Does anyone make do without scrapers?

Smoothing isn't their only use!

Derek

>Denis,

I am not a hand-tool expert and would never say I had no need for scrapers in smoothing, but I use them for other things all the time. The most common use is scraping glue squeeze-out.

I shudder to think of not having one!

Re: Does anyone make do without scrapers?

Dan Clermont in Burnaby

>Hi Denis,

I get good results with my LN 5.5 High angle frog and don't use scrapers. I tend to work maple and prefer the figured stuff.

My biggest nemensis is glue seapage after glue up. One needs to be careful not to starve the joint from glue but also not to create a large mess.

I can't say that I haven't had the odd plane track of discovered a small amount of tearout after finishing a project but for the most part I use my planes instead of dusty sandpaper.

Someday I would like to get a shorter plane then the 5.5 which I find a bit long for small boxes and the like

Dan Clermont

Do scraping planes count?

Jim in Burlington On

>I have left my card scrapers in the tool tray for about 3 months since reading a article on making diviots in your work with card scrapers. After looking at some of my work there are alot of diviots. I ponder wether a 55 or 60 degree small plane might confuse the situation or clarify it.

Re: Do scraping planes count?

Derek Cohen (in Perth Australia)

>Jim

You can minimize the "diviots" by pulling the scraper rather than pushing it. When you push and exert pressure on your thimbs, the card will bend and "scoop" out the shaving. This is good when removing small sections of tear out, but not my ideal when smoothing a surface that I wish to keep flat. I find that pulling the card scraper towards oneself changes the finger pressure and the card is more likely to remain flat on the wood surface.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Does anyone make do without scrapers?

Derek Cohen (in Perth Australia)

>Denis, there are still woods that tear out no matter what smoother I use. I still use a card scraper on occasions to clean up. However, I certainly have been using these far, far less for smoothing since working with the Veritas BU and LA smoothers and high angle bevels. My scraper plane (a Stanley #112 with LN blade) has been untouched for about a year now.

I do also find a scraper plane, like the #80, extremely useful for removing glue lines. I do tend to reserve it for more robust use.

The other area where a card scraper scores big for me is in non-flat shapes, such as a saw handle, chisel handle or a curved stretcher. I have used a sharp card scraper to complete shaping after a spokeshave, even used it to shape on its own.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: paint/varnish

paul womack

>How else ya' gonna' clean up a tote for refinishing?

BugBear

Ditto...

Alice Frampton, UK

>... except I actually sold my LN #112. Meant to replace it almost straight away with the LV but haven't found the right excuse yet :~(

Cheers, Alf

Re: Does anyone make do without scrapers?

Charles

>ABSOLUTELY NOT Dennis. There is no smoother in the world that will work on every timber. You must have scrapers in your arsenal if you are serious about hand tool woodworking.

You do not need and should not count on, a silly arsenal of multiple smoothers in an attempt to never use the simple scraper.

Granted, you'll probably never post a picture of a new scraper blade as a 'gloat' but the point behind this whole endeavor is to make projects out of wood. Tools are obviously a necessity but don't let them become an end in themselves.

One smoothing plane is all you need. Get an L-N with a high-angle frog or its equivalent. When it won't work finish off the job with a card scraper.

I've made do with a Stanley #4 for years so I'm apt to have to go to the scraper more often than those fortunate enough to own a high-angle smoother.

Nope, and then there's the non-flat stuff...

Darrell in Oakville

>Denis,

I often resort to card scrapers, no matter how good my planes may be. As far as avoiding divots, as Jim pointed out, I always work the entire surface with the scraper. This can become tedious on table tops, but the results are worth it.

Then there's the non-flat stuff. Curved edges can be planed with a compass plane, but surfaces are another matter. That's when you have to use scrapers for the whole job, from shaping to final smoothing. Now *that* gets tedious, and I should know...

Darrell

Wood Hoarder, Blade Sharpener, and Occasional Tool User

Re: Does anyone make do without scrapers?

Warren in Lancaster, PA

>I haven't used a scraper on a flat surface since 1978. The phrase "such that there is no wood that won't plane" makes your question hard to answer because of course nobody has worked them all. The last wood I had trouble with was Osage Orange, which I later learned to plane. You don't need an arsenal or an extravagent plane to get a fine surface.

There are woods that dulled my irons so quickly that I wouldn't care to work them again.

No It ain't gonna happen

Ron in Kokomo

>The endless variations among boards means there will always be times when the scraper is THE perfect tool for the work

Ron...don't forget....

HC Sakman

>.....the sandpaper! I've encountered a piece of wood that went fuzzy when I sanded with 120G. So, forget about the scrapers! It was figured ipe. That wood had some exceptional density. It was slightly softer than mild steel!

So, there are some woods out there, that would bow to (progressive grits of) sandpaper only.

Chico...

PS: Although smoothers are great, even the very best can be over-rated. What matters is which jockey riding the horse, not always the horse alone.

"PS" part was meant for Denis, not you Ron.

HC Sakman

>

Re: Does anyone make do without scrapers?

dave caudill

>While I agree that a scrpaer is a necessary evil in my shop I can't agree that you only need one smoother. I have a whole quiver of various smoothers and sometimes I go through several to find one that works for a particular wood. Each plane has its own personality even two of the same planes. One smoother will not do it all. Maybe that is why you are so fond of scrapers Denis. I think you ought to try a #4 1/2 or a LN #164 each has differnet uses and provides satisfactory results where another plane fails. I find each has its place and offers me a lot more options before I have to resort to a scraper.

Dave

Dave

Just can't master that

Jim in Burlington On

>I tried pulling it and cannot judge the depth of cut. The corners seem to dig in how do you avoid that?

Re: Does anyone make do without scrapers?

Jim in Burlington On

>I thought about having a groove put in my scraper just for glue lines similar to LN's rod makers groove.

Re: Does anyone make do without scrapers?

Rob Millard

>I rarely use a scraper on flat surfaces. Planes are far superior. In general I think scrapers are over rated tools. I mostly use scrapers to level inlays on curved surfaces. Having said that there are times when it is the only tool for the job, the trick is knowing when that is.

Rob Millard

Good point!

Derek

>I also use them a lot to level finishes! They work very well between coats without a bur.

Bend it a little

Derek

>

Why would anyone want to?

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>Whether for flat work or curved work, for shaping or for smoothing a surface, they are often the most effective tool you can choose. And, they are incredibly inexpensive and easy to maintain. No worry about whether they are crafted from A2 or CPM or Unobtanium.

You're not shilling for a Flatearthsocietygotosmoothermonger, are you? :^)

Re: Does anyone make do without scrapers?

Denis Ch�nard, Orl�ans, Ont.

>Oh, I have no particular fondness for scrapers...

In fact, my plane collection is quite small, but I have yet to find a piece of wood that did not comply with my LV LA jack. Granted, I haven't worked on too many species of wood, but so far that plane has not failed me.

DC

No....NM

John Hoffman

>