# What kind of oil should I use to sharpen a card scraper?



## Peter5 (Sep 22, 2010)

I'm trying to figure out how to get a sharp card scraper. I watched a video and it showed that you should use oil when using a burnishing iron. What kind of oil should I use? Would any household oil work or do I need something more specific? Thanks!


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

The oil on you skin behind your ears works just fine. Just wipe you finger behind you ear and then wipe you finger on the card scraper.


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## WAPY (Jul 4, 2017)

I'd say no oil at all.
Don't know where you have seen using oil in re-sharpening a scraper, but the only thing you need is a good flat file without handle and a burnisher to fold the edge.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> I d say no oil at all.
> Don t know where you have seen using oil in re-sharpening a scraper, but the only thing you need is a good flat file without handle and a burnisher to fold the edge.
> 
> - WAPY


It depend on who/which video you watch. I heard of the oil in a couple videos I've watched


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Some recommend oil, some don't. I personally like to use a drop just because it makes the burnisher slide easy. I've heard of people using skin oil as AlaskaGuy suggests. I just use a drop of 3-in-1. Motor oil would work as would pretty much any machine oil. And, no oil at all works just fine to. There's really no wrong answer.


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

I use a shot of WD 40.
But that is how i was taught. It is hard to get a clean burr with a burnishing tool without any lubrication.

But as others said nearly anything works.

Biggest thing I see people struggle with on the burr, is they angle the burnishing tool far too much.

you only want to have the iron at 2-3 degrees. Even that shallow burnishing angle, you will find that you have to hold the card scraper about 30 degrees from vertical to get it to cut.

Good test is when you make the burr. gently (without trying to bow it with your thumbs)... push the scraper (like a bulldozer) across the board and keep tipping it until you feel the burr "catch" the wood to start scraping.
If you need to hold it almost flat on the wood before it acts as a scraper- you are burnishing too steep.


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## mitch_56 (Feb 7, 2017)

Veritas recommends skin oil, and they claim there is a downside to using no oil-they claim there is a risk of galling :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galling
which is prevented by the lubrication

They seem to know what they're talking about, so I choose to take their advice. Plus, you can't do any woodworking without your skin, so there's no excuse for not having any available


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

I noticed a pretty clear improvement when using oil on the burnisher. Seems that it makes for a smoother more consistent hook. Makes sense that it was avoiding the galling. I'm no expert, but I can't imagine the type of oil makes much difference, but also don't see any reason for heavier oil over basic light machine oil like 3in1.


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## WAPY (Jul 4, 2017)

for the sake of information, read this:


__ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/618189486321686909/


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