I picked up a hand scraper to finish a top I'm working on. WoodCraft had burnishing tools, but they started at $40 :o I've tried a number of things around the shop to use to burnish the edge, but none seems to work. Any suggestions for what might work for a cheapskate like me?
A long screwdriver. usually a phillips because they are round. Most regular screwdrivers have flat sides on them. You just have to press hard when using the Phillips screwdriver.
I'll try pressing harder... :D I was thinking of the tang of a large round file, but I'd need to grind the surface smooth.
I use a fuel pump pushrod out of a small block chevy. Non chrome plated stuff works better.
Quote from: Delawhere Jack on May 09, 2017, 05:53:44 PM
I'll try pressing harder... :D I was thinking of the tang of a large round file, but I'd need to grind the surface smooth.
I've found that file tangs are actually soft metal (and square). The smaller the diameter, the more pressure / sq-in will be applied for your effort. So, how about a nail set or even an ice pick. Both of those are pretty hard.
I have a metal lathe, so I use a tool bit which is High speed steel. Muggs
Quote from: muggs on May 09, 2017, 07:32:28 PM
I have a metal lathe, so I use a tool bit which is High speed steel. Muggs
I do to but not many have that to use. However, just about everyone has drill bits! Use the shank on a drill bit to do the burnishing - that should work great. Just make sure they are good, HSS bits, not some cheap HF ones ;)
Thanks all. Some good suggestions. I'll report back with what works. Already tried several of these ideas. This scraper seems to be awfully hard though. HSS drill shank will barely touch it.
Be sure to file it square first. The previous burnishing may have work hardened it. I use a old Stanley nail set. I purchased one of the triangular burnisher years ago and never had any luck using it. :)
The sides of a depth gauge (raker) file is what I use. If you file your chainsaw teeth you should have one. It's also what I use to square up the top. A depth gauge file has no "teeth" on the sides to avoid dulling the chain and is as hard as the flat cutting part.
Put the scraper in a vice, square it up and turn the file to quickly burnish it.
An old steel hone, like used to sharpen knives, works better than the screwdriver trick.
Somewhere I saw that an engine valve stem works great for this.
I know this is an old thread but I use a mill bit shank to roll a bur on the scrapers that I make. I'm not sure if it's carbide or tool steel. I make scrapers out of large band saw blades.
Agreed that this is an old thread, but nobody mentioned how important it is to prepare all the surfaces of the scraper before you will be able to properly burnish a good burr/hook to get the scraper to work properly.
A scraper needs to have all three sides polished down to a mirror, just like the back of a chisel. The edge needs to be polished just like both sides. Removing the scratches from all three sides is what prevents a weak wire burr forming, which will just roll over immediately during use.
Just thought I'd mention it as the most common source of the inability to "sharpen" a card scraper properly.
Any round or oval surface harder than the card scraper material can be used as a burnisher. The most common in any shop is a HSS drill bit. However, nothing works well with a card scraper that hasn't been prepped correctly first.