The Dovetail Kid » scraper http://dovetailkid.com Exploring woodworking using traditional hand tools Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:34:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Tuning and using a card scraper http://dovetailkid.com/2008/01/15/tuning-and-using-a-card-scraper/ http://dovetailkid.com/2008/01/15/tuning-and-using-a-card-scraper/#comments Tue, 15 Jan 2008 01:26:00 +0000 Luis tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330245739799334254.post-8542477770686162037 Card ScraperCard scrapers can be a very useful tool to handle wild grain, but tuning them properly can be a daunting task even for the experienced woodworker. If you turn a very long burr it will break easily but if the burr is too short will will only produce dust.

A properly sharpened scraper attacking the wood at the right angle will produce thin curly shavings and will yield a perfectly smooth surface even on difficult woods like curly maple.

I searched the web and found four great videos showing slightly different techniques for sharpening a scraper and another two on using them.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

]]> http://dovetailkid.com/2008/01/15/tuning-and-using-a-card-scraper/feed/ 0 Card scrapers http://dovetailkid.com/2007/05/02/card-scrapers/ http://dovetailkid.com/2007/05/02/card-scrapers/#comments Wed, 02 May 2007 19:42:00 +0000 Luis tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330245739799334254.post-8367212991967759082 Card ScraperCard scrapers are an efficient tool used to put a finish on woods with difficult grain patterns like curly maple, walnut burl and many of the exotic woods.

Even a fairly straight grained wood may show small spots of grain tear-out after planing with a smoother, which can be easily smoothed with a card scraper. The alternative being the use of sandpaper, either by hand with a sanding block or using a random-orbit sander and producing lots of dust in your shop.

One of the tricky thinks about using a scraper is the sharpening process which is not clear for everyone but is in fact quite simple. All you need is a flat file, a set of waterstones (the same used to sharpen and hone your plane blades) and a burnisher to turn the burr on the edge of the scraper.

Marc Spagnuolo, the man behind The Wood Whisperer and all those great podcasts, has recently published a video showing how to sharpen card scrapers in three simple steps.

This video demystifies the process better than any article I’ve ever read. Great work Marc!

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