Planers, gird thy frogs, scrapers, unsheathe thy burnishers!
There is a new kid in town. Maybe soon to have a belt holster (ala LNs Block). Comin down the street. Low slung, rockin and rollin, “chopped and channeled” with an attitude.
It may look like a mouse but no …… it’s “Mighty Scraper.!!!
Check out the LVs new little puppy, the Small Scraping Plane
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=62885cat=51&ap=1
Will it overthrow the mighty card scraper?
Will a 20 degree set be the real solution?
Is 0.040 thick enough?
Should the blade be made of A-1?
Was it made in that place we do not speak of?
Can you dance to it?
Will it upset the balance of trade or will it, by itself lead the world back to financial stability?
This area of the forum is loosing it’s jazz.
Come forward and tell us all – your thoughts on this new upstart.
BB
Replies
The Might little scraper does not come close to thy jazziness and eloquent of tong, Sir Bolierbay.
But I hesitate and ask in shyness only you sir, given those of us of lowest means, would it not be cheaper to make thy own?
DustyMc
Hope - Inspires
Work - Wins
Success - Rewards
DustyM,I would believe that would be as efficacious. But If I made my own, I wouldn't be able to put on racing stripes or a giant M decal on its pommel. (for Mighty Mouse)I do envision a low hanging web cartridge belt with a Starrett combo on one side and twin Hopalong holsters on the other. One for Mighty and one for the Tom Blocker.BB
Very good indeed.
Lataxe,LV went and stole your ovoidal. I would have words with them. It may not be too late to protect your Galgatian (sp) enterprises. Or at the least they could send you a complimentary unit for your original creativeness. If they get a pair of them, they breed.
Then all that would be left would be despair.BB
"Will it overthrow the mighty card scraper?"
I hope so. I like my cabinet scraper, but I use a card scraper only as a last resort.
"Will a 20 degree set be the real solution?"
Works for me.
"Is 0.040 thick enough?"
Absolutely.
"Should the blade be made of A-1?"
No.
"Was it made in that place we do not speak of?"
You mean...Canada? There, I said it.
"Can you dance to it?"
I certainly hope not.
"Will it upset the balance of trade or will it, by itself lead the world back to financial stability?"
Yes.
-Steve
Steve,"You mean...Canada? There, I said it."Actually I was wondering about the other "C" place.
Canada's GOOD!The last thing I need is another thing to sharpen, but it's so dang cute, like a little puppy, I think I want one just to play with it.
Kind of like a pet rock :-)but I do want to get a decal.Whats one more leeetle plane type thingy anyway?
Wall street didn't leave much so I might as well blow the rest off.Derek? you there? A decal or not?Loosing it on the coast, watchin glue dry.BB
Hi BB
A decal? Mmmmmmmmmmmm....... :)
I had a look at the scraper plane at the pre-production stage.
This is a great little scraper plane for smaller areas. It is just perfect for cleaning up a little tearout, and saw- and plane tracks.
My initial view of this beetle-like plane was that it looked like something out of Star Trek. However, I found that the adjustable tote fitted into the hollow of my palm and allowed my forefinger to naturally hook over the front.
Using it, the experience is akin to wiping a board with the palm of your hand ... and fine shavings emerge. Unlike large scraper planes, you have a feeling of complete control.
Overall, it was an absolute joy to use.
Thicker blade? No - the whole idea is to be able to curve the blade with the screw. The thin blade is well supported and does not flex under load.
I'll be able to say more once/if I get a production version (the other was returned).
Regards from Perth
Derek
Edited 4/27/2009 4:33 am ET by derekcohen
Boiler,
Now that looks interesting. Something not needed but quite wantable. Something the Woodworking Taleban will heap curses upon- but so what?
Your questions: the 40thou blade is quite alright and anyway seems to me that one can put various blades into it-thinner or thicker. More important is whether it keeps its burr for long . Don't know about A1 steel but O1 would be fine, so would A2, depends on how it is heat treated.
Why the question on place of manufacture? If it isn't Canada it could just as easily be China India or Italy.
Send me one and I'll send you something back.
