About a week ago I posted how happy I was with my Lie Nielson scraper and how poor the Sandvik scraper had been treating me, especially not being able to turn a hook.
Well, I still really like the Lie Nielson and the Sandvik is much harder, it does have tendency to gall the scraper, but...
I read the FWW article on tuning scrapers and also watched the video: After hearing the comment that after turning the hook about 6 times, the metal becomes work hardened and seeing him eliminate that work hardened metal using a mill file, a light bulb went on. Thus, I undertook the re-habilitation of the Sandvik. Sure enough, running the scraper across a file, after a few passes, the file started biting into softer metal. I built the jig he showed and ran it across my Arkansas stone, honed the sides, then tried drawing a burr and turning the hook. As I mentioned, the metal in the Sandvik is much harder than the Lie Nielson, but I was able to get a burr and a hook, and those wispy shavings that a scraper is supposed to make. So ... I still really like the Lie Nielson scraper -- it is thinner, easier to flex and easier on the fingers to use, but the Sanvik is also useable and has been returned to service. I have some more work to do, I did have the burr nick this afternoon, so I'll have to re-sharpen and re-hone, but I may finally have a handle on this.
Thus far, the only sandpaper I've used on the entertainment center has been 300 grit between the second and third application of Watco. Scraping is much more peaceful, less dusty, and really quite a bit faster (neglecting the learning curve for now) than running through the 5 grits of sandpaper on the ROS that I have used in the past. I've gotten the back panels, the door panels, and several shelves finished all the way through wax using only planes and the scrapers. Still have a ways to go, but this may be the project where at least most of it doesn't need sandpaper.
Now, when the Lie Nielson gets work-hardened, I will be able to re-habilitate it also.
Now, pass the crow.