Scraping

[John Kain]

I'm thinking about starting to use scapers on a regular basis. Just wondering what people's opinions are concerning scraping. I borrowed a neighbor's scraper (I know, don't borrow tools) and wondered how I ever got along without one before. It made fixing up areas of wood much easier, and MUCH more enjoyable than sanding.

I started using a #4 and 60 1/2 plane ALOT since getting started back into woodworking. I'm wondering if this is the next step I should take. I see that Lee Valley has a nice kit at a nice price available.

[Chris Barton]

I use a scraper on virtually all of my pieces and rarely use a sandpaper of a grit lower than 220. Often, sanding isn't even necessary. I wouldn't be without at lease 4 scrapers on hand all the time.

[Mike Wenzloff]

My use is pretty much as Chris'.

From card scrapers to scraper planes, profiled scrapers for molding clean up, etc.

Take care, Mike

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Scrapers are indispensable in my shop. They fix lots of my mistakes before someone else sees them!

[Rob Millard]

I find scrapers to be indispensable, in a very narrow set of circumstances. I never use them for table tops, and rarely on any flat solid wood surface ( planes are superior). I use them mostly to refine curved shapes, for veneered surfaces and leveling inlays. I’m also skeptical of the claim that they can replace sand paper. Scraped surfaces, in my experience require a very minor sanding to achieve a surface ready for finishing; this is especially true of any surface that will be treated with a water-based product.
When I first started woodworking, I relied too heavily on scrapers. When I learned of the significant advantages of the planes with high angle frogs, I used them less an less.
Rob Millard