Philip,As to manufacture - just a lance tilt at the Brannigan over the Wood Rivers :O
I am not particularly concerned where the little fella is made as long as it "talks" to me when I'm scraping-and doesn't shed it's parts. Derek,In a more serious vein, with such a little fella, it is my concern that there would be loss of control. One of those great bothers -getting down to the last wisp and then having your scraper do the final insult on the last stroke on the last side of the last leg on the last chair on the......If fine control is there - great, as I see it as a fine little unit for along table or chair legs working near a sharp edge. My hams holding a card get in the way of seeing where I'm not supposed to be sometimes. Of course I could get smaller cards. Smaller hams are not an option.
I've also noticed that the bow adjust seems well hidden and requires a driver wheras I've been spoiled for years with an old wood holder that has a wood adjustment screw the size of a walnut. I suppose some things just have to be put up with.Thank you bothBB
Chris Schwarz wrote about this tool last week. He mentions the slight annoyance of having to use a screwdriver to adjust the blade curvature. He also said that, since the handle position adjustment requires a hex key, he might just take a hex key and grind one end down to fit the screw.
He said the one drawback of the tool is that it tends to clog with shavings more than other similar tools.
-Steve
Steve,
Thanks for the heads up. I'll check it out. I had my wonders about that bow screw.
BB
Yep, it does clog fairly quickly. So does the Cabinet scraper, which is one of my favourite tools. If you stick to fine shavings for the maus, which is I think what LV had in mind, it's not too bad. I just keep a utility knife handy for a quick swipe to clear the blade. It's a nice tool, but it's not the first scraper I'd buy if I was starting out.
Jim
Chris Schwarz wrote about this tool last week. He mentions the slight annoyance of having to use a screwdriver to adjust the blade curvature. He also said that, since the handle position adjustment requires a hex key, he might just take a hex key and grind one end down to fit the screw.
Hi Steve
I was disappointed to see the screw adjustment in the production model. My recommendation to LV, after road testing the pre-production version, was to replace it with a hex head bolt. Having said this, the screw did not require a lot of down force. I was more concerned with the slot being stripped.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Derek,
Does LV use standard threads or oddball sizes such Stanley?
T.Z.
I think oddball thread sizes are a relic of a time when threads weren't nearly as standardized as they are these days.
-Steve
Hi Tony
As far as my experience goes, all LV threads are standard.
By coincidence, a small scraper plane arrived in the mail today!
Regards from Perth
Derek
I can't wait for the unbiased review!Sorry... I couldn't resist! :<))Regards,Ron
My old Stanley scraper (is it a # 80?) has a thumbscrew that you can turn in and out to put a bow in the blade.
Of course it's a different tool than this new offering from Lee Valley. But it would seem as though the screw on the LV scraper plane could be replaced with something like that thumbscrew - not as large, of course, but maybe a little knurled knob. It doesn't take much effort to bow a thin blade like the one on this unit, so you could likely do it with just finger pressure around a knob.
To require a tool to adjust the plane seems like a step backwards...
Zolton If you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
Do you adjust the screw on your #80 very often? I find that I just set it and leave it until it's time to resharpen the blade.
-Steve
Steve,
I wouldn't say I adjust the blade bow on my #80 all that often. Primarily, I do it when the blade starts to dull and I'm not in the mood to sharpen it.
Then I crank on the thumbscrew to put more bow in the blade and more bite in the cut. Maybe that's not the way it's supposed to be used, but I don't have the owner's manual. Do you?
ZoltonIf you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
I have the Veritas version, so I do indeed have the owner's manual:
http://www.leevalley.com/html/05p3205ie.pdf
-Steve
Steve,
Dang! I was being sarcastic when I said I didn't have the manual for the Stanley # 80. The one you posted for the Lee Valley version is very helpful. I'd always struggled with the best way to sharpen the blade. This is valuable insight.
It's interesting to see how similar the two tools are. I guess you can't mess with success...
ZoltonIf you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
"I was being sarcastic when I said I didn't have the manual for the Stanley # 80."
And I was being smug when I posted the link. Does that make us even?
-Steve
Even-Steven...If you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
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