hand scraper

Alexis · March 25, 2010, 02:55:35 PM

Somebody recently talked about using hand scraper... I'm going to ottawa this weekend and plan on stopping at lee valley tools and wonder if it's worth it to buy some.

They are not a major investment but I wonder if people use them...

thanks

Jasperfield · March 25, 2010, 07:52:13 PM

Yes.

Ask them to quickly show you how to use and sharpen it. Despite what you may have heard, scraper use and sharpening are simple activities.

In many operations, a scraper can do things that sandpaper and finish planes cannot.

You'll be surprised what such a simple tool can do.

bigshow · March 27, 2010, 11:23:45 PM

scrapers really make grain pop - very crisp and defined. I dont think I could ever sand any wood with awesome figure in it.

LOGDOG · March 28, 2010, 09:38:09 PM

The first time using a scraper is fun. Sand a piece of hardwood with sandpaper so that it looks nice and smooth. Then take the scraper behind it and watch it knife the surface glass smooth. I remember the first time one of my furniture maker clients brought me one of his scrapers to try. I couldn't stop. It was amazing how smooth it got the finish.

Have fun with it.

Alexis · March 29, 2010, 06:11:46 PM

well, I did buy the scraper at lee valley this weekend. It cost 9.50$ and the burnisher to sharpen it 7,50$

I used it today and it works great. I used it on a tenon and when the joint was almost finished, I used it to remove the last 1/16 and it did produce a nice flat finish.

I like a lot that the sharpening takes 30 sec. wich is a big plus for me. I'm sure I will find a lot of good use for it and suggest it to anyone since it's cheap.

I looked at the slick they sell at lee valley. The handle is offset quite a lot and I wasn't sure if it's a good thing for timber framing?

Brad_bb · March 29, 2010, 09:36:00 PM

You were just testing it on the tenon right? I mean, you don't intend to do that normally? Nobody sees it. I suggest finishing with a chisel or a slick.

Alexis · March 29, 2010, 11:01:47 PM

actually yes, I don't see why not

It takes about 30 sec to do 10 passes with the scraper to remove the last 1/16th inch and it ensure that the surface is perfectly flat... it's not for the look, but for the accuracy.