WOW! you can't judge a scraper until you try this one!!

LN is all about quality. Somebody loves you kid. Merry Christmas. Good Review.

-- Sharp tools and thin whispy shavings make woodworking a joy.

A great Christmas for you, then :) I think I see the smile from here

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

yep, i got a lowes gift card to set up a spray booth, a wixey digital protractor, and a 5 gal bucket cyclone lid. can’t wait to put them to use.

I see that Woodcraft have LN so they are good ones Ha I must get me some

-- Jim, Kentucky

Shavings! I want to get shavings from my scrapper!

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

If you have trouble getting shavings from a scraper, more than likely you are not preparing the edge correctly before burnishing or you are burnishing too hard. Burnishing too hard is the most likely culprit as it was in my case.

Try filing your edge flat, the removing the burr on both sides with a file, then hone the sides with some 400 paper. Lay the scraper flat on the bench and draw the metal outward with the burnisher (you can use a little heavier pressure here, like you are kneading dough or giving a massage).

Finally, put the scaper in a vise and burnish outward at about a 10 degree angle with light pressure (about half that you used before). My recommendation is to go very light for a few passes and try the scraper, then if you can’t get shavings, go a little heavier with the burnisher, repeat.

Remember, the angle of attack of the scraper has a LOT to do with you getting dust vs shavings too….vary your angle on some scrap. The Lie-Nielson scrapers are great, but any thin metal can be made to give shavings, the quality difference is in how long it holds the edge and how flexible the steel is.

Hope it helps!

-- Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. -Carl Sagan

I have this same set, they are also my only ln tools but they are quality all the way. I didn’t get the leather case for them though. Give them a go on some red oak… I was very impressed with the finish they produced. Merry Christmas! :0)

-- Looking for free wood working plans? Visit us at www.AwlFreePlans.com

yep they are nice. and TheCaver. I’ve done all that. believe me i’ve done a ton of research and tried every method out there. but none of them worked until i got these.

I picked up the same scrapers about three weeks ago. They really hold and edge well. I used them for the first time on my recent project (posted today 12/25). The scraper cleaned up the walnut realy well. I made that table for my wife for Christmas. She got me the Lie Nielson low angle block plane for Christmas. Another high quality piece. A couple of minutes of honing and it was making shavings on some tough oak easily.

TheCaver’s recommendations on creating the burr are right on.

-- Bill G - West Springfield, MA

yep all ln tools are great! i’m looking at acquiring more soon

Hi Denis;

Nice gifts.

Those business card magnets are great to stick on your scrapers to keep from burning your thumbs during heavy use.

Have fun;

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

Nice scapers and a great tip there Lee!

-- Chris

Now you’ve gone and done it! You are now officially hooked on Lie Nielsen tools. Finest tools on the planet and made right here in the good ole US of A! I have a pair of their scrapers and several planes and they are the Ferrari of wood working tools. There are a couple of videos on line available on card sharpening and burnishing. Check out finewoodworking.com and I think woodtreks.com has something on this as well. Have fun, scrapes are the simplest yet most addicting tools you can get.

Denis, All of the projects and reviews you have provided over the christmas break is pretty awesome. I have been wanting to get a set of scrapers for some time now. I may just have to get this set and the case.
Thanks so much for the review. I look forward to the day you have your ownT.V. show :-)

-- Jerry, Set in the foothills of the Smokey's

Ditto the admonition of theCaver. I can get shavings out of just about any thin flexible bit of steel. Proper prep is all there is to it. After that, it’s finding what bow+angle of attack combination suitable for the material being scraped. Heck, I’ve been scraping softwoods for years. Nobody told me I couldn’t! Then I read that softwoods don’t scrape well and I blinked twice and reread the statement. After all it was advice dispensed via a reputable and distinguished publication. How was I to know?

I’m sure you get my point.

Ditto on the L-N quality too. Good stuff.

always,
J.C.

-- "Imagination is more important than knowledge" -- Albert Einstein

I gotta’ admit I can’t see a difference between the LN scrapers, and the Lee Valley curved and Bauco (Sandvik) examples that are 1/2 the price. I’ve used all three brands.

I LOVE LN tools, but scrapers are simple tools. My only guess is that the LN version comes pre-jointed, and the others require a file jointing to create a 90 degree edge before burnishing

Some folks make scrapers from chunks of old saws…

-- - Please help keep Lumberjocks an enjoyable escape by refusing to participate in political discussions. Simply spit out the bait and ignore the thread...

ya. i don’t know i tired everything on the other one. i filed it. honed it. burnished it hardy, lightly and everything in between. i tried out every method i could find and my scraper would not do anything. then now that i have tried these same methods on my LN they all produce fine shavings! so maybe i had a bad scraper. i don’t know but that old one just wouldn’t do anything and this one is amazing. just how its working out for me.

I bet that if you sent me the “bad” card scraper I could make it go with just a quick sharpening of my method. I have tried various brands and they all work the same for me.

I will admit that I have not used LN.

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

Todd. I’m heading down right now to try your method. here’s the real test. nothing else will work on this one. but will yours? hmm :)

well todd i tried yours and still nothing but dust on some nice walnut. if you want i can send it to you and you can give it a try. :)

I will have to agree with the majority – a card scraper is a card scraper, they all take an edge the same, some hold there edge better than others due to the quality of the steel and the hardening process used.

Personally I have “Crown”, “Veritas” and some scrap metal (Bandsaw Blades, putty knives etcetera) home made ones, they all work equally as well as each other, but some are better suited to some tasks than others, especially when you want to cut and shape them to a specific profile.

You really have to practice getting that cutting edge perfected, because a scraper does not scrape it actually cuts or shaves the wood (hence the nice shavings shown in Todd's blog), the name scraper comes from the action of the tool rather than the resultant wood chips produced.

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

I’ve been using some Shop Fox made in china card scrapers for a while. I just went out and picked up the LN’s. It was like going from a plastic steak knife to a Henckle chefs knife. I could feel the difference before I even opened the package. My shop is full of shavings and my hands aren’t sore at all. Way worth the price!!!

-- I'm not here for your amusement. You're here for mine - Johnny Rotten