Scraper sharpening

[Ttrees]

It's the only video guide that I found for curved scrapers, which I can't seem to embed correctly.
I rather like having the vague avatar, so can't complain about anything.
Tom

 

[--Tom--]

Carbide rods are pretty cheap from Chinese sources if you don’t mind the wait for shipping, and are an easy way to make a burnisher for a few quid that’ll cope with pretty much anything, just don’t go for too small a diameter as will be relatively brittle in longer lengths

 

[The_Wood_Basher]

Hey folks,

Im new here to the forum but I literally just made a video on this!

https://youtu.be/D6yOr_Haz7Y

 

[transatlantic]

I'm not sure what type of file it is. It is just one of the basic metal file sets of 3, half round, flat and round.

 

[xy mosian]

How tight of a curve are you working into sharpening the curved edge scraper? I try to track the edge of a curved scraper with a reasonably fast stone until it's fresh and then use something less aggressive and work some polish to the edge. It has to be done freehand unless you want to make a rube goldberg machine.

I'm not convinced a harder piece of profiled steel wouldn't be better, but I don't use scrapers on tight curves more than necessary. Profiled scrapers and patternmaker's incannel gouges (two things people probably try to avoid using) are pretty nice to have when making guitars, though.

I haven't really had a problem sharpening scrapers in general. Basically, like you, I get the corners of the required edge to a very small radius, cutting flesh small if possible, then turn the burrs.
I was just bringing to light the general lack of guidance in fettling curved scrapers.
Of course the good old '80 starts with an edge which is far from 'square', but is still a scraper. That is when concentrating on the corner, rather than the edge, comes in useful.
xy

 

[xy mosian]

This video may be of interest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qY6oMaFAbk&t=55s

Tom

Thanks Tom, I'll catch up with that later.
xy

 

[whiskywill]

Hey folks,

Im new here to the forum but I literally just made a video on this!

No you did not. A chisel is not a cabinet scraper. (hammer)

 

[ED65]

I've watched many video tutorials on this and there seems to be conflicting advice. Some say apply moderate pressure, and some say only use the weight of the burnisher itself? what do you do?

There is indeed lots of conflicting advice on this! It's all over, and it isn't new either.

These days with videos to go on we can see that every person saying to use light pressure and few strokes (William Ng being the no. 1 source of this that I can remember, check him out if you haven't yet) and every one saying to use firm pressure are getting results that can work, because they then show the scraper taking great shavings.

This goes some way to explaining why conflicting advice on scraper prep is nothing new (it goes back to some of the earliest written guides and continued through the 20th century) but the take-home message is that multiple approaches can work. We can speculate on the reasons why (I have some theories that I won't bore anyone with) but arguably the only thing that matters is can the scraper take shavings instead of making dust?

...only get good results maybe 1/3 attempts, but have found I get better results when applying moderate pressure.

If you do end up sticking with burnishing/ticketing and continue to struggle getting consistent results jig it, take some of the variables out of the equation.

So what's the alternative? It's only been mentioned in passing so to more formally suggest it: try prepping a scraper without burnishing and see how you get on with it.

What this means in practice is you leave the burr from the stoning step (or if you want a particularly coarse burr, from the filing) and just use that, rather than removing it and then making a new one. Currently my three main straight-edged scrapers are all prepped this way, one on the course side of a Norton combo stone, the middle on the fine side of the same stone (the only reason I've held on to the Norton!) and the last on a 1000# diamond plate.

Each of these straight scrapers takes about 20 seconds to prepare, start to finish. Call it 30 seconds including the time to get out and then stow away the honing surface.

 

[Ttrees]

I'm not sure what type of file it is. It is just one of the basic metal file sets of 3, half round, flat and round.

Those farmers own, single cut files, are not hard to find in any place, for about say 7 or 8 quid should be the ballpark.
I'm probably mistaken on this, but think they're used mainly for lawnmower blades?
You can see the lovely long filings it leaves, and you know that scraper is sharp.

Not to say a double cut file wouldn't work, I've never properly tried that.

 

[Inspector]

I use the method my father taught me. He apprenticed to a wagon maker, Cartwright if you prefer, around 1935 and the went into furniture factories when he finished the apprenticeship.

