Scrapers Demysti fi ed Finish faster in 5 steps (or less). By Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk

Many woodworkers The edge choice depends on the revere the card scraper as if it task at hand. Just as you wouldn’t glue. By trying following the possesses magical properties. A use a freshly-honed chisel to hack sequenceburr to scrape and testing away hardened each edge, dirt cheap that can remove notches in a 2×4, you needn’t glue, smooth knots and gnarly wood, strip paint, or knock down you’re likely to find the right waste time burnishing a perfect edge to match your next job. noise or dust may indeed sound Scraper Start-Up likefinish a woodworker’snibs without making Holy Grail. A good starter set consists of a thin But in truth, there’s no great (0.6 mm) rectangular scraper and a mystery to harnessing the magic medium thick (0.8 mm) rectangular scraper. Thinner scrapers are easier The only trick is creating the to fl ex which provides more scraping of this humble piece of steel. fi nesse. Thicker scrapers are tougher and your reward is a tool that to bow. This make them likely to makeshook-shaped shavings burr. without Get it rightthe dish the surface and more suited risk of tearout. Get it wrong and for heavier scraping. If you can spare a few extra bucks, buy a The search for the perfect gooseneck scraper. You won’t use scraperyou’ll get edge nothing separates but dust. it as oft en as the straight-edgers, but woodworkers into three scraper for removing machine marks and burns camps: Coarse Burr, Fine Burr, from curves, it will earn its keep. . and Burr-free. They’re all right.

Opening Photo: Paul Anthony, Sidebar Photo: Jim Osborn Aug/Sept 2010 woodcraftmagazine.com 61 Well-Prepared Scraper Here’s what the long edges of your scraper should look like at the end of this 5-step process. The burrs will slice the wood like a miniature , but without tear-out. Bett er edge preparati on translates into a smoother fi nished Squaring the edge Honing the edge surface and longer-lasti ng edge. Use a fi ne mill fi le to establish a Run the scraper against a guide A coarse burr breaks down square, straight edge. The grooved block to keep it perpendicular quickly, but is easy to refresh. board keeps the fi le perpendicular to to the sharpening stone. Move the scraper’s face. Draw the scraper as the block across the stone to shown to avoid dulling the fi le’s teeth. prevent excessive wear.

Burnished Filed edge Honed edge edge

Burr Wire edge Burr

Rough work: Coarse Finish sanding required. Burr

Step 1: Squaring the edge uniformly shiny. (An easy way Squaring, or , the edge to check your progress is to run more than a few passes. a permanent marker along the that’sIn theory, too weak scrapers to be usedare like for edge. The most important part of edge. When the ink’s gone, you’re establishes a square, defect-free and square. I’ve tried various highestchisels and grit plane stones. blades; However, the jigsthis andstep setups is filing to the maintain edge straight the done.) Joint both long edges. infinest practice, edges I comecan’t detectfrom the an While it’s the first step in the five-step prep process, the proper angle, but this jointing scraping.burr produced The scraped from filing workpiece is withappreciable my 6000-grit difference waterstone. in edge block remains my favorite. To surprisingly suitable for rough Iquality suspect beyond the reason what forI achieve this againstmake the the jig, teeth groove a few a board times to "grit-ceiling" is due to the way fit your . Draw the scraper won’t be finish-ready, but the and the scraper’s edge appears sanderresulting and marks 220-grit can .be quickly edge while drawing the hook. until the filing action is smooth, erased with a random-orbital thatTo the hone the edges polishes and faces, the Steps 2 and 3: Honing I use a pair of homemade guide Tip Alert the edge and face Try out your new scraper before Honing removes the serrations fi ling or burnishing. Most andblocks. makes The it edge-honing easier to move block scrapers come honed; a few skip this step. Attempting to themaintains scraper the around square the filed stone. edge come pre-hooked. drawand burr and left turn from the theunhoned file. Don’t more consistent pressure than The face-honing block provides 62 woodcraftmagazine.com Aug/Sept 2010edge produces a ragged burr 5°

1 to 2°

Honing the face Drawing out the burr Turning the hook Remove the burr left from filing and Tilt the burnisher and glide it across Hold the burnisher perpendicular to then hone the outermost 1/2” of scraper’s face a few times to polish the scraper’s sides and run it along the face. A block (with double-faced the edge and draw the metal outward. the edge. Repeat this step two or tape on the underside) provides even The resulting burr is undetectable, but three times, gradually increasing pressure across the face of the steel. this step makes the next one easier. the burnisher’s angle to about 5°.

