$6 Scraper

[Bob Bouis]

So, I was browsing online and noticed that there are people (Chinese, mostly) selling HSS bars in a large variety of sizes (though not lengths...) for very modest prices. They don't actually say what kind of steel they're selling other than that it's HSS.

I got a couple just to see what they were like and they do seem to be high speed steel. They're fairly hard and don't burn on the grinder. I ground one into a scraper and made a quick handle for it from crepe myrtle. I made it small 'cause I've already got a lot of scrapers with big handles (not that I don't have small ones too, but whatever):

6scraper1.jpg

6scraper3.jpg

6scraper2.jpg

So, how's it cut? Great. How's the edge retention? Haven't really used it enough to be sure, but it seems to be about what you'd expect. I'll report back after I've had a chance to form a more solid opinion on that.

Anybody else tried these Chinese HSS bars from eBay/Amazon? Other questions or observations are welcome of course.

[John Keeton]

I have a 3/8 x 3/8 multipurpose tool from an <8" (200 mm) piece and I use it often. It is ground as a square end skew, but I also use it as a negative rake scraper. I also have on order 4 pieces of 6x10x200 mm that I will use for various single use tools. Cost was $17 shipped. Hard to beat for those one off tools we often need. I am sure the quality is actually pretty low, but the usage, and therefore the sharpening, is so little it hardly matters. At $4 ea, they are a bargain IMO.

[Steve Nix]

I can't not fine any posting for $6.00 scrapers, can you post the link?
thanks

[Frederick Skelly]

Bob, John, could you tell us what online source you used?

Thanks,
Fred

[John Keeton]

eBay links are not permitted on SMC, but search for the following to get you started. This supplier has several sizes.
4 Pcs Metalworking Cutting Lathe HSS Tool Bit 6mm x 10mm x 200mm

And, my previous post about 8 pieces was a memory failure on my part. These are about $4 each.

[David Gilbert]

The printing on these look very much like the printing on some of Benjamin's Best tools by Penn State Industries.

Cheers,
David

[Bob Bouis]

The particular seller I got those bars from is called "GO Carol" and they sell on Amazon. They're in Hong Kong.

Just in case it wasn't clear from my prior post, the bars didn't come ground as a scraper. It wasn't hard to grind a tang on it, but I wouldn't do it with a $150 CBN wheel. Belt sander, angle grinder, neighbor's bench grinder with the original coarse wheels, whatever.

[Robert Willing]

Here is a Amazon link https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...x+10mm+x+200mm

[William Bachtel]

Old files are better than any China iron, any day .

[Jim Meyer]

I thought files were too brittle to be used. Jim

[Mike Goetzke]

Here is a Amazon link https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...x+10mm+x+200mm

https://www.amazon.com/Lathe-Tool-SO...athe+HSS+200mm

[Brice Rogers]

Yes and no. Files can be quite brittle in their original form. But you can change that.

If I were doing it, I'd start with an old rusty file (some new files are only case hardened) and heat it to bright red/orange (around 1500 F or where a magnet stops sticking to them). Then I'd let it slowly cool down. Now all the hardness is gone and you can grind/file/drill. After shaping it, then I'd re-harden it. Heat it up to the same temp as before and without delay dunk it into a bucket of oil. If you only want the cutting portion to be hard (and maybe brittle) only stick it in to that depth. Then go through an annealing process to reduce the brittleness. If interested, I'll let you know some easy ways to anneal (or debrittle) a file.

I've made tools from files and they work okay.

I thought files were too brittle to be used. Jim

[Robert Willing]

Don't hold your breath waiting for these from Amazon. It takes over 30 days to get these from China.

[Bob Bouis]

I checked on it and the ones I ordered were delivered in 18 days. In my experience it usually takes about 3-4 weeks to get small items from China. Sometimes it's as fast as 10. But they always seem to get here. 30 days would be on the high end.

I think the Chinese government subsidizes the heck out of the postage to encourage commerce.

[Scott Ticknor]

A month from China ? It took over a month to get a book ordered on Amazon from the UK It seems to take forever on international orders .