Burnishing A Card Scraper - How Often?

[Carl Maeda-San Diego]

Hi, I was working in the shop today with another woodworker friend and he noticed that I burnish my card scraper a lot. I burnish all 4 sides every 7 or 8 minutes while I use it. I have a Two Cherries scraper and I think maybe the steel may be softer than his or something.
I use the scraper until I can no longer feel the edge catching (at which point I get more dust than small shavings). I then switch sides or burnish.
How often does everyone else burnish their card scrapers?

[Sam Takeuchi]

You don't have to fully burnish it every time it gets dull. You can re-draw the bur again and it'll cut nicely. You should be able to re-draw at least a couple of times, a bit more if you don't mind slight dullness.

I don't know personally, but I hear if bur is too large, it gets bent back quick and stop producing shavings. Since I never paid much attention to bur size (I guess mine is small), I don't know if that's true, but I've read it somewhere.

Either way I don't think you need to be too concerned about it as long as it is doing the job. Re-drawing takes only about 15 seconds anyway.

[Mike Null]

Maybe I'm doing it wrong but I never used the short sides of my scrapers.

I also don't have to burnish nearly that often.

[Tom Adger]

I don't burnish my card scrapers at all. I put a mill file in my vise, do four push strokes, reverse the scraper, repeat, flip it over and repeat on the opposite side. This may sound like heresy to some, but it works for me. The sharpening I have described does put a small burr on it. It is also much less time consuming.

[Carl Maeda-San Diego]

Oh yeah, I only redraw the burr.. I don't go through the entire everytime. Maybe I am putting too large a burr on it. I put a moderate amount of pressure on the burnishing rod and draw it 3 or 4 times.

I don't use the short side. I use the 2 long sides and then flip it over and use the same 2 long sides again.... That's what I meant by 4 sides. Yeah, it was confusing the way I worded it.

[glenn bradley]

I only touch mine up when it is not giving me the result I'm after, not by a set interval.

[Carl Maeda-San Diego]

I don't burnish it at set intervals either. I burnish it when all 4 edges stop giving me shavings. Each edge only last 2 or 3 minutes or scraping.
I should be able to try Shawn's suggestion today or trying to put on a shorter burnish.