Thanks Tom, I seem to be getting the hang of it now. Many of the descriptions I have heard and read weren't at all clear but all praise the scraper and apart from the long handled devices for sloughing off paint on siding I have never used or even met one before. I have sort of used a wide chisel for a similar purpose in the past.
----- Original Message ----- From: Tom Fowle To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 2:16 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Anyone experienced using card scrapers? Dale, Assuming these are the same beastie as violin scrapers, or cabinet scrapers, here's how we did it. First the edge of the scraper has to be filed very flat at an exact 90 degree angle to the large surface of the blade. Now take the bernishing tool and hold it at 90 degrees to the edge at one end of the blade, with the blade close to the handle end of the tool. Pull the tool along the edge and towards the handle, being as carefull as you can to stay straight. Do this a number of times in both directions of the blade, but always pulling the same way across the blade. You should raise a feather edge that protrudes off the edge of the blade that you're pulling towards. When you've got this nice feather edge that you can feel with a finger nail, hold the tool with its point caught just under the feather edge. Hold the handle slightly "low" so the tool is pointing up and into the feather edge.. draw the point of the tool carefully along "inside" the hook of the feather edge. This assures it isn't bent too far down and forms a hook that is consistant and open. To use, hold the blade at an angle to the work with the feather edge down towards the work, and pull smoothly towards the feather edge. Change the position and angle of draw along the board every cut, so you don't form lines or gouges. The scrapers we used in the fiddle shop have curved edges so you can flex them to fit any curve of the fiddle plates. A properly sharpened scraper will make a cleaner smoother surface than sand paper and won't clog the pores of the wood with sand and grindings as will sand paper. I've seen a stanley cabinet scraper in a holder with an adjustment to put some tension on the middle of the blade so as to help assure it cuts a little more in the middle rather than at the corners. You could file off the end corners of the blade a bit to help avoid corner gouges if you want, but it'd make the thing harder to file flat and sharpen. Gouges and lines are best avoided by constant change of the position and angle of cut. Hope that helps, and works! Let me know if it does or doesn't and we'll work through ti. Wow, I might have to go find a scraper and do it again to be sure! <GRIN> It's a very accessible and satisfying tool, have fun. Tom Fowle ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.24.1/1470 - Release Date: 5/28/2008 7:20 AM [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
