Accu-Burr Burnisher

[northan]

I'm getting into scrapers and have used a screwdriver shaft in the past to burnish the flat edge. Although this method is okay, it requires a bit of understanding of what you're doing, etc, so results will vary. Has anyone had experience with the Accu-Burr? Is it possible to get consistently good results, with little thinking about what is happening to the edge?
Many thanks

 

[D_W]

if you need a better burnisher than a screwdriver, get a piece of decent high hardness HSS rod, high carbon polished steel drill rod that's accurately hardened or carbide.

If you are having issues with getting a good burr on a card scraper, bevel the top and bottom 20 degrees, hone it freehand at 10 and then polish it and roll a burr. Specialty high priced tools for things like this will rob you of solving whatever the actual problem is and potentially not fix anything at the same time. The only virtue they have is sort of on you as the buyer - if you bury $70 in something that does the job of something that's $10, you'll spend more time trying to figure it out because you feel obligated.

I've used the hock burnishing rod for a very long time, it's just simple O1 steel, but accurately hardened. I would make my own at this point as it's about $2 worth of O1 steel and I could make my own, but haven't needed to.

the real key in getting a good burr is making the prep before rolling easier so that the prep itself results in a clean edge with no issues, and a clean burnisher that has an accurate polish. It's effortless after that.

 

[D_W]

I'm getting into scrapers and have used a screwdriver shaft in the past to burnish the flat edge. Although this method is okay, it requires a bit of understanding of what you're doing, etc, so results will vary. Has anyone had experience with the Accu-Burr? Is it possible to get consistently good results, with little thinking about what is happening to the edge?
Many thanks

(by the way, what I'm getting to is that results shouldn't vary - they'll only vary based on scraper hardness or perhaps if the wood being scraped isn't very good for scraping).

 

[Cozzer]

I splashed out on an Arno Carbide job some years ago. Can't fault it.

 

[kinverkid]

I splashed out on an Arno Carbide job some years ago. Can't fault it.

I was given mine probably fifteen years or more ago. It's still going strong though I already had a carbon steel rod burnisher which I find it easier to use it on curved or custom one-off scrapers but could easily get on with one or the other if I needed to.


Edit: Blimey! Just seen the price of the Arno Accu-Burr. £36 smackers.

 

[gold_bantam]

I have also been thinking about whether the Accu burr would be a good tool to get. I currently use the back of a gouge to burnish and it seems to work pretty well for me. What's the issue with the screwdriver? Presumably we still have to estimate angles and pressure with an accu burr?

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

I tried the Arno burnisher several years ago. I had better burrs from proper prepping and using a highly polished piece of carbide. Results are the due to not short circuiting any steps and said steps do not take a whole lot of time.

Whatever burnisher is used, has to be harder than the scraper tool.

One burnisher that looks interesting (but not interesting enough to buy) is a new carbide burnisher that TayTools introduced. It has "v's" ground into the carbide to form the burrs. There is a YouTube video up demonstrating it. I couldn't tell from the video, if the shavings were a direct result of the carbide or if the "v's" actually helped.

 

[D_W]

I have also been thinking about whether the Accu burr would be a good tool to get. I currently use the back of a gouge to burnish and it seems to work pretty well for me. What's the issue with the screwdriver? Presumably we still have to estimate angles and pressure with an accu burr?

if the gouge is polished and the scraper doesn't mark it, then all is well.

My first burnisher was a rosewood handled crown burnisher. It looked nice, but the last 3/4ths inch or so above the ferrule were softer than the card scraper. Kind of the spot where you'd want to start the burr.

there's a whole world of specialty scrapers and burnishers that someone found favorable, but it's uncommon for them to actually meet a need better than the basic stuff vs. being someone's pet design.

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

if the gouge is polished and the scraper doesn't mark it, then all is well.

My first burnisher was a rosewood handled crown burnisher. It looked nice, but the last 3/4ths inch or so above the ferrule were softer than the card scraper. Kind of the spot where you'd want to start the burr.

there's a whole world of specialty scrapers and burnishers that someone found favorable, but it's uncommon for them to actually meet a need better than the basic stuff vs. being someone's pet design.

I bought a Crown burnisher more than several decades ago (I think Crown, but in any case similar appearance). It was a plated steel, with the plating scraping off!

 

[D_W]

I bought a Crown burnisher more than several decades ago (I think Crown, but in any case similar appearance). It was a plated steel, with the plating scraping off!

could be that mine is plated, too. Whatever the case, the core drill rod is way below scraper hardness.

Reminds me when I was new at things, I'd ask a question like that and someone would just say "it's no good", but 90% of the answers would say "it's you".

"check the hardness of the scraper" or "you can't really raise a burr with anything other than carbide".

I remember getting those answers. A friend also couldn't get a decent burr at the time and someone told us they'd do us a favor and get us the triangle burnisher, and they got a few gray market and charged us more than the typical online price by a good bit. Not a fan of that burnisher, either - it's OK, but the edges will tear up a burr, the flat parts don't have enough influence and the whole thing isn't really fully polished.

 

[Jacob]

I use a 6" nail. No prob.
You can buy something similar with a handle attached but there's no particular advantage.

 

[D_W]

that's good humor. the ice cream company may request royalties.

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

Anything can be used as a scraper provided whatever you turn a burr with is harder. How long the burr will last is a different story.

If anyone wants to experience how a scraper can cut, take a well sharpened plane blade or chisel and pull towards you.

 

[Inspector]

I haven't used one as I have a chainsaw file I polished the teeth off of over 40 years ago that works nicely.

I do see the advantage Accu-Burr Burnisher has being a little easier for a rookie who doesn't have someone to show them and of rolling two edges at the same time being a little faster. However given it is about $40.00US for an unhandled one and $70.00US for the handled version, I think the money could be better spent on a simple burnisher or adapting something to use and put the saved money towards another tool.

If you do decide to pop for one let us know what you think of it.]
Pete

 

[bp122]

+1 on the Arno

I had the hss rod before, results weren't the same. It took a lot longer with the hss rod. Could be down to the technique, but I guess modern scrapers are harder as well.

With Arno it is a lot quicker and easier.

 

[pgrbff]

I recently tried to turn a burr on a 80 cabinet scraper blade, Hock blade, following instructions from a well known woodworker on Vimeo. Had no luck ar all. I was using a second hand Arno burnisher.

 

[XTiffy]

Many years ago I made my burnisher from a three-cornered engineer's bearing scraper. I ground and polished the sharp corners of the scraper and it worked fine. I was also taught to draw out a burr ( after dressing the edge clean and square), with the cabinet scaper flat on the bench, which you then "turned up" to form the final burr.

 

[Limey Lurker]

I've used nothing other than a chrome-plated screwdriver shaft, or any other chrome-plated round-edged item, for the last 65 years.

 

[niall Y]

There seem to be a few versions of the Arno burnisher, ranging from £75 t0 £40. I've just bought some carbide rod with which to make myself an improved burnisher - £ 5. 52 - no contest

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

The Arno burnisher I bought (and got rid of) years ago, was very different from current version. I watched a YouTube video of the new version this morning and card prep remained as it is with honing the card. The difference is the burnisher which simplifies rolling of the tool. Might help a beginner, but anyone that already can setup a card scraper should save their money.