Card Scraper Buying Advice Needed

[Kent A Bathurst]

..........Don't bother with the holder gadget! ...........The card scraper has got to be the best bang for the buck tool that a woodworker can purchase.

[A] - that's what I thought for the longest time, and I don't use the gadget often. But - when I've got 15 minutes of card scraping to do, my wussie hands + thumbs just plain wear out. And, on hard-hard-hard-woods [QSWO] it don't take very many pushes to get to a pretty hot temp. I've gotten good enough with my glue-up panels that all I usually need on the joints is a card scraper - but it can be a bit tiring. [B] Yep. Definitely in agreement on that point.

[Chris Fournier]

[A] - that's what I thought for the longest time, and I don't use the gadget often. But - when I've got 15 minutes of card scraping to do, my wussie hands + thumbs just plain wear out. And, on hard-hard-hard-woods [QSWO] it don't take very many pushes to get to a pretty hot temp. I've gotten good enough with my glue-up panels that all I usually need on the joints is a card scraper - but it can be a bit tiring. [B] Yep. Definitely in agreement on that point.

I guess that it's the delicious smell of burnin' thumbs that drives me from the gadget. I will tape my thumbs if I'm staring down a real session of scraping.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I guess that it's the delicious smell of burnin' thumbs that drives me from the gadget. I will tape my thumbs if I'm staring down a real session of scraping.

You're a better man than me, Gunga Din................

Regards, Rudyard

[Arvind Srivaths]

It's been ten years, but in case you are still on this list, can you please tell me if the TC paint scrapers like: https://www.diy.com/departments/harr...r/36385_BQ.prd
can be used as a card scraper? After all the TC will probably stay sharp longer and if a hook is needed, a diamond plate can be used to create one (perhaps with a jig).

Thanks,
Arvind

[Kevin Jenness]

Don't bother with a carbide scraper. Just get a decent steel scraper like this one https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop...oaAhAAEALw_wcB and learn to tune it up.

[Jim Koepke]

Arvind, that is a completely different kind of scraper than what is used in woodworking. The handled scrapers are used more for scraping paint to prep a surface before painting.

Of all my scrapers, my favorite is one made from a piece of old saw blade. It is a little heavier than most of the items sold as card scrapers.

A hook (burr) on a card scraper is usually turned with a burnishing rod. Folks have used everything from a screwdriver to a drill bit for a burnisher.

Here is a scratch awl and burnisher made for one of my grandsons:

Scratch Awl and Burnisher with Acorns.jpg

These were made of hardened High Speed Steel drill stock.

You might want to start a new post on this subject to get advise from others on this. My scraper skills are lacking. It has only been in the last year or so that my attempts at using a scraper have had decent results.

jtk

[Luke Dupont]

Historically, a piece of an old saw plate and a chisel for a burnisher, and you've got yourself a card scraper.
At the end of the day, they're all just thin sheets of steel. The real trick is learning to prepare and "sharpen" them. That's something you'll have to learn no matter what you buy.

[chuck van dyck]

This set is great. https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/item/PZ-30189

Lots of handy shapes and attractive pricing. Also supporting a great store.

The one thing a lot of people glance over is polishing the faces. Its a cutting edge just like a chisel or plane. Take the time to polish the faces and edge before burnishing and you’ll fall in love with this tool that a lot of people give up on.

If you’re just fairing stuff out you can use the burr straight from the file.

[Von Bickley]

I sharpened and practiced many times before I could get curls but it was very rewarding when I did. There are many you- tube videos on card scrapers. The type of wood also has a lot to do with the curls you get.
received_348221523751682.jpeg

[Edward Weber]

I have one of those holders and it sits quietly in a drawer and doesn't bother anyone.
I have many brands, none that really stand out too much, although the Sandvik (Bacho) do seem to hold a burr pretty well.

[Arvind Srivaths]

I tried a steel scraper from two cherries (0.6 mm) and one from Arno ( French Spring Steel Super Hard 1 mm) and a hss plane blade. Flattened the sides and edge (back and bevel for plane blade) and burnished a hook with a carbide rod. Got shavings but the hook doesn't last on the steel scrapers. Hss is decent but I thought why not try TC. Can someone explain why it won't work - after all Robert was able to get shavings.

[Arvind Srivaths]

Thanks Jim. I think I will create a new post - I want to see if someone can explain why TC will/won't work. After all if the geometry is the same and material is harder, it should work.

[Edward Weber]

Thanks Jim. I think I will create a new post - I want to see if someone can explain why TC will/won't work. After all if the geometry is the same and material is harder, it should work.

Short answer is this,
Tungsten Carbide

Tungsten carbide is an alloy of tungsten and carbon, made by heating tungsten powder with carbon and hydrogen at 1,400 - 1,600°C (2,550 - 2,900°F). The resulting alloy is 2-3 times as rigid as steel and has a compressive strength surpassing all known melted, cast, and forged metals. It is highly resistant to deformation and keeps its stability at both extreme cold and hot temperatures.

Normal card (cabinet) scrapers are made of flat steel and a hook is drawn out by using a burnisher which work hardens the edge as it's formed. How long a burr lasts depends on the properties of the steel and how well it was formed.
This process can not be done on TC, due to it's physical properties. You may be able to sharpen a TC scraper with a diamond plate but you can not draw out a hook on it.

Two different types of scraping