After way too long, I decided to "sacrifice" an old saw that I had and
made a scraper out of it. Actually made two. It was a small saw. I
read a couple of articles about sharpening and followed them closely,
but was disappointed with the results until I read that you can forget
about using scrapers on soft wood (I was using some old construction
pine that was laying around. After I got an old piece of red oak from
my scrap heap did I realize that maybe I didn't do such a bad job after
all. :-)
But I did a little reading and see that some people recommend using
steel that is about 3/64" to 1/16" thick to make scrapers. My old saw
was only 1/32" and seems plenty thick to me, but then what do I know? I
have another old saw waiting in the wings, but it is much thinner, and
of course, more flexible steel which started me wondering.
So the questions are:
1. What have you used to make your own scrapers? I have heard people
using old saws and circular saw blades.
2. How thick is the metal?
3. What size?
4. Just how rigid should the metal be? The circular saw blades seem
like they would be too rigid.
5. What do you use for a burnisher? I use the shaft from an old shock
absorber and it seems to work great.
6. Any other advice for me?
TIA,
Wayne
> 1. What have you used to make your own scrapers? I have heard people
> using old saws and circular saw blades.
circular saw blades, random bits of hard springy steel, dead chisels,
you name it.
> 2. How thick is the metal?
depends on the use.
> 3. What size?
see #2.
> 4. Just how rigid should the metal be? The circular saw blades seem
> like they would be too rigid.
too rigid for a card scraper you are going to want to bow in your
hands, yes. not too rigid for a scraper plane blade though.
> 5. What do you use for a burnisher? I use the shaft from an old shock
> absorber and it seems to work great.
high speed steel drill rod.
> 6. Any other advice for me?
a saw filing vise is perfect for holding a scraper to stone and
burnish it.
Mon, Feb 11, 2008, 10:34pm (EST+5) [email protected]
(NoOne=A0N=A0Particular) doth post some stuff that I snipped.
At this time I do nothing that requires a scraper. On those very
rare occassions I do desire a scraper, I use a piece of glass. However,
if I DID start using a scraper, I would make one or more, and not be
picky about thickness. Next time just make one, use it, and don't worry
about it unless it doesn't work.
JOAT
10 Out Of 10 Terrorists Prefer Hillary For President - Bumper Sticker
I do not have a problem with a woman president - except for Hillary.
J T wrote:
> Mon, Feb 11, 2008, 10:34pm (EST+5) [email protected]
> (NoOne N Particular) doth post some stuff that I snipped.
>
> At this time I do nothing that requires a scraper. On those very
> rare occassions I do desire a scraper, I use a piece of glass. However,
> if I DID start using a scraper, I would make one or more, and not be
> picky about thickness. Next time just make one, use it, and don't worry
> about it unless it doesn't work.
>
My main reason for asking about the thickness of the material was just
because of some of the things that I read about making a "card" scraper.
One article said 1/16" to 3/32" thick and that just seemed a little
too thick. The saw that laid down it's life to make my scrapers was
only 1/32" thick and it seemed PLENTY rigid to me. I have seen videos
of people using scrapers and they always flex the scraper. If the metal
was thicker and more rigid than what I have, it seems like it would just
be too tiring to use.
I also have another old saw that got left out in a few rains that I was
going to use for more of them if these turned out ok, but the metal is
even thinner and is quite easy to bend. This one just seems too thin
and flexible which reminds me. Just how do you bend your glass scrapers
without breaking them? :-)
Wayne
>
>
> JOAT
> 10 Out Of 10 Terrorists Prefer Hillary For President - Bumper Sticker
I disagree with this one. 10 out of 10 terrorists want Hussein Obama
but will settle for Hilliary
>
> I do not have a problem with a woman president - except for Hillary.
>
Tue, Feb 12, 2008, 4:57pm (EST+5) [email protected]
(NoOne=A0N=A0Particular) doth expertly mumble:
<snip>=A0=A0One article said 1/16" to 3/32" thick and that just seemed a
little too thick. The saw that laid down it's life to make my scrapers
was only 1/32" thick and it seemed PLENTY rigid to me. I have seen
videos of people using scrapers and they always flex the scraper. <snip>
Just how do you bend your glass scrapers without breaking them? :-)
So? I saw on TV where Bill Clinton said his lawyers told him he
didn't have sex with that woman. Which only proves you don't need to
believe lawyers, politicians, or everything you read. .
If it takes a scraper that flexes to make you happy, them make or
buy one. Does it "need" to flex? Of course not. Me, I'd have no
problems with making a scraper out of an old tablesaw blade, or whatever
scrap metal is available. I'd also make some with different contours,
if needed. Try glass before you knock it. The answers aren't always in
books.
JOAT
10 Out Of 10 Terrorists Prefer Hillary For President - Bumper Sticker
I do not have a problem with a woman president - except for Hillary.
Try glass before you knock it. The answers aren't always in
books.
JOAT
I knew a man in his 90"s that used broken glass to finish wood. He didn't
have any modern tools. His lathe was foot powered.
I have 2 chairs that he made over 70 years ago and they are as tight as the
day they were made. The seats are made of split hickory bark.
He would slip the bark off the tree in the spring when the sap was rising.
The bark was placed in a tub of water a few days to soften then woven to
form the seat
No fastners were used in the seat.
Probably a lost art..
