I thought I knew how to use a scraper when wood turning but I have recently seen some catalog illustrations that leave me in doubt. The question, is a scraper used with the bevel up or down. None of the books I have clearly indicate which is correct. I have been using it with the bevel down. A catalog I have illustrates half round scrpaers label Right Hand and Left Hand. If the correct use is with the bevel down, those illustrations seem to me to be labled backwards. If anyone knows what is supposed to be the correct way of using this tool, I would appreciate hearing.
Thanks
_DAVID R. WARNER, JR
Replies
David, keep your bevel down. You can use the burr from grinding to scrape with but you'll do nicer work and faster too if you turn the burr on your lathe scrapers with a burnisher ... just the way you would on a cabinet scraper. This also works well for diamond parting tools ... it does change the effective working angle though. The geometry of a properly turned burr limits the cut depth and minimizes tearout. It acts sort of like a chipbreaker on a hand plane.
One thing that I would add to clay's post is that the tip should be cutting below centre and lower than the rest.i.e. handle higher than tip
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