went with the flow... More or less.

While it's true that I've only been doing this a little over 6 months, I have a lot of bench time invested. While most people are working, I'm cutting. When most people only have a few hours a week to dedicate to a hobby, I probably spend 2-3 hours a day studying watching videos, and at least 3-4 hours per day cutting and practicing. I have attacked this!

 

[mitch]

The comb works really well, once I figured out how to deburr it, up until that point it could double as a torture device.

OUCH! i've had a moustache my entire adult life and one of my least favorite little surprises is when a whisker gets snagged in the pop tab of a beer or soda can...

 

[DakotaDocMartin]

I noticed that the teeth are wider on one end and narrower on the other. Is there a good reason for that? I don't have a beard so I'd think I would go with all teeth the same width. Anyway... just curious.

 

[Mike_Morgan]

I noticed that the teeth are wider on one end and narrower on the other. Is there a good reason for that? I don't have a beard so I'd think I would go with all teeth the same width. Anyway... just curious.

It's good to use the wide teeth on the beard, and narrower on the mustache and hair

 

[Jkasal]

Ceramic beads for the tumbler work well for me by way of deburring.


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[Mike_Morgan]

Ceramic beads for the tumbler work well for me by way of deburring.


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I'm actually at the IMTS show in Chicago this week, exploring vibratory polishing setups for my shop, and looking at various media for the same.

I was disappointed that Glendo/GRS didn't have any engraving stuff at their booth. They had some cool sharpening stuff, though.

 

[Jkasal]

I get most of my stuff from Stuller or Rio Grande. ceramic by far has been most effective for me. They even semi polish most metals.


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[Mike_Morgan]

Are the beads small enough to get between the teeth?

 

[DakotaDocMartin]

I've used 600 mesh plastic triangles with water and burnishing compound to deburr followed by a mixture of about 5-6 shapes of mirror finished steel shot and burnishing compound with water to polish gold and silver castings. That might be worth a try.

 

[mdengraver]

A women might use this to make herself more comely! (yes pun intended) A comely hairstyle is flattering; especially when it resembles a nice scroll!

 

[bswezey]

I'd buy one for sure! My husband has a gorgeous full beard and is always brushing it smooth. I'd want to engrave it myself though! Let me know when you get some ready for sale.

 

[Mike_Morgan]

I'd buy one for sure! My husband has a gorgeous full beard and is always brushing it smooth. I'd want to engrave it myself though! Let me know when you get some ready for sale.

That's the plan, to sell them unengraved

 

[Doc Mark]

Just out of curiosity, what are the three holes for? They interfere with some engraving designs.

 

[Mike_Morgan]

Just out of curiosity, what are the three holes for? They interfere with some engraving designs.

Milling them out of sheet, I needed a quick way to hold down the sheet, So I drilled them and held it to a backing plate for cutting. If I do a production run I will use only two holes towards the end. The other option is to waterjet them, or use a vacuum table, neither of which I happen to own. Honestly, I feel the two hole design will work out OK.

 

[DakotaDocMartin]

Standard Plastic Pyramid Media, Blue, Medium Cut

Stainless Steel Shot, Mixed

Super Sunsheen Burnishing Compound

Raytech AV-25SS Vibratory Finisher

 

[Mike_Morgan]

Standard Plastic Pyramid Media, Blue, Medium Cut

Stainless Steel Shot, Mixed

Super Sunsheen Burnishing Compound

Raytech AV-25SS Vibratory Finisher

Thanks for this, but one thing puzzles me... how is any of this stuff going to get between the teeth to polish in there? The surface stuff is pretty fast and easy to do by hand... the machining of the flats between the teeth is where I need to get it knocked down, and that media isn't going to get in there. I't can't be over .05" to fit in there.