Card Scraper Sharpening

[Coop]

I’ve gotten out of practice and bad practice doesn’t make perfect. Does anyone recommend a magazine article or a preferred YouTube video that you go by?  

[Chet]

This has always been the one I reference.  Oldie but goodie.

 

[Coop]

Thanks Chet. That explains why I saved these. I forgot about filing the edge. Marc’s shop has evolved just a tad since he made that video.

[Chet]

On 3/10/2022 at 5:32 PM, Coop said:

Marc’s shop has evolved just a tad since he made that video.

So has Marc.  Actually I guess we all have.

[gee-dub]

My wife came in the room while I was watching a recent Wood Whisperer episode.  She said "he got old".  I turned my now nearly bald head toward her with an exaggerated pained expression on my face.  She said "Sorry Honey".  Maybe you had to be there .

I have blocks of wood that look like Coop's.  I was gifted commercial versions somewhere along the line and they work fine too.  Marc's method, William Ng, and many others all influenced my methods.  I file the edges, stone the edges and the faces flat.  Stone the edges to a little higher grit, pull the edge out and hook it back.

I tend to do a mild long edge and a more aggressive edge opposite that.  The shorter ends I make aggressive since I use them for getting into tight spots and generally don't have much leverage there . . . if that makes any sense.  It'll come back to you.

[BonPacific]

I like Cremona's card sharpening video, but the techniques are pretty much identical. Matt doesn't use the blocks that Mark does.

 

[Chestnut]

I personally like using the high grit stones that cremona shows, I've gotten the best shavings that way. That said I use the blocks like Marc does in his videos.

The other thing that I do is I'll use the burnisher, to straiten the edge and then roll it over multiple times before going back to the stones.

[Robby W]

I use a Veritas jig version of the blocks for filing, diamond plates for honing and finish on a very fine waterstone. I have learned that Iike carbide burnishers best. I bought one from Lie-Neilsen that I really like. It moves very easily because it is so much harder than the scraper steel. Don't forget a drop of oil when burnishing. I use camelia oil.

[Coop]

I got a new burnisher today and after several attempts and watching both videos, my dust is getting a little coarser!  

[wtnhighlander]

@Coop, one thing I discovered as I practiced burnishing was that it is easy to go too far, and curl the burr so much that you have to almost lay the scrsper flat to cet it to cut. Once you have squared the edges by whatever method you use, a few stroke with a relatively light hand will give you a cutting edge, and one that can be 'honed' srveral times with the burnisher before it needs to hit the stone again.

My preference is to burnish square to the face, so the edge is drawn out on both sides.

[Coop]

I think I can, I think I can, ........

I bet it’s a whole lot easier than trying to re-learn to ride a skate board at my age! 

[Coop]

I’m getting closer. Not what I get from my block plane but a little further away from dust.  I think I was rolling the hook at too great of an angle. If interested, one more video to watch.

https://dfmtoolworks.com/blogs/how-to/how-to-sharpen-your-cabinet-scrapers

[gee-dub]

@Coop - That is what my stuff looks like when I feel I'm doing well. 

Time to sharpen:

Sharpened:

I'd say you're in good shape.

 

[Chestnut]

Coop keep in mind that the roughness of the surface has an impact on the shavings. When I'm card scraping a surface from a drum sander or a somewhat rough surface the shavings are smaller and closer to dust. Once the surface gets smoothed they resemble shavings. The shavings are so thin if there are surface imperfections you won't be able to get a continuous shaving.

I think your right where you need to be. The angle of the hook is a great point keeping the burnisher closer to perpendicular to the scraper makes them somewhat easier to use.