I have a new Veritas scraper plane. The instructions on sharpening it differs slightly from other instructions I have seen. They recommend burnishing across the bevel and working down to a final 15 degrees from horizontal. The following article instructs pulling the edge from the opposite side (toward the bevel) first and then drawing it to the side opposite the bevel. What is the difference? Which is better?
http://www.woodworking.org/WC/Channels/scraper.html
Eric Anderson
Replies
That way will work. I use the shank of a 1/2" router bit to burnish mine. Main thing is to have a very straight sharp edge before putting on the hook. When using, you can re-burnish the hook a few times before the need for resharpening. 3 or 4 passes with the burnisher is all thats needed. Press down firmly and take strong even passes keeping a consistent angle.
Tain't rocket science. I've used jointer blades, glass, and single edged razor blades to scrape with. But, a well prepared scraper blade will do wonders! I was amazed the first time when I saw they could actually make shavings!
My favorite scraper is the Stanley 80. I've got a 12 and a 112, but haven't used them much, yet.....
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
PlaneWood
Eric,
Like you I'm a little baffled by that method. I don't see the sense in turning the edge to the "wrong" side, and then turning it back. It seems to me that doing it that way might fatigue the steel and the burr might break when it's turned back the right way (like working the clasp on a manilla envelope).
I can see drawing out the burr from the un-beveled side before flipping the blade over and turning the edge. With card scrapers I regularly do something similar: I lay my burnisher flat on the side of the scraper and run it along the edge three or four times. That begins to draw out the steel, but more importantly it "work hardens" the steel, and that makes for a longer lasting edge.
The method on the site you linked may be intended to work harden the edge. But even so, I still don't see why you would want to turn the burr the wrong direction. I think holding the burnisher flat and drawing out the edge--without turning it--would work harden the edge without the risk of fatiguing the steel and breaking it off.
Perhaps some of the more knowledgeable metallurgists could chime in here.
Alan
Well, we seem to agree. Lets see what others say.
They are not actually turning a burr to the beveled end. By working the back edge you are essentialy flattening the sharp edge. If you were sharpening a chisel or plane blade you would likely turn it over and make a few strokes on the back to remove the wire edge. With the scraper you do not want to remove this wire edge, just flatten it out so that it is all there to bend over for your burr. They mentioned that a 2 or 3 degree bevel was used to flatten and a steeper angle to form. This is more of an issue with a finely honed scraper than with one that has been draw filed. When my scrapers get a little dull I just flatten out the burr and turn it up again. I can reuse two or three times without resharpening. There is a big difference between a properly honed edge and a filed edge in terms of the quality of the cut. It is much harder to properly hone and burnish the edge of a scraper than it is to file. You are working with a very fine edge and have to treat it gently. When I'm scaping paint I just take one or two strokes with the file and turn up the edge in one stroke with anything harder than the scraper, srewdriver, chisel etc. When doing cabinet work I file carefully then break out my best stones. I may put 50 strokes on the back side before I turn the curl and it may take 10 or more very light stokes with a fully polished burnisher to successively coax over the burr. You do not want to use any sand paper before scraping, any sand will nick the edge. Also be carefull with woods that have noticeable differences between winter and summer growth like oak. The summer growth will remove much more quickly leaving a rippled surface. You don't want to overwork. Using a sharp scraper is so much fun you kind of get carried away.
Hammer is right . The step that is baffling you is called "drawing" the edge. it does two things; smooths the edge that will become the inside of the turned burr, and work hardens the edge (making the steel stiffer and more resistant to wear). The difference is subtle but noticeable. I often skip the drawing step when I am doing coarse rough scraping that removes a lot of material, but I include it when I am trying to work a fine smooth shaving and approaching a refined surface. When working with fine shavings I often redraw and return a burr two three or even four times between resharpenings. When I am really removing material with my scraper it wears so fast that redrawing (and returning) is a waste of time, so I just file burnish and go.
By the way, those of you that are using router bits and screwdriver shanks for burnishers would do well to invest the $15 to $30 buck that a good one costs. They are really worthwhile. I know that you can get by with these substitutes but it's like painting with a 50 cent brush, until you use a really good one you don't know what you are missing. I have made some really nice burnishers from old files and tool steel bars, that are at least the equal of any that can be bought ... but once you've made a few of your own you will have a better appreciation of the worth of the makers time.
