Arno Burnisher

[Phil Mueller]

For those of you, like me, that may be a bit frustrated getting a working burr on a card scraper, you may want to check out this burnisher. It was touted by CS, and I decided to put it on my Christmas list. It did arrive under the tree, and I just had an opportunity to give it a try. Put it to the test on three different card scrapers, and it produced the best and most consistent burr I’ve ever been able to achieve.

Maybe it’s just mind over matter, or the cheap woodworking store burnisher I had been using, the Arno just made it a no brainer.

I’m not associated at all with Arno, just wanted to share my experience with it.

[Tom M King]

I had never thought about using carbide before. I checked ebay, and there are all sorts of carbide rods available. I think I'll make a more traditional one.

[Derek Cohen]

I've been using a thin (diameter) polished carbide rod for several years. Given to me by Tony Z. It's the best thing since sliced bread.



Sharpening method: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Woodwor...29Scraper.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Tony Zaffuto]

I've been using a thin (diameter) polished carbide rod for several years. Given to me by Tony Z. It's the best thing since sliced bread.



Sharpening method: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Woodwor...29Scraper.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

Glad you're still using it Derek! I've experimented through the years and the best always comes back to the thin, mirror polished carbide. I believe one of the reasons thin works, is because to put a fine burr on a scraper, you must not press too hard. Yes, you can get a burr by applying a lot of pressure, but the burr is rougher than desired. This grade of carbide is highly polished (mirror), with a resulting natural lubricity.

One of these days, I'll have to gather some more rods to distribute!

[Phil Mueller]

Ok, gents, you’ve peaked my interest. What is thin? 1/8”? And what grade carbide to you use?
Thanks!

[Derek Cohen]

Glad you're still using it Derek! I've experimented through the years and the best always comes back to the thin, mirror polished carbide. I believe one of the reasons thin works, is because to put a fine burr on a scraper, you must not press too hard. Yes, you can get a burr by applying a lot of pressure, but the burr is rougher than desired. This grade of carbide is highly polished (mirror), with a resulting natural lubricity.

One of these days, I'll have to gather some more rods to distribute!

Tony, I believe you are correct.

About a year or two ago, my woodworking club put on a series of handtool demonstrations. This occasion I was not presenting. I knew one of the demos was on sharpening card scrapers, and I thought I would take along a prepared card (flattened and ready for burnishing) and your burnisher. The demonstrator did a woeful job: He explained that he had created a special tool to hold the burnisher so as to maximise downforce of his screwdriver shaft to create a large burr. He emphasised that it needed to have a large burr and that this required a lot of downforce, and around 20 strokes of the screwdriver. I stood with my mouth hanging open as he vainly attempted to make shavings ... and then proudly pointed at the resulting dust. The surface was scratched and ragged, as you might expect.

The club know me well, and they are pretty laid back, and so when I said I would like a go, they were happy to do this. The demonstrator was a really nice guy, with a good sense of humour. He grabbed my card to test that it was dull, and only handed it back when he has proved it made no more than dust as is.

I literally stroked the card twice in each directly to draw the steel, and then again gently two strokes at 5 degrees and two gentle strokes at 10 degrees, and handed the card to him. I wish I could have had a photo of his face when he peeled off shaving after shaving. Such fun.

Such a great burnisher.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Tony Zaffuto]

Derek: Years ago, when I first learned how to burnish, I read that the pressure should be the same as buttering a slice of bread. Works for me!

Phil: To me, thin is around 1/4".

[Tom M King]

Glad I didn't order one last night. I almost ordered a 3/8" one.

[Tony Zaffuto]

Technique is important as is preparation of the scraper. Like sharpening, too many times we (hobbyists) tend to overthink and complicate things. Look to how a Charles Hayward or Robert Wearing would prepare a scraper card. How Warren Mickley-as a professional, how do you prepare one, Warren?

[Mel Fulks]

The solid carbide 1/4 " laminate trim router bits make good burnishers. They are short so I make a notch in a piece of wood and glue in the carbide with a gummy glue.

[Michael Todrin]

I just made one this week from some 6mm carbide rod and a turned black walnut scrap. It works great. 8C067E8B-9D82-4E84-8363-61267CD4AEED.jpg

[John K Jordan]

...it produced the best and most consistent burr I’ve ever been able to achieve.

