Stewart MacDonald Ultimate Scraper

[Bill Winter]

I'm thinking of buying one of these. I don't make musical instruments. I'm looking for an alternative to the standard spring steel card scraper. Does anyone have any experience with this item? Is it worth the $? Which grinder (if any) do you use?

[Timothy Orr]

I have the small one. I like it. Easy to use and control. I used it to clean up veneer seams. Have not had to sharpen it yet as the edge seems to hold up well. I intend to buy the larger ones when I have the need.

[Chris Fournier]

I've made scrapers like this with O1 toolsteel bar stock for years. I made them for two reasons: first a straight edge is great for levelling glue lines and you won't get a cavity like you might with a card scraper and second I would grind profiles that I could use to finish up carvings. In the day you could easily buy 36" of 0.125" X 2" O1 barstock for the price of one of these scrapers. It comes annealed and all you have to do is cut, grind, harden and temper - easy as pie. I found that lapping the face would be enough to keep it razor sharp in between major overhauls.

I do not consider these to be the ultimate scraper at all and if I had to chose between this style and a card scraper as my only scraper style the card scraper would be it as it is more versatile.

For the sharpest scraper that I have ever used I would recommend freshly broken glass. Single use but insanely sharp and likely freely re-purposed.

[Frederick Skelly]

I've had one on my "tools to buy" list but havent gotten around to it yet. Here's some previous discussion. LINK (https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?259020-StewMac-scrapers)

[Richard Coers]

I was thinking those scrapers are small and one handed use only? Am I wrong? I'd hate to do an entire desk top with one hand, but you might not be 67 years old like me!

[Tom M King]

Derek has used them, likes them, and probably has a review on his website. He'll probably come along, and comment.

[Bill Winter]

I was thinking those scrapers are small and one handed use only? Am I wrong? I'd hate to do an entire desk top with one hand, but you might not be 67 years old like me!

One can use them with both hands just the same as a spring steel card scraper. The good news is you don't have to (probably can't) flex it. Based on the video i viewed you hold it almost traight up.

[John K Jordan]

I'm thinking of buying one of these. I don't make musical instruments. I'm looking for an alternative to the standard spring steel card scraper. Does anyone have any experience with this item? Is it worth the $? Which grinder (if any) do you use?

Bill,

I have had all three for over 3 years now.

430789

I love them, expensive but worth the money IMO. I used them on woodturnings mostly where I have curved surfaces, both concave and convex. I hold them with one or two hands depending on the wood, the piece, what I feel like and what works best at the moment. I also use traditional cabinet scrapers for this although I grind them into curved shapes, also held with one or two hands. Using scrapers on turnings I can usually start with much finer sandpaper.

430791 430792 430793

I sharpen the StewMac scrapers on an 8" 600 grit CBN wheel. I made a plastic jig to set the angle of the tool rest to exactly 90-deg without trial and error.

430790

I don't use the scraper with the straight and concave sides nearly as much. I'm gradually changing the shape of that one to something more useful to me.

I did buy some 1/8" O1 bar stock to make some other shapes. One of these days...

JKJ

[bill epstein]

One can use them with both hands just the same as a spring steel card scraper. The good news is you don't have to (probably can't) flex it. Based on the video i viewed you hold it almost traight up.

Which one can do with a properly tuned card scraper. Most put too much angle on when burnishing, then flex the card too much, turning it into a scorp.

[Tom Trees]

For anyone who wants a rigid scraper, then it might be worth trying the side of a regular non laminated plane iron.(not the business end though)
Just hone it 90 degrees with a wee block to keep square.
No drawing a burr, just go straight to work.

As a bonus it makes a good job of flattening the stone if you have hollowed it out.

Tom

[Bill Winter]

Bill,

I have had all three for over 3 years now.

