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Thread: Fun with scrapers

  1. #1
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    Fun with scrapers

    The thread a few weeks ago, where the StewMac scraper was mentioned, got me thinking about how a thick scraper compares to a thin scraper. I've had the StewMac/Al Carruthers scraper for years, used it a few times and pretty much forgot about it until the aforementioned thread, particularly where Derek Cohen mentioned his 1/4" thick plane irion, converted into a scraper. Derek said it worked wonderfully, and he attributed the results to grinding at 90 degrees on a CBN wheel. I tried that with the StewMac and results improved significantly: just a grind on a 180 grit CBN, and nothing else.

    Next, I grabbed an extremely sharp, 1-1/2" wide chisel, held it vertically, and the results were at least identical (for both, the lumber was white oak and canary wood). Should I stop here, or try a bit more?

    I had a piece of plate A2, 1/8" thick, so I made and had treated a piece to fit a Stanley 80 and a Stanley 82 scraper. The 80 showed less than satisfactory results on a variety of wood, but the "not very much loved" 82, had excellent results (one side of the blade was sharpened at 90degrees and the opposite was at 45 degrees, sharpened as a plane or chisel). Either side gave equal results-maybe from ability to apply pressure?

    My take aways? I did not turn the burrs and this bears experimentation. I did not like A2 at all, for this purpose-sharpening the 45 degree angle on my Spyderco stones, felt " gummy": was it my heat treating, the angle or what?

    Next experiment will be testing this blade, with a burr turned. Also, I will try a piece of HSS and a piece of O1. But my early conclusion is the StewMac, when sharpened at 90 degrees on a CBN wheel, beats all other scrapers hands down, with an excellent surface resulting. At the cost of the StewMac ($35.00 or so), is a bargain. Maybe our predecessors really knew sonething with their use of glass to use as a scraper?

    Thought or comments?
    If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will.

  2. #2
    Have you ever tried scraping with the sides of your plane iron,
    Way up at the other "useless end" of the iron... on a oilstone using a wee wooden block to keep things square?

    I find I'm getting better results with a short block extending way past the end of the iron, lengthening the surface area makes for better registration,
    leading to sharp on both edges, rather than one good one, one just ok.
    If you have an oil stone thats needing to be flattened, this is a great way to do it

    Tom
    Last edited by Tom Trees; 03-04-2019 at 3:09 AM.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Trees View Post
    Have you ever tried scraping with the sides of your plane iron,
    Way up at the other "useless end" of the iron... on a oilstone using a wee wooden block to keep things square?

    I find I'm getting better results with a short block extending way past the end of the iron, lengthening the surface area makes for better registration,
    leading to sharp on both edges, rather than one good one, one just ok.
    If you have an oil stone thats needing to be flattened, this is a great way to do it

    Tom
    Plane irons should work just fine. I've had excellent results with card scrapers for decades, except for the wear and tear on my thumbs. Thick scrapers, 1/8" and thicker, remove the abuse on you hands, and I've found the resultant surface on the lumber to be better.

    Time to refine techniques a bit? As an aside, I recall nearly 40 years ago, while helping my now deceased dad, how he showed me to make a scraper out of an old mill file-did it on a bench grinder (no CBN wheek!). Worked great.
    If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will.

  4. #4
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    Was using the Stanley No. 82 last night......

  5. #5
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    Excellent information, Tony. Any pictures?

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Derek Cohen View Post
    Excellent information, Tony. Any pictures?

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    I knew this question would come up Derek! I've got this "left brain/right brain" thing where I've never quite figured out how to post pics! Maybe I'll turn one of my kids loose to train me!

    Regardless, I'm thinking that thicker is far better for scrapers, maybe a bit more refinement on the edge, when the scraper comes off the CBN wheel, and then maybe the lightest burr. The biggest surprise to me were the less than satisfactory results out of the Stanley 80. I see Lee Valley offers a 1/8" thick blade for their scraper plane, and I'm inclined to buy one, for experimenting. As I mentioned previously, the StewMac/Al Carruthers is a bargain, and I'm surprised more don't have one.
    If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by steven c newman View Post
    Was using the Stanley No. 82 last night......
    The Stanley 82 deserves a lot more love than it gets Steve!
    If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will.

  8. #8
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    Well Tony, perhaps others will take your lead and try it out for themselves now. There must be a bunch of well-used woodie irons lying around. Only need one.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

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