How does a glass scraper work?

[Jamie Buxton]

You can make a scraper from a piece of glass. A freshly-broken edge scrapes pretty much like a steel scraper. The first pic below is a broken piece of food jar. The second is that piece of glass pulling shavings off a board. (I'm not photoshopping you. Try it if you don't believe me.)

I don't understand how this scraper actually cuts. Scrapers have a burr, which makes a cutting edge to cut into the wood fibers. The third pic below is a diagram from Leonard Lee's fine book on sharpening, and it shows the burr cutting into the wood.

As far as I can see, the glass scraper has no cutting edge. There is a sharp edge formed by the break, but it has no burr. In fact, I was dragging it backwards across the wood to make the shavings in the picture.

So, can anybody explain to me how the glass scraper works?

[Jared Cuneo]

I believe that when glass breaks, although you may not see it witout the aid of a lens, its very much rough along the break which makes it serrated in many different angles. Hence your fine shavings rather than long curls from a fresh steel scraper.

On another note, this looks pretty dangerous :)

JC

[Eddie Darby]

You can take a scraper, and sharpen it well, with no edge turned, and it will scrape fairly well. The burnishing of a hook is for heavier stock removal. Also a burred edge seems to last longer.

[Tim Lynch]

I have a friend that uses broken glass for stripping painted items. He swears by it, but I have no idea how he doesn't cut himself. :confused:

[Tony De Masi]

about 15 years ago I renovated my kitchen cabinets with only using glass at a tool. If you think about it, a cut piece of glass has eight sharp edges on it. Goes a long way too.

Tony

[Mike Spanbauer]

Would be a great reason to get some of those 'shark' gloves though which are essentially chain mail messing.

interesting thought though!

mike

[Mike Golka]

Kevlar gloves are easy to get and are made for just such occations.