Creating a burr on a scraper

[graduate_owner]

Hi everyone,
Just wondering - would it be possible to sharpen a scraper by using a burnisher instead of the grinding wheel?
And if so, would any really hard steel do the job - perhaps a file with the teeth ground off, or a rod of HSS or carbide (such as a broken carbide drill or router cutter)? I was thinking of the scrapre placed flat on a bench and the burnisher being hand held. Has anyone any experience with this? I seem to remember a Veritas jig for rubbing a turning scraper against a carbide post but these seem to be unavailable now so I was thinking of a diy version.

K

 

[Cabinetman]

Hi K, There was a big thread on this at the beginning of this month, just put scraper in the search at the top. Ian

 

[Ollie78]

Any smooth metal harder than the steel will work to turn the burr. The shank of a solid carbide endmill for example.

Ollie

 

[TomW]

I didn't even know you could sharpen one with a grinder. I've used some screwdrivers in the past to get the burr on them.
When I do them I put them at the edge of a bench to get the burr started and move to them into a vice to flair out and angle the burr.

 

[bp122]

Only two nights ago I used my scrapers after a long time (need to sand one of the presents, couldn't use the sander as it was 11 at night), so deburred my scrapers fully and established fresh burrs on them using an oil stone.

Same as above, I didn't know once can sharpen scrapers on a grinding wheel. I use an HSS rod bought off eBay a while ago, handheld, while the scraper is held in the vice. I do use thin strips of wood (narrower than the scraper) on either side of the scraper to avoid flattening the new burnished burr when doing the second long edge, if that makes sense.

I clamp it so that only a small portion (about 5 mm) of the scraper is sticking above the vice and burnish it at a shallow angle.

If you are feeling fancy, you can get yourself one of the Arno burnishers (£30-£35) Never heard a bad word about them. But an old, long and smooth screwdriver shaft will do a good job or an HSS rod like I mentioned I use.

The whole project took very little time to finish as I had done all the hard work with the scrapers, and no noise!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Are we talking of cabinet scrapers or turning scrapers? There appears to be a mix up. Good luck to anyone trying to get a burr on a hss turning scraper with a burnisher.

 

[graduate_owner]

Ah, my fault there, sorry for the confusion. I was asking about a wood turning scraper. I have a few older Marples carbon steel scrapers, and some HSS ones. Phil, any idea what I could use on a HSS woodturning scraper? Would carbide work?

K

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I thought that was what you meant, but I wonder if others did. They take seconds to grind - why would you wish to make hard work of it? Incidentally, the pro turner at the club said it made no difference whatsoever whether they're ground up side down or not. I grind them upside down - there is no burr at all if they're ground face up, so the burr can't be that important.

 

[bp122]

Now I feel like a idiot!

 

[Chico]

OK, the Veritas burnisher is back in production after being AWOL for a while and is available in the UK.

More importantly I shared this video a while back on another forum ref. raising burrs and the fella was won over. It is more in ref. to Neg rake but applicable to all.



Run it back to the beginning.

 

[Henniep]

Forgive if this is old news, but someone may learn from it. The secret with sharpening/dressing turning chisels on the ginder is that the tip should never get hot whilst u're grinding. Dipping it in water whilst grinding is a myth - the edge will not keep if the metal is overheated. Soft stone, gentle pressure and patience!

 

[Cozzer]

If you are feeling fancy, you can get yourself one of the Arno burnishers (£30-£35) Never heard a bad word about them. But an old, long and smooth screwdriver shaft will do a good job or an HSS rod like I mentioned I use.

I got an Arno Carbur 2 Solid from Workshop Heaven last year sometime. Came in a dinky little leather wallet thing which I promptly lost to the wife for some purpose!
I use cabinet scrapers a lot, essentially for levelling marquetry inlays prior to finishing, so anything that helps/speed up the sharpening process is a boon.
Pricey, yes, but brilliant to use.

 

[Chico]

I use a bit of 6mm carbide rod in a plastic file handle, well 2 of them, cost about a tenner.