I'm Gonna do it again - Thickness of steel scrapers

[Pops]

I was all ready to buy a set of steel scrapers from L.V. and went on line only to find that they come in different sizes (.4mm and .6mm). Which set do I get and why the different sizes?

thanks Pops

[Howard Ruttan]

Don't they still have the set with mixed sizes? Anyway, a thinner scraper takes a lighter cut. The thick ones are great for removing planer marks and generally I find they will do the job by themselves but a thinner scraper will take a really feathery thin shaving that won't remove much wood (no scraper removes very much). I haven't found they put too different a finish on but that is my finding. Others may have different feelings on that.

[Frank McVey]

Hi, Pops.

When you're using a tradional cabinet scraper, you hold it in both hands, with your thumbs to the middle and usually your middle or ring fingers on the outside edge. Your apply a bit of pressure so that the scraper takes on a slight curve. You angle the whole lot forward vertically, present it at a slight skew to the grain horizontally and go for it.

If you've correctly sharpened your scraper ( a whole other ballgame - DAGS) then your scraper will take very fine shavings.

Correctly sharpened, the difference in thickness will give no real difference in performance, except:

1. Scrapers get 'kin hot, particularly towards the middle, where they contact the work. You will develop heat calluses on the tips of your thumbs, which are right above the action. Thin scrapers have less volume in which to dissipate the heat, so they get hotter.

1. Thick scrapers run cooler, because they have the volume to get rid of the heat better. However, because they're thicker, they take much more effort to bend, so you end up with thumbs like mine, which bend backwards at nearly 90 degrees to the normal line of the fingers.

If you can tolerate the discomfort, both systems will give good results. YPYMAYTYC.

Cheers,

Frank