Card Scraper for Endgrain?

[Gregg Feldstone]

I'm a new turner and so far every bowl ends up with less attractive endgrain areas. I'm getting better with the gouge and than finishing with a scraper (also improving).
After sanding there's more improvement but I still end up with endgrain areas which appear "washed out". I've read other threads on SMC and have tried using mineral spirits to raise the grain and have also reverse sanded. These have helped a little but I'm still far from satisfied with my results.
HAS ANYONE EVER TRIED A CARD SCRAPER to clean up endgrain on turned pieces? I've never used one but will be buying a set soon and hope it will help with this problem.

[Scott Conners]

It would be helpful to know the species of wood you are working with, as different woods often require different techniques. Photos would be even better.

Have you tried shear scraping cuts with a swept wing bowl gouge? The technique is well described in Bill Grumbine's Turned Bowls Made Easy video.

It involves presenting the lower edge of the gouge to the wood at a shear angle, with the gouge flute closed to the face of the wood and the upper wing nearly touching. It is a very delicate, clean cut that is great for cleaning up trouble spots.

[Gregg Feldstone]

I'll post some pics of a cherry bowl I'm working on now later today. I've had the same problem with paduk, mesquite (not as bad) and mahogany. I would like to try the technique. Where can I get/see the video??
It does sound a little scarry to me in that it sounds like one could get a catch easily doing what you described. I really need to see it. Thanks

[Darryl Hansen]

Not as scary as the card scraper. If it is one that has to be held by hand used for furniture finishing. Try coating the tear out with lacquer and then sanding. Also consider the carbide disk type tools they give a super finish.

[David Walser]

Gregg,

With the lathe turned off, yes, you can use a card scraper on the end grain areas. I've not done this myself, but I've read well-known turners say that they sometimes resort to this technique. Trying to sand smooth a torn area can be difficult because the softer areas of the wood will wear away more quickly than the rest of the surface. A card scraper will leave a smooth, level surface that should need little sanding.

However, you should need to use a card scraper only on very rare occasions. From your description, it sounds like you may have "burnished" the end grain by getting it too hot with your sanding. This will cause it to take the finish differently, leaving it looking washed out. I'm only speculating, of course, but if my diagnosis is correct, try sanding with a lighter touch and at a lower speed. You might also make sure you are using fresh sandpaper.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I use different method for different woods. I have never had a problem with the woods you have mentioned. I will spritz some woods with a water and then do a final cut. One thing I do is like Mike Mahoney showed us at a demo is to use a sharp conventional bowl gouge to do the final cuts. I also use the vertical shear scrape or a plain shear scrape that Bill Grumbine teaches on his dvd. His DVD is Turned Bowls Made Easy. He shows about every cut you need.

[Malcolm Tibbetts]

Gregg, I routinely use a card style scraper, both a straight blade for convex curves and a “French” curve for concave surfaces. My usual procedure is to apply sanding sealer (before any sanding) and then scrape off the sealer at a moderate speed as soon as it’s mostly dry (sometimes it’s still a little gummy). I also do this in both directions. This softens the fibers and allows easier cutting. I will sometimes do this 3 or 4 times before touching the wood with sandpaper. By doing this, I can usually start sanding with 220-grit and thus avoid the problems of coarse grit sanding. This type of freehand scraping should be kept to a minimum on a turning with both end-grain and side-grain; excessive freehand (with the use of a tool rest) scraping will remove side grain wood at a faster rate and your vessel will become “out-of-round”. And of course, safety is a concern, so use caution; the worse mistake would be to approach the spinning wood with the scraper facing the wrong direction.

[Reed Gray]

I have used card scrapers, but find a hand held shear scraper to give better results.
robo hippy

[Rasmus Petersen]

Have been considering the use of card style scrapers.. especially after i saw Takehito Nakajima, turn at a symposium in denmark.He used them a lot... Will try to find and post some video of him :)