Utility blades in place of cabinet scrapers

[TRITON]

Have to admit im pants at sharpening these things- cabinet scrapers, I just couldnt get the hang of it, and when i eventually did manage, it doesnt last long enough before im in the land of frustration again.

So I've been using cheap utility knife blades, which although they dont have a burr, their edge makes them quite effective.
Anyone else do this ?.
Plus more are a tenner for a pack of a hundred, which is so cheap you can use and dispose, and if its only a tenner to remove the frustration and work effectively, thats a good job in my book

 

[Rorton]

Just small ’stanly knife’ type blades?

how do you go about with them pressing into your fingers with the little indent in the top?

 

[Argus]

I suppose that it works.......

I sometimes scrape off small areas with the near-vertical cutting tip of a chisel, but it's not good for the edge and the next stop are the stones to get it sharp again.

The difference with a card (or cabinet) scraper is that the edge is tuned and turned so that it presents a minute razor cutting edge that is presented at a high angle. In this case the term 'scraping' is a mis-nomer; you are actually cutting a small shaving.

If you are using the friction of scraping with a disposable razor edge, then I'd suggest using a small hand-vice to hold it or fashion some sort of wood holder.

 

[Rorschach]

You can put a burr onto a blade very easily.

Better than utility blades though are single edge razor blades, again add a quick burr, they last a long time and cut very well, I use them every day.

EDIT: Forgot to add, cheaper than utility blades as well, cheaper brands are as little as 2p each, a good brand like American Line, are 6p each and well worth it.

 

[NOTTNICK]

I had to strip all the varnish from my sailing dinghy. I got a local glazer to cut me a box of small 4mm glass rectangles (about 80 x 20 mm). Wore gloves, no breakage (as they were small so there wasn't a lot of force). they did the job perfectly. Not sure H&S would be happy though.

 

[doctor Bob]

Worth practicing with a scrapper, once you get it, it's easy. You can actually feel the edge through the burnisher as it drags more.
I worked in an oak furniture company for a few years, hand tools only and scrappers were an important element took me a couple of days to get it, then it's easy and an edge holds for sometime.

 

[novocaine]

I use them to make scratch stocks for random moldings

 

[stuckinthemud]

I use small blades for scrapers but managed to give myself carpel tunnel from tightly pinching such a small object for prolonged periods when smoothing down narrow concave hollow-limb bows. 18 months 'rest' from all hand tool work really sucks, take time to mount the blades in some form of holder

 

[Richard_C]

My ceramic hob was supplied with a vastly over complicated scraper for removing burned on spillages. When it expired I bought what I think is called a window scraper for very little money. Plastic handle, easily changed standard utility blade, clip on safety cover. Gets used for all sorts now including the hob, cleaning the glass on the wood burner, occasional wood scraping and even window scraping after paint or woodstain which is what it was designed for.

Might be a good place to start looking for a holding device.

 

[rafezetter]

I had to strip all the varnish from my sailing dinghy. I got a local glazer to cut me a box of small 4mm glass rectangles (about 80 x 20 mm). Wore gloves, no breakage (as they were small so there wasn't a lot of force). they did the job perfectly. Not sure H&S would be happy though.

I've read about this elsewhere, interested to know how long an edge lasted before having to swap edges?

 

[Mead Camans]

In the past I've cut a thin saw kerf in a small piece of wood (I used a 12mm Domino) and set the utility blade into that to give something more positive to grip. I would also say that it's pretty easy to push over the edge with a burnisher to make it more like a cabinet scraper, but it tends not to last as long.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Before I learned about cabinet scrapers, I used a wide chisel (1" 1/2) at 80 ish degrees as a scraper (still do occasionally). As already said, it's worth learning how to sharpen a cabinet scraper properly - there are good YT videos by Paul Sellers, Mike Pekovich, Jonathan Katz-Moses, Matt Estlea etc etc

 

[gmercer_48083]

I found that when I used to turn the burr I was pushing down too hard. I found it takes a lighter touch and only five or six strokes. If you roll the burr too far you will find the angle (of attack) will be too tipped over for the scraper to be effective. If it is rolled over the right amount the scraper is effective in a more vertical position. If that makes sense.

 

[NOTTNICK]

I've read about this elsewhere, interested to know how long an edge lasted before having to swap edges?

It was a while ago now, but I seem to recall that the edge lasted pretty well. The glazer chopped up a piece of scrap 4mm glass and I had enough to do the job with quite a few left over. Of course, each rectangle has 4 edges to use (plus 4 small ones), so even if they blunted there was a lot of spare. At no stage did I feel any risk of breakage.

 

[Just4Fun]

I have seen folks at my woodwork evening class use random bits of broken glass as scrapers. I have never tried it myself but they claim it works well.