Virgle
"NoOne N Particular" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I also have another old saw that got left out in a few rains that I was
> going to use for more of them if these turned out ok, but the metal is
> even thinner and is quite easy to bend. This one just seems too thin and
> flexible which reminds me. Just how do you bend your glass scrapers
> without breaking them? :-)
>
Youre thinking inside the box. The purpose of flexing the scraper blade,
other than to conform to a shape, is to provide a skewing cut. Run your
straight scraper at a skew angle and you'll do just fine. Note how well it
works for your planes.
Save the thick ones toscrape glue lines.
Hello Wayne,
You mention that "It didn't do such a bad job after all". I recommend
having someone knowledgeable show you how to sharpen a scraper. When it is
done right, it will put a smile on your fact that will last for a month. I
tried to follow directions in many books for years to mediocre success.
Once shown how to do it, it clicked and I find the scrapers among the most
valuable tools in the shop.
Dave
Dave W wrote:
> Hello Wayne,
> You mention that "It didn't do such a bad job after all". I recommend
> having someone knowledgeable show you how to sharpen a scraper. When it is
> done right, it will put a smile on your fact that will last for a month.
Aside from the usual uses on hardwoods... Nothing fixes a drip or run
in a finish better than a sharp card scraper.
NoOne N Particular wrote:
> After way too long, I decided to "sacrifice" an old saw that I had and
> made a scraper out of it. Actually made two. It was a small saw. I
> read a couple of articles about sharpening and followed them closely,
> but was disappointed with the results until I read that you can forget
> about using scrapers on soft wood (I was using some old construction
> pine that was laying around. After I got an old piece of red oak from
> my scrap heap did I realize that maybe I didn't do such a bad job after
> all. :-)
>
> But I did a little reading and see that some people recommend using
> steel that is about 3/64" to 1/16" thick to make scrapers. My old saw
> was only 1/32" and seems plenty thick to me, but then what do I know? I
> have another old saw waiting in the wings, but it is much thinner, and
> of course, more flexible steel which started me wondering.
>
> So the questions are:
>
Hi Wayne,
I've made a bunch of scrapers, although my main set came from Lee
Valley. Those are the 3x5 in various thicknesses and one that is a
French curve.
I've used a saw blade from an old hand saw, and one from a saber saw
blade. The other ones are from crappy hacksaw blades. All work and in my
case it's been a case of trial and error.
> 1. What have you used to make your own scrapers? I have heard people
> using old saws and circular saw blades.
As above.. Never tried a circ. saw blade. That sounds like it might work
too.
> 2. How thick is the metal?
Whatever I have on hand.
> 3. What size?
The ones I've made have been special shapes, so I go with what's on
hand, and that tends to be pretty small.
> 4. Just how rigid should the metal be? The circular saw blades seem
> like they would be too rigid.
They might be. Or not. Depends on what you're doing. Give it a try and
see. Once you have the method down for burnishing, it's pretty easy to
make a slew of them. Rigidity tends to be a personal preference, but you
should be able to arch the blade as you're scraping.
> 5. What do you use for a burnisher? I use the shaft from an old shock
> absorber and it seems to work great.
If that works, keep using it. My burnisher is 20 years old and I got it
somewhere ........can't remember where. It was sold specifically as a
burnisher, but I'm not sure I'd repeat that.
> 6. Any other advice for me?
I think the biggest pitfall that frustrates users of scrapers is not
getting the edge properly and then producing a bunch of sawdust. You
should always be producing shavings, although they're not like the
shavings I get from my planes - much thinner.
Also, this:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=32669&cat=1,310 is REALLY
handy. It forces the blade into the aforementioned arch and relieves the
pressure on your thumbs and wrist. It can be a bit of a learning curve
to use in order to find the "sweet spot", but once you've used it,
you'll have trouble going back to scraping with blade alone. YMMV
>
> TIA,
>
> Wayne
--
Tanus
www.home.mycybernet.net/~waugh/shop/
"NoOne N Particular" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> After way too long, I decided to "sacrifice" an old saw that I had and
> made a scraper out of it. Actually made two. It was a small saw. I read
> a couple of articles about sharpening and followed them closely, but was
> disappointed with the results until I read that you can forget about using
> scrapers on soft wood (I was using some old construction pine that was
> laying around. After I got an old piece of red oak from my scrap heap did
> I realize that maybe I didn't do such a bad job after all. :-)
>
> But I did a little reading and see that some people recommend using steel
> that is about 3/64" to 1/16" thick to make scrapers. My old saw was only
> 1/32" and seems plenty thick to me, but then what do I know? I have
> another old saw waiting in the wings, but it is much thinner, and of
> course, more flexible steel which started me wondering.
>
> So the questions are:
>
> 1. What have you used to make your own scrapers? I have heard people
> using old saws and circular saw blades.
> 2. How thick is the metal?
> 3. What size?
> 4. Just how rigid should the metal be? The circular saw blades seem like
> they would be too rigid.
> 5. What do you use for a burnisher? I use the shaft from an old shock
> absorber and it seems to work great.
> 6. Any other advice for me?
>
Yep. They're so cheap, why bother? I have flexible thin ones that will
scrape spindles and some that are nearly an eighth inch thick. Heavier and
rougher the work, heavier the metal seems to be a good idea.
Hardened chrome steel is good for a burnisher, but after a while I bought
the Veritas variable burnisher
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32633&cat=1,310,41070 and
inked the burnished angle on the scrapers so I can select the one most
suitable more easily.