Clay -
After reading your post it occurred to me that I have a 3/8" 'skewgie' chisel for my lathe. Very hard cylinderical tool steel. That would work better and would keep my fingers further away from the scrapers edge. I shall endeavour to use that in the future!
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood
Mike; It would be a better idea to get a real burnisher. The steel in your skewchigouge is probably of sufficient quality to make a burnisher but it is not hardened to nearly the same hardness level. A proper burnisher is as hard as a file but with a very smoothly polished surface. The VERY hard steel is pretty tough to polish smooth which is the main factor in the cost of a good burnisher. Steel that is hardened to the hardness of the hardest files is time consuming to polish. A well polished burnisher of properly hardened steel will do a much better job than just any handy piece of round steel. They are a very basic tool and VERY worth the price.
Hey Planewood, I'll trade you a real burnisher for that skewgie. I've always wanted to try one. How do you like it? Is sharpening an issue? I would want it for spindle work.
Hey Guys,
Bought an Eighty Stanley yesterday..at the swap meet. It appears to be in great condition and after a check for flatness I've been in the shop trying to sharpen it. I have read and re-read your valuable comments ...but being so new to this tool I'm a bit confused.
First, the link indicated the blade has a 15 degree bevel...I can't see it. I've been guessing that if you were to lay the blade face down (ie. the stanley name face down) that the top and bottom edges would slope to the back of the plane 15 degree...is that correct? ...and should I recut that bevel if I cant see it?
Second, assuming the above, and a 15 degree bevel (slope) has been cut with the face down on the table...the side view of the blade would be a trapezoid...that you would then flip over the blade (stanley name up) to achieve the bevel side down position?
Third, when you hone...are you honing the 15 degree...and the flat side of the blade (ie. the Stanley name side) ?
Fourth, I have a Veritas burnisher...the plastic thingie with the rod inside that you can set at various angels....I have no idea how to set this thing or how to hold it to burnish the Stanley 80 blade.
Any help or clarification would be most appreciated.
Hammer -
My skewgie started out as a blank piece of A2 rod. I cut it to length, ground the end to shape, heat treated it, and mounted it into a Cocobolo handle. The rod of the skewgie is much harder than my scraper blades.
Sharpening is simple. Do the initial grinding (before heat treating) on a regular grinder. Don't matter if it gets hot. After heat treating then do final sharpening. I use a well worn 150 grit belt on my vertical belt sander.
A skewgie is almost a universal chisel. It's fun to 'roll it down the slope'!
I have about a dozen scrapers I made as well as one gouge. Oh yeah, I have one skew chisel. Thinking about making a couple more skews at different angles. Also several parting chisels. All made from A2. I need to make a bunch of beading chisels if I can figure out how to sharpen the things.
ps - i enjoy making my own.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood
Mike why don't you make yourself a burnisher? A rod of your A2 hardened to full hardness via oil quenching (after forming a tang for handle mounting) and then polished with buffing wheels and white diamond compound will do really nicely. Set it into a wooden handle and voila! I use raw linseed oil for quenching which seems safer than your motor oil and thinner combo and it is cheap enough too. for a burnisher you need not do any tempering, use it at full hardness. I also made myself some oval ones with spear point tips for jewelry work. I have a triangular one that I boght but it isn't quite as nice as the other two profiles.
Clay
Our shop runs both a pin router and a CNC router, consequently we have the occassional accident where a solid carbide spiral gets broken (makes me cry every time), but it does mean that we have the ideal material for making scraper ticketers (burnishers) by simply putting into a spare file handle. Once you've tried a carbide ticketer you know why you need a hardened ticketer
Scrit
I can see how carbide would make a good one. In a pinch I've used all those common substitutes myself ... but there is a reason why I carry a good quality burnisher in my kit with my scrapers. That's what I am trying to get across on this thread. Quality tools work better and do better work too; and a screwdriver is not a burnisher.
I think that any tool technologist would agree with you wholeheartedly
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