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Another epiphany

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Another epiphany

#1

Steve Kubien

Another epiphany

Steve Kubien

>Ladies and gelntlemen, if you haven't done so yet, learn how to use card scrapers. I finally had reason to learn how to sharpen mine and put a burr on the edge and WOW!, these things are amazing!

I bought and used the Veritas jointer-file-holder-thingy and their Variable Angle Burnisher and in about 1 minute (1.7 in metric), I was taking gossomer like shavings from Brazilian Cherry. They produced a better surface in this hardwood than I've ever been able to otherwise.

I know many of you have already been down this road, but for those of you who have not, try them out. You won't be dissapointed.

Steve Kubien

Ajax, Ontario

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Re: Another epiphany

#2

Same thing...

Tony - Memphis

>I felt the same way when I started using one! Still not mastered putting a burr on one, but I'm getting better. Lonnie Bird used the Lee Valley gadget burnisher in a class and it really put a nice burr (of course he filed and polished it first).

Tony

Re: Another epiphany

#3

Re: Another epiphany

William Duffield on the Cohansey

>The epiepi will come when you figure out you can get your scraper stock for almost nothing, in the form of old worn-out saws (or old shovels :^), and your burnishers for about the same, made from broken carbide bits or valve stems, etc. and that a jig is not really necessary to turn a functional burr. BTW, the tool end of my burnisher is only an inch long. I see no compelling reason for a four-to-five inch long, or multi-radius tooling.

Maybe that's why they remained "secret" all these years: no defining fossil evidence, just scraps of steel flat stock and round stock rusting away in the bottom of tool boxes, no antique tool catalog references, etc. Save your money for something you might find a lot more difficult to scrounge and make, like a smoother or a set of paring chisels :^)

Re: Another epiphany

#4

Steve Kubien

Re: Another epiphany

Steve Kubien

>I haven't gone the old saw-steel route yet but will soon. I went with the LV burnisher because it was easy and a good way to judge what a proper burr should work like. Besides, for the amount of hardwood that I use I have a tough time justifying a high-angle smoother right now. My Knight 45 degree coffin does everything I ask of it in softwood and fairly straight grained hardwood but it didn't like the jatoba I'm currently using. A weel-tuned scraper seemed a good idea at the time.

Thanks,

Steve Kubien

Ajax, Ontario

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Re: Another epiphany

#5

Re: Another epiphany

Chris Knight

>Steve,

You get the same sense of revelation all over again when you file your first scraper to fit a complex moulding that is a bu**er to sand. (you need a skinny bit of carbide to put a burr on tight curves)

Then you have really blurred the distinction between a scraper and a scratchstock and find there is not a lot of difference at the end of the day.

Chris

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