worth saving money on burnishers?

[Dave W]

[RWS]

Hi, I am self tought, and I want to learn how to sharpen a cabinet scraper. There is a Crown Burnisher at Highland for around 10.00...and Garrett has them for over 20...Is it important to spend the extra money? Is burnisher shape important? If so, which burnisher should I get? I have tried using a screwdriver, and it doesn't do anything. Thanks. Robert

[Bridger]

if a screwdriver doesn't do anything then neither will the one from crown. it's probably your technique that needs to be worked on, assuming that the screwdriver shank wasn't made of dead soft steel. did the scraper cut off a shaving from the shank of the screwdriver when you tried it?

a big factor is how well the scraper was prepared. I generally do it like this: if the edge is very bad, or it's a new scraper I'll shape it on the grinder. from there I'll often work it a bit with a single cut mill file. I lay the file down flat on the bench and using a scrap of wood with a 90 degree edge as a guide I'll take a few strokes against the file. what you're looking for is an edge that is cleanly squared off, no rounding at all. if I'm sharpening for roughing work I'll go straight from the file to the burnisher. If I need a finer edge than that I'll stone the edge first. if you can, clamp the scraper up so that the edge is well supported it's full length. any smooth metal rod harder than the scraper will work fine- a screwdriver already has a good handle on it. use a smooth stroke feeding the direction you want the hook to go. I find that a drop of light oil on the burnisher helps. Bridger

[Andy Dingley]

No. Although I'm no fan of Crown products, I can't see they'd get a burnisher wrong.

Not really.

I like to use a factory-made burnisher, because it has a handle on it. Doesn't work any better, but it saves fingers.

Screwdrivers often don't work, being too soft. The top of a round file works, but if you slip you can guge the scraper. Engine valves are OK, but I'd take the trouble to put a handle on it. An engineer's half-round scraper (a file with no teeth) is as good as any burnisher.

-- There's more than one way to skin a cat...

...but I still prefer the electric belt sander.

[mike]

I have a round and an oval burnisher, both work fine. I have used a

1/2" twist drill in a pinch. Buy the $10.00 one, it'l work.

mike

[Mike G]

I think it is

[Dick on the James]

You said >There is a Crown Burnisher at Highland for around 10.00..

Crown = crap IMO. I bought one of their burnishers and the steel is so soft that my antique Stanley scraper blade dug into it, scarring the burnisher rod badly the first time I used it. I now use an old file that I ground smooth, which is a little prep work but works very nicely. Good luck! Dick