Author Topic: Sharpening a scraper without re-doing the burr? (Read 6207 times)

Osage Mark · « **Reply #15 on:** July 12, 2013, 01:20:09 am »

I have been scraping quarter sawed Osage , a cabinet scraper last about 25 scrapes done
I ordered a piece of pre hardened tool steel 1' x 1/2" x 18" cut it in half, and now i realy have 2 nice scraper
MSC.com Industrial tools go to raw materials/tool steel and find pre hardened

mikekeswick · « **Reply #16 on:** July 12, 2013, 03:31:21 am »

Osage Mark - if your scraper is blunting that quickly then you need to buy a better one! Look for a Rockwell hardness of at least hrc 50.
With scrapers as with just about any tools there is a right way and a wrong way. The right way is described in Dean Torges book 'Hunting the Osage Bow', I strongly recommend any bow maker to buy that book....it's worth it just for the section on sharpening cabinet scrapers. Written by a true craftsman, who pours out all his techniques.
If you run a scraper on a belt sander the surface may LOOK smooth to you but it isn't, it's full of scratches. These scratches stop you forming a good, strong burr. Sure you can do it this way but the edge you raise will be weak, unconsolidated and you will have to keep re-establishing it.

UserNameTaken · « **Reply #17 on:** July 12, 2013, 04:50:33 am »

I just run a file over mine a few times, like slackbunny said. Shavings come out in nice curls, and I get a smooth finish.

Pappy · « **Reply #18 on:** July 12, 2013, 07:03:53 am »

guess I been doing it wrong for 25 years,thanks guys for setting me straight and sorry for any bad advice I have given in the past,disregard it.

By the way I was taught by Gary Davis, 25 years ago,guess he ant a true craftsman,since he don't get on the net i will let him know he has been doing and teaching it wrong for years.

Pappy

Buckeye Guy · « **Reply #19 on:** July 12, 2013, 10:28:34 am »

Pappy
To bad you won't be able to make a bow till you learn how to properly sharpen a scraper !!!

Different types of steel respond better to different ways of sharpening !
But in the end there is still more than one way to skin a cat !!

Pappy · « **Reply #20 on:** July 12, 2013, 10:35:58 am »

Thats all I am saying Guy,you will never say their is only one way to anything in making selfbows. and offendes me jusy a bit when someone else does,sorry for the rant,headed to the cabin to catch my breath.

Pappy

Buckeye Guy · « **Reply #21 on:** July 12, 2013, 10:47:56 am »

Have a good one Mark!
I am headed to the OSTA shoot , good memories of Sonny this weekend for sure !

PEARL DRUMS · « **Reply #22 on:** July 12, 2013, 11:14:13 am »

Quote from: Pappy on July 12, 2013, 10:35:58 am

Thats all I am saying Guy,you will never say their is only one way to anything in making selfbows. and offendes me jusy a bit when someone else does,sorry for the rant,headed to the cabin to catch my breath.
Pappy

I have one of your piece o' junk "bows" Pappy. Its obvious you don't know how to sharpen a scraper, all my friends can see it to.

Slackbunny · « **Reply #23 on:** July 13, 2013, 01:58:04 pm »

Quote from: mikekeswick on July 12, 2013, 03:31:21 am

If you run a scraper on a belt sander the surface may LOOK smooth to you but it isn't, it's full of scratches. These scratches stop you forming a good, strong burr. Sure you can do it this way but the edge you raise will be weak, unconsolidated and you will have to keep re-establishing it.

Sure, but if it only takes a few seconds to reestablish that edge then you really aren't much further ahead to to do it differently. And its such a simple technique, almost foolproof really. I do not enjoy sharpening tools. I can never seem to get a touch for it, and spending much time attempting it frustrates me. So I'm all about quick and easy techniques like this even if the results aren't necessarily perfect.

Dances with squirrels · « **Reply #24 on:** July 13, 2013, 03:17:12 pm »

I want a perfectly smooth cutting edge. I know right away if my cabinet scraper's edge gets a single nick in it by the surface it leaves in its wake. I can't imagine I'd be happy with an edge ground by a belt sander, but I like to keep an open mind and my scrapers are almost due for a sharpening, so maybei'll give it a try.

Sharpening a scraper by squaring, smoothing, and rolling the edge takes 5-10 minutes and can last for a long time if you don't abuse it by allowing it to contact other metal tools and surfaces, or use it to scrape sandpaper grit out of a bow. 5-10 minutes isn't too much effort for me.

toomanyknots · « **Reply #25 on:** July 13, 2013, 05:43:34 pm »

Quote from: Dances with squirrels on July 13, 2013, 03:17:12 pm

I want a perfectly smooth cutting edge. I know right away if my cabinet scraper's edge gets a single nick in it by the surface it leaves in its wake. I can't imagine I'd be happy with an edge ground by a belt sander, but I like to keep an open mind and my scrapers are almost due for a sharpening, so maybei'll give it a try.

Sharpening a scraper by squaring, smoothing, and rolling the edge takes 5-10 minutes and can last for a long time if you don't abuse it by allowing it to contact other metal tools and surfaces, or use it to scrape sandpaper grit out of a bow. 5-10 minutes isn't too much effort for me.

I do most of my tillering with my scraper, and it don't seem to last that long at all. I get 2 bows out of one sharpening, on all four sides, and that is about the most. A lot of time I will only get one bow. I don't know if it is because I am using a cheap scraper from woodcraft or what. I know I got a cheap burnisher from woodcraft, it was on sale, and the thing scratches pretty easy. I was going to take it back but I never did. I would like to get a better burnisher while I am at it...

seabass · « **Reply #26 on:** July 13, 2013, 08:01:15 pm »

i'm with Pearl,i had one of you junk bows and gave it back.Pappy,i think your scraper was the problem.get that fixed and i might keep the next one lol.

mikekeswick · « **Reply #27 on:** July 14, 2013, 07:16:33 am »

Sorry for giving my opinion if it offended anyone. It certainly wasn't my intention.
I struggled for ages to get a good, long lasting edge on cabinet scrapers. I seem to have tried all the different methods over the years and through my own experience and experimentation I do think that there really is only one way to get a very strong burr on a scraper. It comes down to laying good foundations on which to proceed to the next step. It's important to understand why you are doing each step and then it all makes perfect sense.
I would never profess to know everything and am always happy and willing to learn a better way of doing things.
There certainly are quicker ways to sharpen cabinet scrapers BUT the edge won't last as long, i'm NOT saying it won't work to take shavings off wood. If you look at the edges of two scrapers one prepared by using a belt sander and one by the 'traditional' method under a microscope you can very readily see the difference and yes before you ask I have done this as my mrs runs a microbiology lab.
There is nothing I like more than a debate and try to never just spout stuff unless I have personal experience in what i'm talking about.

Toomanyknots - the quality basically just comes down to the rockwell hardness rating, look for hrc 50 minimum.

toomanyknots · « **Reply #28 on:** July 14, 2013, 10:11:34 am »

Quote from: mikekeswick on July 14, 2013, 07:16:33 am

Toomanyknots - the quality basically just comes down to the rockwell hardness rating, look for hrc 50 minimum.

Will do,

.

Buckeye Guy · « **Reply #29 on:** July 15, 2013, 12:39:23 pm »

What was the original question ?

Primitive Archer