Maybe it’s just mind over matter, or the cheap woodworking store burnisher I had been using, the Arno just made it a no brainer.

Just read the description. Are you using the cylindrical side or the triangular side? What's the diameter of the cylinder? I'm especially curious about the triangular side of the burnisher and what it does differently.

I use card scrapers a lot, most of them curved instead of straight. I've always used a polished round carbide rod but a few years ago I made one with a much smaller rod and shorter rod and I like it better than the larger, at least on the curved scrapers. I don't put the scrapers in a vise as usually recommended - due to the shapes and sizes I hold them in one hand and the burnisher in the other. A small diameter rod can apply more pressure in one spot than the large diameter with the same force.

These are what I use, the one I made showing the short carbide rods, and both burnishers together.

burnisher_IMG_6767.jpg _scrapers_IMG_7784.jpg

Some of the curved scrapers and those I tend to use the most:

scrapers_.jpg scrapers_favorite_IMG_7870.jpg

(The 1/8" thick StewMac scrapers don't require burnishing.)

My application is on woodturnings, scraping instead of coarse sanding. The surface is, of course, far better.

scraper-shavings-IMG_7864.jpg

Have you used the burnisher on small curved scrapers and if so, which side did you use and how did it work?

JKJ

[Phil Mueller]

John, I’ve only experimented with the cylindrical side on straight edge scrapers. The cylindar measures about 3/16” diameter. I haven’t tried the triangular side yet or used either side on curved scrapers. Hope to play with it some more this weekend. Below are steps 3 and 4 in the instructions which may give you some additional info...(Steps 1 and 2 are just the normal proceedure to prepare the scraper).

I’ll report back in when I get a chance to work with it some more.

918F20FC-E8E9-4895-B764-084DF44C1E3B.jpg

[John K Jordan]

Thanks for that information.

I work similarly except I hold the curved scrapers in my hand so I can turn them while drawing the edge, especially the smaller ones. I don't burnish at the three angles they suggest but I'll try that next time.

There is a good article in FWW about sharpening curved scrapers. Dec 2018, #271, page 20, "Sharpen and use a curved scraper." Peter Galbert points out that the edge must perfectly perpendicular to the side (if you want to use both sides!) or it will cut poorly. He makes a little jig to hold a file and/or diamond hone perpendicular. I made one in two sizes (lignum vitae):

scraper_jigs_IMG_7887.jpg scraper_honing_1_IMG_7884.jpg scraper_honing_2_IMG_7881.jpg

Galbert points out that after several burnishings, the steel can become work hardened making it difficult to ticket the edge properly. At that point I go back to the CBN wheel and the file.

If anyone is interested in making curved scrapers, I found it difficult to keep the steel cool if grinding them to shape on the bench grinder. A belt sander is better - I use a 1" 80-grit belt to shape, but a very coarse bench grinder might work better than the fine wheels I use. After shaping I use a 600 grit CBN wheel to refine the edge quickly so I don't have to file so much. Preparing and ticketing the curved scrapers is a bit more work than the flat.

scraper_CBN_IMG_7894.jpg

Thanks for posting about this burnisher. I've seen it advertised but never thought about getting one. I've ordered one to evaluate. It is a little pricey (best price I found is about $40) compared to my little carbide rod burnisher (about $2 and the time to make the handle) but if it works better it will be worth it. After using the curved scrapers on woodturnings I'll take up basket weaving before I'll give them up.

JKJ

John, I’ve only experimented with the cylindrical side on straight edge scrapers. The cylindar measures about 3/16” diameter. I haven’t tried the triangular side yet or used either side on curved scrapers. Hope to play with it some more this weekend. Below are steps 3 and 4 in the instructions which may give you some additional info...(Steps 1 and 2 are just the normal proceedure to prepare the scraper).

I’ll report back in when I get a chance to work with it some more.

918F20FC-E8E9-4895-B764-084DF44C1E3B.jpg

[Richard Jones]

The comment in the instructions about the "tick, tick, tick" and how the ticketer got its name is a new one to me. What I've read in the past was that it resembled the sound made by a ticket counting machine. Perhaps there are other inconsistencies?

One project today is to polish up a carbide router bit and see if it performs any better than an old Two Cherries burnisher. It makes sense that polished would perform better than "rough".