Burnishers

[Steve Turner]

Yes, I think this would qualify as one of those times when you want a hardened rod. There are other times when having one is not particularly convenient...

[-MIKE-]

:-)

[Jay Pique]

I've been just using the scraper fresh off the file and it works excellently. Clamp the file in a vise, swipe the card a couple times, scrape away. Now this isn't for a finished surface, but for just smoothing out planer marks, glue, smal tear out, etc. prior to final sanding it works like a charm. Some guy over on lumberjocks.com has a blog on it if you want more detail.

JP

[Doug Winterburn]

I wouldn't know personally, but apparently it can be a real problem after four hours.

[Jeffo]

If you have a lot of time on your hands, an old file does work well. Either round or triangular the trick is to grind it down to flat steel then polish it - progressively with something like silicon carbide sand paper - not easy given that it is hardened steel, but the results work well. I think this is an old British thing (at least it was an old Brit that told me about it) from back in the day when they would cut up old handsaw blades to use as scrappers.

HTH, Jeffo

[sam]

Thanks. Much appreciated.

s

[Larry]

Maxwell Lol wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I just received one of these in the mail today. It's the first time I've ever been able to get a proper edge on my scraper. Maybe I'm a dumbass but no amount of effort resulted in the edge I was looking for.

I pulled this out of the packaging and about 5 minutes later I had the best edge on my scraper that it's ever had. I would highly recommend as I would just about everything they sell. Never purchased a bad product from them yet.

Larry

[Steve Turner]

I use card scrapers *all the time* and hardly ever piddle around with trying to get a hook on the edge. I usually rake mine across a 320 or 600 grit diamond stone to get a crisp, sharp 90-degree edge, and rarely am I ever left wanting for anything better.

[Larry Jaques]

On Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:23:43 -0600, the infamous Steve Turner scrawled the following:

My method exactly, and I couldn't be happier. Hooks are for more patient people.

-- Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of 'crackpot' than the stigma of conformity. And on issues that seem important to you, stand up and be counted at any cost. -- Thomas J. Watson

[Doug Miller]

Umm....no.... "A dollar apiece" for the rods, not $5 (where'd you get that from, anyway??), and maybe -- MAYBE -- fifteen minutes to polish.

[Doug Miller]

Ten minutes from home...

[Doug Miller]

I used to have a Lee Valley burnisher. I sold it right after I started using an old push rod. The push rod does a *much* better job.

[Doug Miller]

Pushrods *are* hard steel -- harder than a scraper, anyway...

[Jim Weisgram]

Actually, some people burnish that way against a stationary burnisher. Might even be safer. :-)

[resophil]

With all deference to Tage Frid, I never thought much of his advice to use a chisel for this purpose! Just what you want; applying a lot of pressure to a scraper edge with a chisel. If it should slip for some reason, you have potential for serious damage to your hand.

I have gone through a number of incarnations of scraper burnishers over the years, including the old Ulmia wheel burnishers, which still do an admirable job. In my toolbox, however, the weapon of choice is a homemade burnisher made from a triangular file. If you want to go this route, it is advisable to take the temper out of the file before grinding the old teeth away. Heat to cherry and let cool to room temperature, then grind away to heart's content. Put a slight radius on the edges. I have a rubberized abrasive wheel on the other wheel of my bench grinder which did a great job of working to a smooth mirror finish. Then harden by heating to cherry again and quenching in oil. Don't bother with tempering because, the harder, the better as far as burnishers are concerned. I doubt it'll be so brittle as to break unless you're opening paint cans with it... :-)...

[Jeff Gorman]

wrote

Regarding the applied pressure, I recall a discussion during which a metallurgist/woodworker said that excess pressure induced 'work hardening' that actually makes the job more difficult.

I suppose that finding the ideal pressure is a matter of trial and error (chiefly the latter of course), but I suspect that the diameter of the burnisher might affect the intensity of the pressure and guess that the polished back of say a 5/8in gouge might be about right.

Also, is a bit of lubrication a good idea or not?

Jeff, from his office chair.

[Swingman]

IME, I would say yes ... in a pinch some old timers even recommend rubbing the burnisher on each side of your nose first.

;)

[Lew Hodgett]

That's a trick my father used when assembling his fly rod to go fishing.

The oil in that part of your skin made taking the rod apart easier.

Lew

[Larry Jaques]

On Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:05:58 -0800, the infamous Jim Weisgram scrawled the following:

Ayup. Done wrong, sharpening a scraper can slit your wrist DEEPLY!

-- Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy. Speak your mind and fear less the label of 'crackpot' than the stigma of conformity. And on issues that seem important to you, stand up and be counted at any cost. -- Thomas J. Watson