I have been very unhappy with my sander lately and will probably buy a new one in the near future. Some guys are suggesting using a scraper. I haven't considered this and know nothing about the procedure. So here is a couple of questions about scraping.
is this only for softwood
can large and small areas both be scraped
to what grit is scraping equivalent
what should a begining scraper look for if he wishes to purchase one
any online tutoring/methods available for perusing
I'm currently making the same transition. On my last project (oak bookcase:
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mostly scraped. Just a final pass with a worn-out piece of 220 to the get the last few random fibers. Didn't even plug in a sander for this project. Much less dust and noise. Much more pleasant to work with. Not much more effot. As the skills improve, I think it will take much less time than sanding (esp. the sharpening skills).
But I'm learning that most of what I did with the scaper I should have done with a smooth plane (#4). Fortunately I have one...but had never sharpened it properly, until now. My current project will be mostly planed. I'm doing the main parts of the stock before cutting them down to dimension...since it has lots of small parts.
Only hardwoods are scraped. Scrapers don't work well on softwoods.
Yes!
Apples to pears comparison. Once you see a scraped surface, you'll know.
Sharpening instructions, sharpening gear, and a good burnishing tool to turn the burr.
Once you've scraped, you'll rarely sand. Scraping leaves the wood with a much nicer, clearer surface, with no scratches. Scraping can be faster than sanding, as grit changes are not necessary.
When sharpening the scraper, you can put (4) burrs on it, two on each long edge. This will allow you to quickly change as a burr dulls. Burrs can be quickly renewed a few times before the scraper needs to be filed and completely resharpened.
Great thing about a scraper is that they're cheap.
Get one. Try it.
Harder woods are easier.
Biggest I've done are desk and workbench tops.
It isn't. Different process, not really comparable.
You'd have to sand to at least 300 grit to get a "finished" surface, and a scraper takes you there in one go.
Useful things:
A card scraper. Small cheap piece of high-quality steel. Sandvik do good ones, and they have a plastic edge protector too.
A burnisher. A very hard smooth stick ! There are all manner of home-brew recipes for these; engineer's scraper, the top of a round file, carbide rods. But if you like your knuckles unsliced, then I suggest buying a cheap hard steel one with a handle, like the Kirschen.
The Veritas wooden block burnisher with the angle adjust doesn't do the whole process. Sometimes it's convenient, but you can't use it alone. A round file has the hazard that you can ruin a scraper edge if you slip with it.
A Stanley #80 scraper and holder. Cheap off eBay, and how I do most of my scraping.
Cabinetmaker's scraper. Funny shaped thing, looks like a comma. Useless for someone making Craftsman, essential if you're making French Provincial.
Probably. Search this group. Garret Hack's plane book has a good piece on them (good book too).
There are a couple of sorts of scraper, with two different edge shapes.
Simplest are square edge scrapers, that make dust. You can use the edge of broken glass for this, which is a great way to strip old finishes. Won't work on soft timber.
On a metal scraper, just file the edge flat (depending on the hardness) and then hone it with a stone. A piece of sheared stainless steel works well too - doesn't need to be especially hard, and most stainless grades are tough enough to last well.
More complex edges are formed with a "hook", which needs a burnisher to make it. The advantage is that it makes tiny shavings, with a cut like a low-angle plane or chisel.
Here's the quick version, but it's not the best way.
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a square edged scraper in hard steel. Then form a burr on the edge by using the burnisher, but make the burrs point along the plane of the scraper. Then turn the burnisher round and "roll" the burr over, until it's perpendicular to the surface. This gives a better burr than trying to form it directly from the edge.
I have several scrapers in use simultaneously, with different sizes of burr. It makes a difference, so experiment for yourself.
I don't like sharpening double sided scrapers - too easy to slice your fingers up.
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