430789

I love them, expensive but worth the money IMO. I used them on woodturnings mostly where I have curved surfaces, both concave and convex. I hold them with one or two hands depending on the wood, the piece, what I feel like and what works best at the moment. I also use traditional cabinet scrapers for this although I grind them into curved shapes, also held with one or two hands. Using scrapers on turnings I can usually start with much finer sandpaper.

430791 430792 430793

I sharpen the StewMac scrapers on an 8" 600 grit CBN wheel. I made a plastic jig to set the angle of the tool rest to exactly 90-deg without trial and error.

430790

I don't use the scraper with the straight and concave sides nearly as much. I'm gradually changing the shape of that one to something more useful to me.

I did buy some 1/8" O1 bar stock to make some other shapes. One of these days...

JKJ
Hey John can you provide the particulars of your CBN setup? I can't tell from your picture which machine you are using to run the CBN wheel.

[John K Jordan]

Hey John can you provide the particulars of your CBN setup? I can't tell from your picture which machine you are using to run the CBN wheel.

That CBN wheel is mounted on a standard bench grinder. It has a Oneway Wolverine and I'm using the Wolverine mini platform tool rest.

A wider view of the sharpening station, not exactly current but close:

430816

I make the plastic setting jigs for a variety of angles primarily for lathe tools, skews, negative rake scrapers, etc. I make them from clear plexiglas and now paint them white on one side for better visibility.

430817

Any bench grinder should work.

JKJ

[Jim Becker]

I recently mentioned these in my new main benchtop thread...I have two of them, purchased recently (caught a sale), and really like them. While they are smaller than typical card scrapers, the thick profile really is nice for gripping and doing detail work.

430818 430819

[Derek Cohen]

Derek has used them, likes them, and probably has a review on his website. He'll probably come along, and comment.

Thanks Tom.

I've been using my own version of these for some years. The idea was given to me at least a decade ago by Philip Marcou, a planemaker in New Zealand. Philip described how you used offcuts of his D2 steel blades. I decided to try this with an offcut of an O1 blade. This blade is 3/16" thick, but 1/8" would work. Indeed, I have successfully used 2mm plate.

The scraper is sharpened by hollow grinding the edges. I use an 8" 180 grit CBN wheel ...

https://i.postimg.cc/MKZ8sHq7/Sharpening-blade-scrapera-zpslgrvfjha.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/GmSZtgDP/Scraper2-zpsyar2o7ii.jpg
The result is magic! Think of it like a jack plane, which takes heavy cuts. Your card/cabinet scraper would bee the smoother.

Scraping in a curved drawer ...

https://i.postimg.cc/kXwr3gXp/1-zpspr2v0uh1.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/029gBwxS/2-zpsp9yhsrcq.jpg

Here is another illustration of the scraper in use. This time finishing the outside of curved drawers ...

Levelling up a set of 8 drawers ..

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/FinishingTheDrawers_html_m69043b01.jpg

There is tearout from the small high angle (60 degree) HNT Gordon smoother. That just shows how difficult this Jarrah is ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/FinishingTheDrawers_html_m74957db8.jpg

The thick scraper sorts this out ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/FinishingTheDrawers_html_m555852.jpg

Now, if you want to see the difference between a fine scraper and a fine sanded surface ...

Drawer front hand sanded to 400 grit using abranet ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/FinishingTheDrawers_html_6237eaad.jpg

The result from a cabinet scraper can be seen to the right ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/FinishingTheDrawers_html_7f541cdc.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[John K Jordan]

...(caught a sale)... the thick profile really is nice for gripping and doing detail work.

430818 430819

What may not be obvious to someone looking at photos is they way they are made makes them easier to grip than a flat piece of steel. The black area is "'dished" out for a concave surface on both sided. That plus the hole make them fit nicely in the hand.

When I make some I plan on dishing them also, probably with a grinder. Guys with metal-working CNCs may have other options!

BTW, when I bought mine a few years ago the smaller one was $5 less and the larger two were $10 less than today's price! Yikes. Maybe the overseas trade/supply issue has struck here.