With a fine mill cut file draw file the edge.
Lay the scraper flat on the edge of the bench. Burnish the 2 edges on the face.
Put the scaper vertical in the vice and roll the edge in one pass with the burnisher at an angle to the direction you are pulling/pushing it to form the hook. While doing so hold the burnisher down a few degrees from horizontal. Flip it and roll the second edge.
Lay the scraper on the edge of the bench on the second face and burnish the two edges.
Put it vertical again and roll the two edges.
Now you have 4 hooks you can work with. The size of the hook depends on how much pressure you apply when burnishing and rolling.

For rougher work, like scraping knots, when the edge dulls some you can lay the scraper flat again and roll the edge up with one pass. Then put it vertical and roll the edge to form the hook again.

If you are going to scrap finishes then you would want to use bench stones of your preference for a finer edge.

So there you have another way to skin the cat.

Pete

 

[woodbloke66]

It's a definite dark art Trans. (Unless you have one of these.)
I bought an Arno Carbur. I'm sure I never paid these prices though. Maybe the cost has gone through the roof. Maybe I'm deluded and suppressing memory. ( )
Works every time.
https://www.workshopheaven.com/arno-car ... isher.html
Check your prices as always.
You might also be interested in this. 8)

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php ... -Burnisher

I've tried all sorts of burnishers over the decades; the Arno is light years ahead of anything else. I even use it to turn a hook on my LN scraper planes - Rob

 

[The_Wood_Basher]

I might have to get myself a Arno then!

As you can see in my video im using either a screwdriver or a pointed marking tool. They are both tools that ive tried and tested and know they work....

However I would like to get a proper burnisher at some point!

 

[lurker]

Hey folks,

Im new here to the forum but I literally just made a video on this!

https://youtu.be/D6yOr_Haz7Y

If you plan to become a u tube "star" you need to up your safety game.
That exposed drive shaft on your grinder made me cringe,so I stopped watching 3 minutes in and am unlikely to bother with any of your future output.
I cannot take anyone seriously who does not look after their basic personal safety, I very much doubt you have ever worked in a professional shop.

 

[The_Wood_Basher]

Ha ha, ok Thanks. I do say in the video that the machine is being modified in the video and that it is not going to stay like that! I take my safety very seriously, I have been working in a very professional shop for the past 10 years and still have all my fingers.

That being said I know I have a way to go with my shop and my videos.

Thanks for taking the time to check out my videos though!

 

[Bodgers]

A while ago I switched to using a No 80 Cabinet scraper from a standard scraper.

I find it much easier to not only use but also to sharpen. This is down to the fact that you basically sharpen it to 45 deg and the burr seems much easier to add afterwards. It also doesn't hurt your hands as much in use



Sent from my P027 using Tapatalk

 

[lurker]

Ha ha, ok Thanks. I do say in the video that the machine is being modified in the video and that it is not going to stay like that! I take my safety very seriously, I have been working in a very professional shop for the past 10 years and still have all my fingers.

That being said I know I have a way to go with my shop and my videos.

Thanks for taking the time to check out my videos though!

I saw what you said and to my mind just compounds the issue.
" I know it's dangerous but I am going to do it anyway."
You just pay lip service to safety by saying you take it seriously when it's clear you don't.

People watch these things and assume what you are doing is the correct way to go about it.
You have a moral duty not to be an ***** when you are implying you are a professional.

 

[woodbloke66]

A while ago I switched to using a No 80 Cabinet scraper from a standard scraper.

I find it much easier to not only use but also to sharpen. This is down to the fact that you basically sharpen it to 45 deg and the burr seems much easier to add afterwards. It also doesn't hurt your hands as much in use

It also helps if you can grind the blade to say 35deg (not critical) and then sharpen to 45deg - Rob

 

[The_Wood_Basher]

" I know it's dangerous but I am going to do it anyway."

Funny, I dont remember saying that!

 

[lurker]

" I know it's dangerous but I am going to do it anyway."

Funny, I dont remember saying that!

Not in words but by your actions, which is a more powerful communication.
You say you have worked in a professional shop, if that is true, you know and I know you would have been out on your backside if you had switched that machine on, at work.