There has been a lot of chat about card scrapers lately so I thought I would take the opportunity to post my first video!
Now I am by no means an expert at hand tools. I am learning a lot as I go. But I found something that works for me. My hope is that someone who has never tried a scraper will see how easy it is and give it a go.
This amazingly simple flat rectangle of metal always seemed so mysterious to me but it is so simple once you get the hang of it. Many difficult or highly-figured pieces of lumber often can not be tamed by machinery. But this $10 tool you hold in your hand can make it as smooth as glass in about five minutes.
Enjoy!
My scraper story:
A few months ago I refinished an oak dining table for a friend. I did a ton of research on random orbit sanders and a good article in a magazine recommended Makita after various tests. So I bought it and loved it. It seemed efficient and smooth. I spent countless hours sanding the table and gradually stepped down my paper grits finer and finer. It looked perfect! So I applied the stain and suddenly all the little swirling sanding circles popped right out. I was horrified. So I started over and sanded the whole thing again, being even more careful…. Consistent pressure, don’t force it, slow smooth strokes over the surface, gradually step down grits…. Same results.
I had bought a scraper but never used it. I gave it a try and it took me about fifteen or twenty minutes to scrape the entire table. It was absolutely perfect, and way smother than even the 360 grit sandpaper had produced. And guess what, no dust, no mask, no vibration-numbed hands, and no noise from the shop vac either.
In my opinion it seems that the whole concept of stepping down sanding grits is the following: The course grit removes enough material but leaves behind sanding marks. So each progressively finer grit is used just to erase those unwanted marks. What a a waste of time and energy! What if there were a better tool which made the surface perfectly smooth in the first pass?
I do like my Makita but it sits on the shelf a lot these days. So if you haven’t bought a sander yet, try spending $12 on a good quality scraper (and learn how to correctly use it) before you spend $150 on a random orbit sander.
Again, there are many different ways to use a scraper. This is just one way of doing it. Please feel free to ask questions or add comments about your method/tips for using the card scraper in this thread.
-- Happy woodworking! http://www.blakeweber.us
49 comments so far
Russel
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2199 posts in 2135 days
#1 posted 2037 days ago
Good video. I’d like to add my methods for using a card scraper, but I’ve got no methods. As I get deeper into woodworking I’m finding all sorts of hand tools that are quite interesting. The problem for me is figuring out the application for each tool. When do you use a scraper? When do you use a plane? And what kind? So much to learn, so little time.
-- Working at Woodworking http://www.VillageLaneFurniture.com
gene
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2185 posts in 2079 days
#2 posted 2037 days ago
Great video! Had not considered a card scraper until now. Thanks for sharing.
God bless
-- Gene, a Christian in Virginia
Thos. Angle
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4400 posts in 2158 days
#3 posted 2037 days ago
Blake,
That’s a nice video on a subject that is very subjective. While scrapers are the simplest tool, they can be the most difficult to use effectively. My first thought is that you could have burnished a hook on one scraper and used it first then finished up with the one with out a hook. The more agressive hook would have more quickly removed the finish and then a quick once over would have put the finish on it. I use a scraper when I need it, usually to clean off a glue line before I switch to a smooth plane. I feel that a smooth plane will give a superior finish over a scraper. However for a lot of my work(cabinets,etc.) the finish precludes the need and a ROS is quicker and more cost effective. Three coats of poly and you can’t tell whether it was scraped, planed or sanded. We have to be careful that we don’t get caught up in the process and forget that the end product is the goal. You are doing good things, Blake, keep ‘em coming. Thanks.
-- Thos. Angle, Jordan Valley, Oregon
Peter Oxley
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1424 posts in 2070 days
#4 posted 2037 days ago
Great video, well done! Enjoyed the music, too.
-- http://www.peteroxley.com -- http://north40studios.etsy.com --
Betsy
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2825 posts in 2092 days
#5 posted 2037 days ago
Blake – excellent. Just a few steps to smooth. That’s great. I liked the video, the music and the fact that you gave the Mrs. a plug. That’s a good thing! Look forward to your next video.
-- Like a bad penny, I keep coming back!
mot
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4912 posts in 2232 days
#6 posted 2037 days ago
Blake, great video. As Thos. said, scraper use is pretty subjective. That’s the nice thing about this woodworking thing. There are many ways to skin a cat. Thanks for showing the sharpening process and commenting on the 4 surfaces you have to work with. That’s valuable information for anyone considering using a scraper. You made good use of one on that project. Keep the vids coming!
-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)
Dominic Vanacora
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507 posts in 2065 days
#7 posted 2037 days ago
I was under the impression that you had to put a hook on the scraper. I’ll have to try this out. Again I learned something. Thanks.
-- Dominic, Trinity, Florida...Lets be safe out there.
Dadoo
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1763 posts in 2186 days
#8 posted 2037 days ago
Cute Blake! Could have used your advise when I redid the breadboard edge of my desk. I also see that LN sells a handle that protects your fingers from the friction heat. Think I’ll have to add a set to my Christmas wish list!
-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!
Dick, & Barb Cain
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8682 posts in 2495 days
#9 posted 2037 days ago
A very informative video, Thanks!
-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1
brunob
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2274 posts in 2365 days
#10 posted 2037 days ago
I’ve been going to get one. Now I’ll mover it up on my wish list.
-- Bruce from Central New York...now, if you'll pardon me, I have some sawdust to make.
brad
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136 posts in 2100 days
#11 posted 2037 days ago
The video wont play for me…what am i doing wrong?????//
-- Brad,--"The way to eat an eliphant is one bite at a time"
Blake
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3421 posts in 2070 days
#12 posted 2037 days ago
Try it now.
-- Happy woodworking! http://www.blakeweber.us
brad
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136 posts in 2100 days
#13 posted 2037 days ago
Finally able to view the video. I’m not sure why you chose not to burnish the scraper, seems like it would require a lot less effort if the edge had the hook?
-- Brad,--"The way to eat an eliphant is one bite at a time"
USCJeff
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1041 posts in 2264 days
#14 posted 2037 days ago
Good to see some instuctional videos. I typically have an aggressive hook on one of the long edges and a less angled hook on the opposite edge. I use a simple wooden holder I bought that holds and bends the scraper slightly. Saves some stress on the hands and helps force better technique. I use it most when removing finish versus surface prep. Enjoyed it.
-- Jeff, South Carolina
Brad_Nailor
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2450 posts in 2153 days
#15 posted 2037 days ago
Very nice….always wanted to try using a scraper..you took allot of the mystery out of it!
-- http://www.facebook.com/pages/DSO-Designs/297237806954248
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