Well, not actually discovered them. But discovered using them to get a pristine surface after sanding through all the grits. I used them like a plate scraper, got about a couple of square feet from one razor, using them on walnut.
One thing I noticed is that using them also tended to hone them a little, so I make a few passes, flip the blade around, make a few more passes, till I could tell it wasn’t scraping anymore. Toss it and grab a new blade.
The wood became so smooth it was slightly shiny! Anybody else do this?
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Yes.. However I use the 'Box Cutter' blades.
hmm... those probably last longer with more metal as a heat sinc. I'm gonna try that out.
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Have fun but I do dumb stuff all the time!
Cost is higher though.
So do I, but somehow managed to keep all my fingers so far. :-)
The utility knife blades clearly hold the edge at least 3 times longer. Bummer, because I've had this box of 50 single edge blades for a couple of years and thought I finally found a use for them. Utility blades, however, I go through by the dozens doing drywall and stuff, so I have plenty of them.
Maybe I'll get lucky some day and have to scrape old paint from a bunch of windows.
Thanks for the tip!
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Yes, but I have used them with a "patented holder" thing which was useful as I used it to scrape accumulated muck off an antique veneered top, whilst wet with spirits and linseed oil-slippery.
I figured there must be some gadget for this purpose, but working it with my fingers was okay for the small amount I did today. Any idea where I could get one of those fancy patented holders, for future use?
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Ted,
It is actually a Red Devil tool and I have no idea how I came by it but I have had it for along time. I would think you would find it or similar on a dusty shelf in one of those olden type hardware stores.Philip Marcou
Ted - This trick was written up in one of the Woodworking Magazine editions a couple of years ago. The article noted that you could roll a hook on these with a burnisher just as you would with a card scraper, and that they work a bit better if bent slightly in the middle.
By the way - in regards to not burning your fingers, I figured out that blue painter's tape works really well for this purpose. It stretches fairly well so it goes onto my thumbs with ease, it prevents burning, and it's thin enough not to lose the "feel" of the tool like one would through gloves. When done, you just throw it away, and the sticky stuff is made to come off easily, unlike bandages.
It's not uncommon to get a shiny surface with a card scraper, at least for myself who is only intermediate at sharpenning them (maybe I burnish the wood more than cut it sometimes). Do you get shavings or dust with those blades? Anyway very interesting idea, though I encourage you to look into card scrapers if for no other reason than to cover a larger area. They do take practice . . . but they can actually remove material AND leave a shiny surface, and they are not disposable. I sand after scraping (not before) to make the surface more uniform in appearance, not smoother. I am not suprised that your slight burninshing of the surface creates something smoother than any sandpaper, but how's the uniformity--no track marks, slight undulations, sheen variations with changes in the grain? I guess I never wanted my surfaces smoother than 400 grit, but maybe you have made me want it! End of Rant!
Brian
Ted, I use them as scrapers sometimes, but I roll the edge over to one side with a burnisher.
To do that, I use one of my small burnishers without a handle, laying the burnisher on a smooth surface. Start by holding the blade tilted to about 45º on top of it, and start moving back and fourth while bringing the blade up to about 90º while the burnisher rolls back and fourth on the table.
You will get a nice bur like a normal card scraper, only razor sharp.
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