Sharpening the cabinet/card scraper?

[Hank Knight]

To add to what everybody else has said, I used to have a lot of trouble turning an acceptable hook on my card scrapers. Paul Hammier, the guy Jack mentioned above, taught me that very little pressure is needed to turn the final hook after one goes through the preparation steps Derek outlined above. The pressure exerted by the burnisher at the very tiny point of contact with the scraper edge is enormous. It is very easy to overdo it and turn the hook into a curl or break it off entirely. Just a little swipe with medium to light pressure is all that is needed. I was really cranking down on it and ruining all my preparation efforts with way too much pressure. Lightening up made all the difference for me.

My $.02.

Hank

[Bruce Haugen]

To add to what everybody else has said, I used to have a lot of trouble turning an acceptable hook on my card scrapers. Paul Hammier, the guy Jack mentioned above, taught me that very little pressure is needed to turn the final hook after one goes through the preparation steps Derek outlined above. The pressure exerted by the burnisher at the very tiny point of contact with the scraper edge is enormous. It is very easy to overdo it and turn the hook into a curl or break it off entirely. Just a little swipe with medium to light pressure is all that is needed. I was really cranking down on it and ruining all my preparation efforts with way too much pressure. Lightening up made all the difference for me.

My $.02.

Hank

Tage Frid made this very point in his first woodworking book series.  He said it only took 3 ounces of pressure to turn a hook.  I think it’s a little more than that,  it not much.

[Handplanesandmore]

Frid used a chisel as a burnisher, which is a no no for modern card scrapers unless you know your chisels are harder than the scrapers.

Simon

[Rob Young]

Frid used a chisel as a burnisher, which is a no no for modern card scrapers unless you know your chisels are harder than the scrapers.

Simon

Yepper. If you made your scrapers out of old, cut-up saw plates (have a few kinked junker saws I've done this with -- works great), then the back of the chisel will probably work. But "modern" purpose made scrapers, not so much.

[Bill Lyman]

I also have had problems with consistency, but really like what the tool can do. So I referred back to Christopher Schwarz’s article in the Feb 2007 Popular Woodworking and purchased his video. He studied and tested some 16 sources before coming to his single technique. I have had great success with his techniques in the past. https://www.lie-nielsen.com/product/home...?node=4244

[Scoony]

This is the process I use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhVWhouezkI


Robert used to post here many years ago.

[Handplanesandmore]

This is the process I use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhVWhouezkI


Robert used to post here many years ago.

This is not a method I would recommend to any serious woodworker if I go by the words of the videographer that the card scraper dulls quickly. The reason that it dulled quickly is that he did not hone the edges with the diamond hone. It would make a big difference if the edges and not just the faces were treated with the diamond hone. When I use the diamond hone instead of water stones, I always hone the edges too.

Filing alone does not do the trick. Check out the FW video by Peter Galbert about that.

Simon

[Scoony]

This is not a method I would recommend to any serious woodworker if I go by the words of the videographer that the card scraper dulls quickly. The reason that it dulled quickly is that he did not hone the edges with the diamond hone. It would make a big difference if the edges and not just the faces were treated with the diamond hone. When I use the diamond hone instead of water stones, I always hone the edges too.

Filing alone does not do the trick. Check out the FW video by Peter Galbert about that.

Simon

Have you seen his work?  I have, so when he shows a method, I pay attention. He also has several other instructional videos that are very instructional.

I used to hone the edge and actually ruined a oil stone doing that. I don't hone them anymore and really haven't felt the need to. I will sharpen up 3 or 4 scrapers at a time so when one dulls, I grab another.

[Tony Z]

Have you seen his work?  I have, so when he shows a method, I pay attention. He also has several other instructional videos that are very instructional.

I used to hone the edge and actually ruined a oil stone doing that. I don't hone them anymore and really haven't felt the need to. I will sharpen up 3 or 4 scrapers at a time so when one dulls, I grab another.

Hmmmm….maybe clamping 3 or 4 scrapers together edgewise, to a piece of scrap lumber (to assist in holding vertical), with help with honing the edges.

[Handplanesandmore]

Have you seen his work?  I have, so when he shows a method, I pay attention. He also has several other instructional videos that are very instructional.

I used to hone the edge and actually ruined a oil stone doing that. I don't hone them anymore and really haven't felt the need to. I will sharpen up 3 or 4 scrapers at a time so when one dulls, I grab another.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not criticizing his work or his use of a diamond hone in place of stones. His comment that his scraper dulled quickly tells us that the edge did not hold. Unless someone is prepared to hone their scrapers frequently in the middle of a job, why not go with other proven methods that are more efficient? Based on his video, my scrapers last at least 10 times longer than his. No exaggeration.

Gouging a stone is not uncommon if a woodworker presses a scraper down with too much force, while staying at the same spot on the stone.

Simon