Replies

1. 
   douglas2cats | Nov 23, 2004 04:28pm | #1

   I'd switch to a card scraper. Sanding is going to take you forever. A sharp scraper ought to clean up pine pretty quickly.

    

1. 
   dimitri | Nov 23, 2004 07:58pm | #2

   Thanks! I purchased a card scraper from lee valley about 6 months ago but havent touched it. What should I do? How do I sharpen it?

   thanks,

   Dimitri

1. 
   douglas2cats | Nov 23, 2004 08:47pm | #3

   I'm certainly no expert when it comes to sharpening one. I still get mixed results. Buts here's a link to a pretty good article on how to sharpen.

   http://www.tools-for-woodworking.com/lifeaftersandpaper.pdf

    

1. 
   dimitri | Nov 23, 2004 08:58pm | #5

   Thanks! That site looks helpful.

2. 
   CharlieD | Nov 23, 2004 08:58pm | #4

   Put the scraper in a vise, with the side you want to sharpen up. Use a file to make sure that the edge is square to the sides. So, file along the edge with the file at 90 deg to the sides. Then file very briefly on each side with the file flat to the side of the scraper and slightly overhanging the edge to remove any burr. (After this I actually go over the same procedure once again with a stone to remove any nicks and ridges.)Then, you should ideally have a burnisher, which is a round hard steel rod with a high polish. You can use a screwdriver shaft, but it's really not hard enough over time and will develop nicks that will bugger the edge on your scraper eventually. For now though, it should work. OK. Now you're ready to turn a hook. The idea is to make a little hook protruding from the edge of the scraper. First press the burnisher against the edge at 90 deg and push it along the edge with medium pressure; this shoud cause a small bit of metal to miscroscopically mushroom outward from the corner where the edge meets the side. Do this 4-3 times. Not as much pressure as you think! Medium pressure. Kind of amazing. Now, very lightly, do the same thing again, but with the burnisher at about 5 or 10 degrees tilt, once to the left and once to the right to bent the little hook you made downward just a tad. Very lightly! You're good to go.Using the scraper takes a little practice but is really easy. Put the edge you sharpened to the work, tilt it slightly forward. Put your thumbs in the middle and your fingers on the short sides, and bend the scraper slightly. Push the sharpened edge into the work and vary the tilt angle until you start to get little shavings instead of powder. There you go; he's right, this will be 10 times faster than sanding and look better. It will work better on harder woods than pine, though. Imagine trying to scrape paint off of ####piece of rubber; the pine is too soft for the scraper to work well on. Should still beat sanding easily though.Enjoy!CharlieI tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut

1. 
   dimitri | Nov 23, 2004 09:02pm | #6

   Thanks Charlie! I printed your post to start the process.

   thanks,

   Dimitri

1. 
   CharlieD | Nov 23, 2004 09:53pm | #7

   I took a look at the Highland Hardware sharpening instructions, and disagree slightly; the initially turned a hook with the scraper flat on a bench; then they roll the hook out to the edge. This way the hook has to bend over 90+ degrees to get where it ultimately belongs. I have found that my way--with the burnisher at 90 deg to the sides rather than parallel--the hook has not bent so far, just 5 or ten degrees, and is less fragile lasting longer. Try both ways, and see which you prefer.Also I use one side of the scraper at a time b/c I think once I've turned and burnished a nice hook, I don't want to smash it in a vise when I turn the scarper over in the vise to do the other side. I've thought about putting grooves in the vise for that purpose, but I've never gotten it done.CharlieI tell you, we are here to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different. --K Vonnegut