JKJ

[Jim Tobias]

Like John, I have all 3 and they are the scrapers I reach for when the piece I'm scraping matters. Great control and comfortable to use(as John pointed out with the dished out center).

Jim

[David Utterback]

For anyone who wants a rigid scraper, then it might be worth trying the side of a regular non laminated plane iron.(not the business end though)
Just hone it 90 degrees with a wee block to keep square.
No drawing a burr, just go straight to work.

As a bonus it makes a good job of flattening the stone if you have hollowed it out.

Tom

Thanks for this suggestion which I immediately tried. Works quite well. Tips like this are one reason I love this site.

[Bill Winter]

Thanks Tom.

I've been using my own version of these for some years. The idea was given to me at least a decade ago by Philip Marcou, a planemaker in New Zealand. Philip described how you used offcuts of his D2 steel blades. I decided to try this with an offcut of an O1 blade. This blade is 3/16" thick, but 1/8" would work. Indeed, I have successfully used 2mm plate.

The scraper is sharpened by hollow grinding the edges. I use an 8" 180 grit CBN wheel ...

https://i.postimg.cc/MKZ8sHq7/Sharpening-blade-scrapera-zpslgrvfjha.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/GmSZtgDP/Scraper2-zpsyar2o7ii.jpg
The result is magic! Think of it like a jack plane, which takes heavy cuts. Your card/cabinet scraper would bee the smoother.

Scraping in a curved drawer ...

https://i.postimg.cc/kXwr3gXp/1-zpspr2v0uh1.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/029gBwxS/2-zpsp9yhsrcq.jpg

Here is another illustration of the scraper in use. This time finishing the outside of curved drawers ...

Levelling up a set of 8 drawers ..

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/FinishingTheDrawers_html_m69043b01.jpg

There is tearout from the small high angle (60 degree) HNT Gordon smoother. That just shows how difficult this Jarrah is ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/FinishingTheDrawers_html_m74957db8.jpg

The thick scraper sorts this out ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/FinishingTheDrawers_html_m555852.jpg

Now, if you want to see the difference between a fine scraper and a fine sanded surface ...

Drawer front hand sanded to 400 grit using abranet ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/FinishingTheDrawers_html_6237eaad.jpg

The result from a cabinet scraper can be seen to the right ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/FinishingTheDrawers_html_7f541cdc.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek
Pardon my ignorance. What is Wolverine?

[John K Jordan]

Pardon my ignorance. What is Wolverine?

The Oneway Wolverine is a tool platform and jig system that is used with bench grinders. The complete system has a couple of bases that fasten to the workbench (I fasten them to plywood) under the wheel, an adjustable tool rest on a short arm that fits into the base, and other attachments and jigs for sharpening various tools. There is a long arm that fits into the base which has a pocket at one end to hold various woodturning tools in handles and sharpening jigs. I like the Mini Platform and use the Varigrind jig to sharpen bowl gouges. I don't like their skew chisel sharpening method and I don't use the pocket on long-handled tools. I consider the Mini Platform the best for sharpening scrapers of all types.

The whole thing is very strong and stable, unlike the small tool rests that come with most bench grinders.

https://oneway.ca/Wolverine%20Grinding%20Jig%20(complete)

JKJ

[Bill Winter]

I think I will go the CBN route. which grit is best with a 1750 RPM grinder?

[Bill Winter]

For anyone who wants a rigid scraper, then it might be worth trying the side of a regular non laminated plane iron.(not the business end though)
Just hone it 90 degrees with a wee block to keep square.
No drawing a burr, just go straight to work.

As a bonus it makes a good job of flattening the stone if you have hollowed it out.

Tom
Do you mean a plane iron such as one from a Stanley, Record, Bench Dog, Wood River, etc.?

[Mark Rainey]

One type of Ultimate scraper has a straight edge and a mild concave edge. How would you sharpen concave edge?