HandScrapers + Softwoods = Doable?

[MrDavidRoberts]

I had a stanley no80 handscraper once, I loved the idea about it,however I just could not get any good results with it when scraping pine (it left really really rough finish and only messed up everything)- I was getting some shavings after tinkering instead of just dust however the results just weren't good at all.

I had limited success with Oak however. I'm not really sure if my edge was the best, I could def. feel the burr I created using a hard metal drill bit.
Those who have the perfect sharpening systems and have mastered this tool, can you get a good/excellent result with it on softwood if you prepare the blade the correct way or it's just not really doable?

 

[Ttrees]

Interested in what you wish to scrape David
I don't work with softwoods, but if I did, I wouldn't mind knowing what your having trouble with.
I'm taking it that the cap iron doesn't work?
Still finding that anyone saying this,is hard to believe
Tom

 

[undergroundhunter]

The problem with scraping softwood(I'm talking pine) is that the hard annular rings will scrape but the soft ones won't so well they tend to compress, so you end up with a strange surface that will raise when you apply a finish. The best way in my opinion is to sung up the cap iron and get super sharp with fine set on a hand plane.
Matt

 

[Beau]

Yes but you need a good edge. I now use a Lie Nielson scraper but pretty sure I was able to use the Stanley on softwoods. Sharpen the edge to 45 degrees as you would any other cutting blade but with no secondary bevel. I would go to 6000 water stone front and back so you have a lovely polished edge then turn the burr at 15 degrees in one or two heavy passes. Turning the burr I put a fair bit of pressure on and not sure I would want to do this with a drill bit.

 

[ED65]

...can you get a good/excellent result with it on softwood if you prepare the blade the correct way or it's just not really doable?

I don't have a no. 80 but yes, it is perfectly doable to scrape softwoods even though the conventional wisdom seems to be that you can't. The direction(s) you scrape, and what you scrape with definitely matter IME.

Unfortunately though even after you've had success doing it a few times I wouldn't expect finish-ready surfaces directly from the scraper every time after that because it's just down to the wood at the end of the day and it might not be cooperative. Aaand we know what modern softwoods tend to be like!