Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Shaping a scraper - ideas?
Scott in Douglassville, PA
>Hey, everyone -
I need to shape a small half circle into a scraper, but I'm drawing a blank on how to do that (surprise, huh?). Is a round mill file hard enough to file a hardened scraper? Should I get a dresser and shape a grinding wheel, then grind away on the scraper? Is there gonna be some heat treating involved? Am I making too much of this?
Suggestions, please...
Thanks,
Scott
Dremel?
Jim Reed @Tallahassee
>Grinding is my preferred way to cut a profile on hardened steel. Depending on what you are doing, maybe a Dremel is the answer. Larger projects could graduate to an angle grinder or a bench grinder. As for profiling the wheel, don't bother unless you have a few dozen parts to make. Good luck.
Go straight for it
Ellis Walentine
>Grind the rough shape and finish up with half-round mill files or rattail files. I used to have scrapers with as many as a dozen different profiles ground into the various edges and corners and ends. It's easy to do and a great way to finish custom molding profiles.
Ellis
Re: Shaping a scraper - ideas?
Glenn Madsen
>You mention 'hardened steel'. What scraper are you starting with?
The card scrapers I've purchased are intended to be sharpened before a burr is turned, and a mill file is one of the tools used.
Curious to see how this works for you. Curved scrapers are next in line in the scraping experience for me.
Success!
Scott in Douglassville, PA
>Gotta love that Dremel...
I needed a half circle about 3/4" diameter in the edge of this scraper. Had a fine grinding stone for the Dremel, but as is the case with grinding dog nails, it's too slow and generates too much heat. Switched to a coarse sanding/grinding sleeve, and it was about a 10 minute job, stopping every few seconds to cool the steel.
Now if I could only figure out how to burnish a hook on the thing...
Thanks, pictures forthcoming,
Scott
Re: Shaping a scraper - ideas?
Chris Knight
>I was taught to sharpen a scraper in the traditional way and can do it just fine. However, (and there is always a However, isn't there?) I now use this tool:-
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp?pf_id=19990&sfile=1&jump=0
which makes the job a matter of literally seconds - including curved blades. I hold the scraper in one hand, give it a quick swipe with this burnisher/burr producer and am ready to go. It makes sharpening scrapers for quite intricate mouldings a pleasure rather than a chore.