Call me a nerd if you like...

[Yetloh]

... but I've been thinking a lot about cabinet scrapers (or maybe you call them card scrapers) lately. Such brilliantly simple but effective tools that it is all too easy to neglect to treat them with the respect they deserve.

So, after far too long storing my scrapers like this



only (unsurprisingly) to find the hooks knackered when I want to use one, I decided I had to find a better solution. A box that would keep them separarted seemed like the best answer. I had a small piece of 10mm American black walnut and some scraps of birch ply in various thicknesses and here is the result 



It holds 10 scrapers, Just rebated all round and glued together with a ply bottom. The front and back linings are 1.5mm ply and the side linings are 3mm. The trickiest part was forming the grooves in the latter to take the 3mm ply spacers. I had planned to use my Dremel in the new Veritas plunge base with a 3mm cutter but the runout on the Dremel ensured that I got 4mm grooves, so it was back to a hand tool



My trusty old Record 044 did a great job considering that the land between the grooves is only 2mm wide.

Here is the finished box with lid on 



Yes, I know it's totally over the top, but I just can't resist making things look nice and I did happen to have a nice scrap of rippled sycamore. I thought about using it solid thinking I could probably get away with wood movement in something this narrow, but decided not to risk it so it's a bandsawn veneer on ply. The inlay either side of the joint line is scraper steel to make it easy to fit the lid on the right way round so the grain matches!! Again, not necessary because the lid will go on either way round but I couldn't rresist the temptation. I cut the recesses using the Dremel and Veritas plunge base which worked a treat and left just a little cleaning up with a chisel. Finished off with three coats of wiped-on shellac - it needs a couple more.

Hope you like it .

Jim

[Steve Friedman]

That's stunning, but a shame to hide it in the shop.  I would definitely display it inside to maximize the number of people who see it and just take it to the shop when needed.

Definitely overkill, but why not?

Steve

[Paul-in-Plymouth]

That is totally cool.  Nice work!

[enjuneer]

Beautiful work!

So....did you use your card scrapers to make the box?

[Scoony]

How about we call you a skilled nerd? That is soo cool, that I am going to make one for the scrapers running amock in my too chest.

[EricU]

that's nice.  I need to do the same kind of thing for a different purpose, I'll have to try this.

I use a plastic letter holder to hold my scrapers. I was never much one for organizing my office, but I tried at one time. This thing is a leftover from that.

[GNP]

nice!!

[Ray Newman]

very good work and nice design!

[hbmcc]

Nice, nerdy tool box! I just read an article where the author said his bench and tool box show the work and skill of his craft. So, you're not that nerdy.

[RonB1957]