CBH How to sharpen a cabinet scraper

• Always read the accompanying technical description!

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Carey Beebe demonstrating how to sharpen a cabinet maker's scraper.

Few woodworking tools give as much satisfaction as a well-sharpened cabinet maker's scraper.

The previous burr is removed with an oilstone, and the scraper mounted securely in a bench vise. The exposed edge is smoothed and flattened with a file. A hard burnisher is then used to roll over both arrises. The resultant burr can be felt with the thumbnail. All four edges of the scraper can eventually be sharpened.

A very smooth wood surface is the end result, because the scraper cuts the wood fibres, leaving shavings—rather than grinding the wood into a dust like abrasive paper.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• woodwork
• tool
• sharpening
• scraper
• cabinet
• maker
• DIY
• hpschdnu

[hpschdnu]

Sorry, but of course the scraper is burnished. Please read the accompanying text explanation, and view the video again.

[garyscoggins]

Sorry but your scraper is not sharp because you did not create a good enough bur. You are creating dust & not a proper shaving.

[hpschdnu]

Thanks—but what might look like dust on YouTube resolution is actually tiny curls of cherry shavings.

[Ratd0g28]

I have to agree with Gary. A well sharpened scraper should be making long paper like curls of wood. That is not sharp.

[twhitbeck]

I have been using a file to sharpen cabinet scrapers for years. I like to use a lathe file which has single cut grooves at a greater angle than a regular file. I run the file almost parallel to the edge of the scraper. This creates a small but very sharp burr. I push the blade and get fairly sizable shavings. I find that I have to sharpen more often than using a burnished edge but for me it cuts faster.

[lucyfanclub]

This is missing the most important step - burnishing. This creates the hook that makes a cabinet scraper a cabinet scraper. This is not how you sharpen or use a cabinet scraper.