I just can't make this work. I have watched and followed instructions from half a dozen "experts", all of whom offer somewhat different methodology. I have purchased a "real" card scraper and burnishing rod (from Rockler), and find the rod does almost nothing at all to push/pull/stretch/whatever the metal on the scraper whether I use substantial pressure (as demonstrated by Mr. Lowe here) or "not much more than the weight of my arms" (a-la J. Katz-Moses). I end up using a lot of pressure with the back side of an old chisel to create a burr, but have yet to make anything but dust with it. I find it hard to believe that I really need to invest hundreds of dollars into 6000- and 8000-grit water stones (or similarly expensive sharpening systems) to bring my card to a microscopically polished and perfect square edge. After all, the craftsmen who used these tools on a regular basis 150 years ago had no such thing, and they seem to have gotten by. In fact, I saw one video where the guy brought up a useful burr just by scraping his edge along a file. (I couldn't even do that! How pathetic am I?) And Paul Sellers seems to be able to do this with practically any old tool hanging around his shop: pliers, nail sets, steely grey hair, whatever. I am beginning to entertain ludicrous conspiracy theories ("It's all just a way for the Portuguese to sell inferior steel as scrapers!") and am on the verge of giving up, throwing away all reminders of this wasted time and money, and resigning myself to life as a second-rate craftsman relying on ("Gasp! Say it isn't so!") sandpaper. Siiiigggghhhh...
Great, simple instructions. I have a Stanley No. 80 "Sweetheart" cabinet scraper with the blade just the same size as Mr. Lowe's. The new, replacement blades, whether from Woodcraft or Stanley, are shorter and have a bezel only on one long edge only. Meaning since they sit flush with the angled cast iron bed for the blade and do not protrude above it. So, you cannot sharpen both long edges as that would flatten the one resting on it when you tensioned the blade against it to scrape.
Wow, I SO needed this detailed example...Thank you. I have an old Stanley #12 coming in the mail and needed to know this!! Very much appreciated. I just hope I can get mine to function even close to this!!
After watching numerous tutorials on this I finally understand all the steps on how to properly sharpen and use my Stanley 80 Cabinet Scraper! So many will show how to burnish but then proceed to do it very fast and with very little (if any) specifics about the bevel and direction of the hook. Then actually putting the blade back in the scraper correctly and tightening it was skipped or not explained. Maybe it is supposed to be obvious but I did not really get it until now. Thank you very much for this detailed demonstration!
Got Stanley blade at 45 degrees and razor sharp. To bad my new burnisher doesn't have 30 degree cone as I think I am rolling the burr to far over. If the blade edge is razor sharp then how much pressure is needed for the burr as I am going pretty hard and although I get a burr it is dull as heck. After 5 attempts I am doing something really wrong for as mentioned the blade was razor sharp pre-burnishing.
Is it possible to burnish the edge of a card scraper, where it will not gouge fine lines on, say, a shellac finish? I like to flatten the second last application with a scraper when French polishing. I have avoided using a burnisher because the imperfections on the edge are visible when scraping a top coat. Without a hook, the scraping is slooooow. But maybe you have a method to create a hook that is uniform along the edge.
I just can't make this work. I have watched and followed instructions from half a dozen "experts", all of whom offer somewhat different methodology. I have purchased a "real" card scraper and burnishing rod (from Rockler), and find the rod does almost nothing at all to push/pull/stretch/whatever the metal on the scraper whether I use substantial pressure (as demonstrated by Mr. Lowe here) or "not much more than the weight of my arms" (a-la J. Katz-Moses). I end up using a lot of pressure with the back side of an old chisel to create a burr, but have yet to make anything but dust with it. I find it hard to believe that I really need to invest hundreds of dollars into 6000- and 8000-grit water stones (or similarly expensive sharpening systems) to bring my card to a microscopically polished and perfect square edge. After all, the craftsmen who used these tools on a regular basis 150 years ago had no such thing, and they seem to have gotten by. In fact, I saw one video where the guy brought up a useful burr just by scraping his edge along a file. (I couldn't even do that! How pathetic am I?) And Paul Sellers seems to be able to do this with practically any old tool hanging around his shop: pliers, nail sets, steely grey hair, whatever. I am beginning to entertain ludicrous conspiracy theories ("It's all just a way for the Portuguese to sell inferior steel as scrapers!") and am on the verge of giving up, throwing away all reminders of this wasted time and money, and resigning myself to life as a second-rate craftsman relying on ("Gasp! Say it isn't so!") sandpaper. Siiiigggghhhh...
Steve, have you ever thought about filing your fingernails just a little bit?
Great, simple instructions. I have a Stanley No. 80 "Sweetheart" cabinet scraper with the blade just the same size as Mr. Lowe's. The new, replacement blades, whether from Woodcraft or Stanley, are shorter and have a bezel only on one long edge only. Meaning since they sit flush with the angled cast iron bed for the blade and do not protrude above it. So, you cannot sharpen both long edges as that would flatten the one resting on it when you tensioned the blade against it to scrape.
Six years after this was posted, he is gone.
Point on the burnisher was new to me...excellent video, sharpening scrapers consistently can be difficult but this is explained very clearly.
Wow, I SO needed this detailed example...Thank you. I have an old Stanley #12 coming in the mail and needed to know this!! Very much appreciated. I just hope I can get mine to function even close to this!!
After watching numerous tutorials on this I finally understand all the steps on how to properly sharpen and use my Stanley 80 Cabinet Scraper! So many will show how to burnish but then proceed to do it very fast and with very little (if any) specifics about the bevel and direction of the hook. Then actually putting the blade back in the scraper correctly and tightening it was skipped or not explained. Maybe it is supposed to be obvious but I did not really get it until now. Thank you very much for this detailed demonstration!
That figured Mahogany!! Beautiful.
Got Stanley blade at 45 degrees and razor sharp. To bad my new burnisher doesn't have 30 degree cone as I think I am rolling the burr to far over. If the blade edge is razor sharp then how much pressure is needed for the burr as I am going pretty hard and although I get a burr it is dull as heck. After 5 attempts I am doing something really wrong for as mentioned the blade was razor sharp pre-burnishing.
Is it possible to burnish the edge of a card scraper, where it will not gouge fine lines on, say, a shellac finish? I like to flatten the second last application with a scraper when French polishing. I have avoided using a burnisher because the imperfections on the edge are visible when scraping a top coat. Without a hook, the scraping is slooooow. But maybe you have a method to create a hook that is uniform along the edge.
What an artist. Thanks for sharing.
What is a cobalt scraper... saw this recently and where would you get one❓
nice scrolls saw. Excalibur? what length?
Sir pls
Hard to do. I gave up. Back to the power sanders.
Hes using a file without a handle dangerous i thought he was a expert