scraping a stock

[chuck c.]

I'm getting somewhat close to the final shaping of my first build from a blank. I would like to finish the stock by scraping, but I have not been able to pull up much info from the archives. Any help would be appreciated.

[Lloyd]

What do you need to know???

[Dphariss]

You need various shapes and you need to put a smooth edge on them. Coarse edges make the surface rougher. A smooth edge will make a smooth cut.
Then you need to have a burnisher or two to smooth the wood farther.
You can burnish with the first coat of finish and this will help glue the wood fibers down.
A scraped finish does not necessarily mean rough or crude.
Dan

[woodsrunner]

There was a world famous cabinet maker named James Krenov, from Sweden, I think, that wrote several books back in the 1960's-70's with sections covering wood finishing on high grade cabinets. It's been at least 30 years since I've had reason to refer to these books, but I remember almost a dissertation on scraping, finishing, etc. IIRC Krenov made a lot of use of broken glass shards, and strongly opposed using sand paper and rasps. I bet a lot of valuable info could be gleaned from Krenov's methods that would be directly applicable to finishing out stocks. Just my thoughts.....

[rich pierce]

It's probably worthwhile to practice a bit on some convex and concave shaped pieces of stockwood, so you can decide if you like the result and look, and to see how it finishes. 

Glass microscope slides work really well.

[Roger Fisher]

It's probably worthwhile to practice a bit on some convex and concave shaped pieces of stockwood, so you can decide if you like the result and look, and to see how it finishes. 

Glass microscope slides work really well.

And carpet installer razer blades with a rolled on edge and the other made safe. Make sure 

[Metalshaper]

glass microscope slides!  gives you 8 edges to work with!
and if you have a good glass cutter, they can be cut to help with any other shapes you might need.  by leaning them in or away?  you can cut on either the push or the pull!!  oh, and it works equally good on smoothing out horn!!

Respect Always
Jonathan/Metalshaper

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Back in the 1950's my Dad gave me a .22 he had bought ib the 1920's. The stock was all banged up and scrateched etc so he broke a Mason Jar, gave me the pices and set me to work. It did a great job.  Burnishing the wood after scrapping and the seal coat really helps as well.

[Ken G]

I know a lot of guys like to make their scrapers but these were very helpful to me.  Maybe you have a Woodcrafters close by.  Ask the guy at the counter about sharpening.  They have a nice little handout that is very helpful also. 
Cheers,
Ken


http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2020022/19046/Curved-Scraper-Set-(4).aspx

[longcruise]

And carpet installer razer blades with a rolled on edge and the other made safe. Make sure 

Roger, how do you roll the edges?  I have quite a few of those blades.

[chuck c.]

Thanks a lot for your replies. Ken, your link to woodcraft was very helpful. There's a video embedded in their on-line catalog that was real informative. I'll also try the microscope slides. Thanks again!

[smshea]

 


 Just stand the blade up almost straight and drag it across a sharpening stone to roll a burr. Also , you can use a regular razor blade but they don't last quite as long.

 

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Here is a 10 minute video that covers scraping technique and sharpening:

[Dphariss]

Here is a 10 minute video that covers scraping technique and sharpening:

Good tutorial.
I burnish some for a rolled edge but this is not the answer for everything.
I sharpen some to a 90 only since they are useful for scraping wood or metal.
This scraper has no hook and is too hard to burnish, it will cut steel as well as wood. Used as shown or angled vertically.
These are handy for smoothing carving backgrounds. Good for fitting frizzens to pans too.
Dan

[Tim Crosby]

glass microscope slides!  gives you 8 edges to work with!
and if you have a good glass cutter, they can be cut to help with any other shapes you might need.  by leaning them in or away?  you can cut on either the push or the pull!!  oh, and it works equally good on smoothing out horn!!

Respect Always
Jonathan/Metalshaper

 I have found that broken glass gives a better finish than glass that has been cut/scored with a glass cutter. Maybe the key word is "good glass cutter".

Tim C.

[Roger Fisher]

And carpet installer razer blades with a rolled on edge and the other made safe. Make sure 

Roger, how do you roll the edges?  I have quite a few of those blades.

Scott Shea answers this perfectly.  They work slick for finish scraping not really suitable for the heavier shaping! (Unless you like scraping )

[Dphariss]

Glass works OK but its hard to get a specific shape with it.

Dan

[Lloyd]

I guess I am a weirdo....  I buy scrapers from a tool supply house in CDA Idaho.  They are made by 2 cherries in Germany and are about 2 inches wide by 6 inches long...  Out of these, I can grind just about any shape that I want, then mount it in a wooden holder... 

I can grind out to the shape of forestock moldings, the radius under a cheekpiece, and many more shapes...  I also use them full size when the curly maple has hard and soft spots and wants to scoop out or when I am doing large area's where I want to get done fast.  I just angle the scraper to about 45 degrees to the grain of the wood and scrape, no scoops but rather flat... 

I generally sharpen my scrapers at 90 degrees to the plate, but that changes according to how the wood works... Sometimes I go as far as a 45% angle... 

Anymore, I do far more scraping than sanding...

Another thing I have found is that a scraped stock tends to pop a much nicer color than a sanded one when using aqua fortis.  I have no idea why, it just does...

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Another source for scrapers (and other tools) and a great paper on sharpening scrapers

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/scraping-tools.aspx

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/highlandwoodworkingsguidetosharpeningwithascraper.aspx

[Mike R]

I guess I am just an old backwoods curmudgeon, but I just use a pocket knife--a basic stockman pattern or several other mutliblade styles have blades with various shapes that are handy [wood carvers use them]--of course I am not as experienced or skilled as most of the makers here, who I bow to...I saw some old timer southern mountain gun makers carve out, inlet and finish their stocks with just a jack knife--but I do not advocate that...

[The other DWS]

Dphariss,   in your response #13 you show a scraper you are using that is ultra hard.  what kind of steel is it and how do you edge it.

  I've made bottoming chisels and draw scrapers out of old tuck-pointing trowels by cutting the blade off to about 2 inches long with a dremel and reshaping both the "blade" end and the "heel".  the old ones are made of a real hard finegrained steel that works real well if you are careful not to de-temper it while altering it.   now I wish I'd saved the cut-off pieces

[Kermit]

Old handsaws. Get 'em at thrift shops, garage sales, and flea markets. Clamp them in a vise and snap off pieces. File and stone if it's straight you want, otherwise, file or grind to the profile you need. Get a burnisher and teach yourself to roll an edge with it. Old cabinet scrapers are often just pennies each in junk boxes, because folks don't know what they are.

I visit the local glass guy once in a while and go through his broken glass for usable pieces. Put masking tape on the unused edges to keep the blood on the inside of your hands. In my experience, using a glass cutter makes a scraper with an edge on the broken (non-scored) side.

[TomK]

Chuck,
I'm on my second rifle and bought a few scrapers from Woodcraft. I tried them out on some scrap wood and then let fly forming the nosecap area. FAR FAR superior to sanding/chiseling for that type of work, didnt take long either.