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Thread: Card Scrapers

  1. #1
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    Card Scrapers

    About a year ago, I was watching You-Tube videos about card scrapers. Was very interesting so I ordered a card scraper and burnisher, and learned how to sharpen one. Didn't have a need for one at that time so I put it aside. I'm working on a project now using red oak and I had some saw/burn marks on some thin strips of the red oak. I thought about the card scraper and got it out. Can a person fall in love with a card scraper? This thing is fantastic. How many of you are using card scrapers and do you have any tips for us?
    Army Veteran 1968 - 1970
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  2. #2
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    I use a card scraper. I was amazed at how easy it was to set the burr using light pressure.
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  3. #3
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    Card scrapers (in various shapes and sizes) are an essential tool, IMHO. The latest scrapers I acquired and actually love are the thicker ones that Stewart MacDonald markets to guitar builders. They are not large, but really do fine work without the need to bend them due to the way the edges get ground.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #4
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    In Australia and the UK these are referred to as cabinet scrapers. I use them, not only for smoothing in place of sandpaper, but also for shaping curved areas. The latter is best done with a thicker scraper. Do yourselves a favour and get one of the Stewmac thick scrapers ...



    I made my own from a piece of 1/8” thick plane blade ...



    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  5. #5
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    Great minds...
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  6. #6
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    Jim, we were posting at the same time!

    Great minds ... and all that

    Derek

    EDIT ... oh come on ... we even say the thing!

  7. #7
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    I would rather push a scraper all day than sand for an hour....

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Von Bickley View Post
    About a year ago, I was watching You-Tube videos about card scrapers. Was very interesting so I ordered a card scraper and burnisher, and learned how to sharpen one. Didn't have a need for one at that time so I put it aside. I'm working on a project now using red oak and I had some saw/burn marks on some thin strips of the red oak. I thought about the card scraper and got it out. Can a person fall in love with a card scraper? This thing is fantastic. How many of you are using card scrapers and do you have any tips for us?
    This is such a great response. There are a few things on our woodworking journey that caused us to be literally dumbfounded. Card scrapers for certainly one event on my journey. How can such a simple thing be so fabulous?
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  9. #9
    I do like the card/cabinet scraper; it is one of my favorite tools. My advice would be to try using it and holding it in every way possible, push, pull, bent, straight, two handed, one handed, different fingers/thumb combinations, steep angle, shallow angle; anything you can think of, including ways people say not to try. You will learn a lot about the tool and how to use it in different situations. I actually use it one handed a fair amount.

  10. #10
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    Derek,
    You are expensive...just ordered the StuMac scraper
    Thanks

  11. #11
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    One of my favorite tools. Hardly a project goes by without it seeing a cabinet scraper.

  12. #12
    A non laminated plane iron works for me.
    Not the business end though!
    Butted against a square block to hone it, and no burr drawn.
    Is also a good tool for flattening oil stones at the same time.

    Tom

  13. #13
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    Thank You Tom, I'm going to try it!

  14. #14
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    Of course you can fall in love with a scraper, I did that 40 years ago.

    I also have a scraping plane.............Rod.

  15. #15
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    Card scrapers are very handy. I fought trying to sand narrow slots in a face frame parts until I finally fashioned a narrow card scraper that fit the slot. It made that job so much easier.

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