Several weeks ago I received a card scraper prepared by Christof Hartge. This scraper was exquisitely sharp and fine-cutting. The experience has been a revelation to me, and caused me to change all my ideas about this anything-but-simple tool. I plan to write a piece about it in the next couple of weeks, telling how it has changed my life in the shop.
Right now, however, I am reading all the articles I can find on scraper preparation. I am familiar with Ralph Brendler's. I am wondering if Bob Smalser, for example, or perhaps Adam, has committed anything to writing on the subject. And, in general, what are your favorite scraper articles?
I still have a couple of older Sandviks left, and agree they are excellent.
I am having excellent results with some very thin stock also. Coupla years ago, I ripped some teeth off a Mitsukawa cross dozuki--hit a staple fragment buried in some Borg lumber. So I broke that blade down to a couple of scrapers. Ground the teeth off, and did the usual jointing. This steel is 0.0125" thick, and highly flexible. Takes a very keen edge. I find it fabulous for fine details and for denibbing a finish (something Bob Smalser makes reference to in his article). Will take the finest layer off with just about no effort. Just the pressure of the bend is enough.
Did a little search last night and found out that Lee Valley (can't believe how good those folks are!) has some 0.016" scrapers at RC51-53. Sent for some of them.
Dieter Schmid also has some very thin, high quality scrapers (Eberle), but I wasn't sure of their hardness, and LV's are as hard as saw steel.
>I've been having great luck with the LN scrapers - same edges as my older Sandviks and salvaged Disstons (hey - those painted saws have got to go somewhere...), but last a bit longer. I have the harder LV set, but use only the thin one.
A good prep video is Brian Boggs' video clip on the Taunton website - short, sweet, and interesting.
