Sanding or card scraping

[Tim]

When finishing a stock do you guys use sand paper
Or a card scraper? I have always used sand paper for my wood finishing
Projects but I’m open to other methods if they are better.

[smallpatch]

Normally scrapers.  Sand paper, only if I have to.

[Mauser06]

I too have gone to scraping.   If nothing else, it removes multiple steps of sanding through the grits. A slight learning curve but I find it faster and easier than sanding. 

[Tim]

I’ve got a Kibler SMR ordered and I am trying to plan how
I’m gonna work the wood and the metal before the rifle gets
Here. Does it matter what brand scraper to use?

[Michigan Flinter]

  I use OLD window glass for my scrapers .works for me .

[jerrywh]

 Whatever type finish you desire. I have done both but when I scraped I used broken glass. $100,000.00 guns aren't scraped they are sanded. Consider.

[davec2]

I use both..... but after initial shaping, I scrape most of the surface.  I use the non sharpened edge of a utility blade.  This is a blade being used to scrape brass.  I use the same tool for brass, wood, and steel.

I do most of the wood and brass surface removal by scraping with a utility knife blade, but not with the edge - I stone the two 45 degree edges to a sharp 90 and use both sides of those.  Scraping a large butt plate takes about 30 minutes.  Scraping a whole stock to get out file, rasp, or carving tool marks takes about an hour...more if there is a lot of intricate carving to scrape around.  Then I use sandpaper where ever necessary or useful.

Here I am scraping a butt plate with the angled edge of a box cutter blade.  It takes off brass more rapidly and more smoothly than a file and leaves a finish that does not take too much more work with the abrasive paper or sticks.  Wood comes of really fast and I have to be careful not to take too much.





By the way, I scrape steel parts as well.  You just have to refresh the edge of the scraper much more often.

[TommyG]

I like using a combination.  I'll use scrapers quite a bit in my finishing stages of stock shaping and also for leveling background on carving, then from there I go thru the grits of paper, 150-220-32-400, whiskering in between each grit.  Just seems  to give me the finish I like.

[rich pierce]

I do final scraping with microscope slides.

[Tim]

You folks are giving me some good ideas and things to try. I saw a video where Jim Kibler was scraping the stock of a colonial rifle and that got me to thinking about it.
I appreciate all of the wisdom you guys share with amateurs like myself.

[moleeyes36]

Normally scrapers.  Sand paper, only if I have to.

I do the same as Dane does.  However, if you are going to scrape the stock of a Kibler kit, be EXTRA careful not to take off too much.  His kits really don't have surplus wood that needs to be removed.  A good, sharp scraper can take off wood in a hurry.

Mole Eyes

[t.caster]

I do final scraping with microscope slides.

Thanks to Rich, so do I!

I still use fine 320-400 grit sand paper to smooth out the chatter bumps and file tracks, etc. depending on the wood.

[Long John]

Timbo,

I grudgingly admit that there are times when I have used sandpaper over a suitable support to smooth-out the ripple of curly wood.  But I then return to my scrapers to slice off the torn fibers left by the sanding process. 

Many folks use files to sharpen their steel scrapers and then turn the burr.  When its finishing time I file first and then continue the sharpening with my diamond plates all the way down to extra-fine before turning the burr.  This gives me a super smooth cutting edge and results in a smooth surface on the wood.  On my pull scrapers I use a piece of leather that is impregnated with rotten stone to polish the cutting edge.  I would use a piece of broken glass if I could get the glass to break the way I want it too.  But, I am NOT that good!

Best Regards,

JMC
John Cholin

[flehto]

Scrapers are used on both brass and wood but wet/dry 220 grit is used on the wood for the final  smoothing and whiskering   before staining. After scraping, the brass parts are given a rub w/ blocked  220 grit paper and then 00 steel   wool is used for the final finish.

After staining, 0000 steel wool is used to remove any surface stain and also to smooth the wood. Also after 2 soak in/wipe off coats of sealer, 0000 steel wool is used to remove any surface sealer before the final 2 coats of finish are  rubbed in w/ the fingers. The resultant stock finish is very smooth w/o humps or bumps......Fred

[smallpatch]

To add to the above....
The thinner the scraper, the smoother the finish.  For shaping, I use Stew-Mac scrapers, for final finish, I use carpet knife blades.  Grind the edge flat, then hone them smooth on stones.  You can also make concave and convex blades for those areas.
I personally like a little ripple on curly wood.  Gives the wood some life.

[Tim]

To add to the above....
The thinner the scraper, the smoother the finish.  For shaping, I use Stew-Mac scrapers, for final finish, I use carpet knife blades.  Grind the edge flat, then hone them smooth on stones.  You can also make concave and convex blades for those areas.
I personally like a little ripple on curly wood.  Gives the wood some life.

Do you grind the sharp edge flat and then hone that same edge
With a stone?

[Mark Elliott]

I just flatten my utility knife blades on a diamond stone.   I make them perfectly flat and square with no burr.    I will run my scraper(knife blade)  across a Fine (600 grit) stone every once in a while to keep it sharp.     

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Broken Mason jars make good scrapers for wood. I use the scrapers that WoodCraft sells for the stock and metal most of the time.

[smallpatch]

Yep, the smoother the edge, the smoother the finish.  For finish, no need to tun a burr.