Honed Sharp 90° face edge Burnisher

Drawn edge

Fine work: No sanding required. No Burr General Purpose: Sanding 5-step usually not required. Burr

face and scoot it along the edge. pressure alone. (To attach Make two or three additional can be achieved with finger likeTo a draw paper the clip edge, that’s wipe been away passes, gradually increasing anybent residual one time honing too many. grit and then theOnce block the to edges the card, and use faces a strip of double-faced tape.) the angle until the burnisher is ready for delicate work lay the scraper flat on the edge theis at smaller about a hooks 5° angle. works (Less as is have been honed, the scraper alongof your the bench. length Apply of the a dropscraper's of more. Compared to 15° hooks, edgeoil to usingyour burnisher,a few light and downward run it If you’ve done your work cuttingsuch as andsmoothing versatility, nibs though, from pressure. Some woodworkers correctly,well, but seems you should to last feel longer.) a tiny movea finish. on For to the more next aggressive steps of steel. I prefer tilting it a degree orkeep two the to burnisher concentrate flat downward on the oppositeburr along direction the entire to edge.turn the Stepdrawing 4: andDrawing turning the burr. pressure on the cutting edge. opposingTilt the hook,burnisher then inrotate the the out the burr scraper in the vise and hook Step 5: Turning the hook the remaining two edges. When polishes it and work-hardens the scraper in a vise so you’re done, make a few test theDrawing metal out to makethe edge a longer further cuts. If an edge isn't making

Startingthat the edgewith toonly be aburnished few pounds strokeslasting burr. can overharden One or two thepasses is parallel to the benchtop. getshavings, the moves burnish down, it again one or using two should be all it takes; too many perpendicular to the scraper’s a bit more pressure. Until you of pressure, hold the burnisher metalPhotos: Paul and Anthony; make Illustrations: a brittle Chris hook, Glowacki Aug/Septedges 2010 maywoodcraftmagazine.com need reburnishing. 63 60°

The push method Using both hands, pinch the short edges and position your Two ways to scrape thumbs low on the back edge. Push with your thumbs to create a slight bow, tilt the card until the burr catches, and start scraping. The bigger the bow, the more aggressive the cut. alsoA scraper more canapt tobe dishpushed the orsurface. pulled. Pushing is more aggressive, but

Pulling“Catching is less the aggressive edge” is thebut same regardlessyieldss produces of hand a flatter positioning. surface. perpendicular to the work and Start by holding the tool make shavings. The exact angle tilting it until the hook begins to isn’t important, but I find myself directionscraping at relative about ato 60° the angle. grain The pull method withoutA scraper producing can be tear-out.used in any Place your fingers on the back and your thumbs on the front. Align When scraping a machine- your fingertips low to apply uniform pressure along the cutting planed surface, work diagonally edge, bow the scraper just enough to keep the corners from to level out mill marks. digging into the wood, tilt, and pull the scraper toward you.

Restoring an edge It’s hard to mistake a scraper Using A Curved Scraper in need of sharpening. When Once you’ve used straightedge a curved scraper one-handed, the card starts to skip across scrapers, you can try burnishing and on the pull stroke. Rotate the the wood or produce dust a curved scraper. Unlike sanding, scraper so the card fits the curve, instead of shavings, it’s time to scraping is faster and less likely to tilt until the burr begins to grab, round over a sharp profile. Honing and then pull it towards you. If you’re using a carefully and hooking a curved edge preparedtake it back edge, to the you burnisher. can redraw requires some practice but unlike a rectangular card, you only need to work the portion of the edge Tothe redraw burr several the hook, times lay before the that’s needed for the job at hand. having to re-file the edges. Using a curved scraper is also different than using a straight- scraper on your bench and edged one. A curved scraper oldrun hookthe burnisher then turn diagonally a fresh won’t match the exact profile. This one.across You the can face expect to flatten to rehook the means that you’ll need to scrape an edge four to six times a profile in overlapping passes, rotating the scraper to fit the adjoining section. I prefer using before the metal becomes brittle, requiring you to64 file woodcraftmagazine.com a fresh edge. Aug/Sept 2010