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The more I realize I should scrape.

http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Ty ... raper.html

Nothing lets me control the process of binding shaping better than this tool. And properly used, it's every bit as fast as a sander.

Handmade guitars need to be handmade. No?

I misread your post. Apologies.

I have one of those and don't like it. I much prefer the typical thin bladed scraper.

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Michael F Smith
Goat Rock Ukulele
http://goatrockukulele.com

Michael, I'll gladly purchase your Carruth scraper. Send me a current picture, and your total price

jimmyjames, have no idea what u mean. Guessing you deleted something you wished u had not posted. Been there, done that

Yes, I misread it thinking you had no experience with a scraper. Someone was talking to me whilst I read. I typed and submitted then reread and realized my error.

I will say that my favorite scraper is from a repurposed (bent beyond repair) $4 antique Disston saw cut into a wide section. The old steel is way better than the other scrapers I have. The Clifton is nearly worthless, Lee Valley is okay. The Disston is practically like planing and the width keeps me from burning blisters on my fingers.

-j

I have one of those scrapers, and they're great to use! Of course, it will be a bit harder to sharpen when the time comes.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Chris,

They are absolutely the easiest scraper to sharpen. No burnishing, edge prepping. Just get one of those white, high grit grinding wheels. Run the scraper around in one direction, then the other. The hardest part is setting up the rest plate in front of the wheel. You want it dead flat. But then never change it again. It's so easy, I sharpen often.

Maybe Alan will chime in with the grit count

Mike

Other amazing design features: no bending of scraper needed. Easy on your fingers. The contours of the base model are endlessly useful. If the new model were perfectly square, I'd not be interested. But the concave edge on one side looks awesome.

For flat stuff like plates and pegheads, these are hard to beat for simplicity and effectiveness - the Stanley #80 and its clones:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/16746702973/

I have the full cohort of 12, 12-1/4, 12-1/2, (even a 12-3/4) and 112 and find that the 80 is my favorite.

Also, Lie Nielson makes the best scraper I own - easy to sharpen, and holds a burr well. I use the thicker of the 2, although the thinner one is good too.

And any Disston/Atkins/Simmonds saw will make great scrapers of whatever shape you need. Try to get a saw at a flea that appears to be 20th century before about 1950 - no Disston/Porter stuff. The ones that are broken or worn out are cheap/free. Run a 3 cornered file along a piece of wood for a guide to make a line in the saw plate, then break it off in the vice (wear safety glasses please). File it flat or to shape and proceed as usual.

Ed

My latest scraper was made from an old Zona saw, 0.3 mm gauge. Kind of the complete opposite of the Carruth scraper.

I'm with Mike on this one. I use my Carruth scrapers all the time, when properly sharpened they work great but it takes a somewhat different touch than the thin card scrapers. Because I like the flat part to be dead flat I usually add a few steps every 2nd or 3rd time I sharpen mine. I will use a piece of wood and a course diamond stone to make sure the flat edge is truly flat; I mark the edge with a Sharpie and then go to the fine, white grinding wheel and grind it as Mike describes till the Sharpie marks are just gone. In order to get a finer cut I lap each side of the scraper on a 1200 grit diamond stone. Takes longer to describe then it takes to do it and, IME, these hold an edge a lot longer than my card scrapers do (or did cause I don't use em anymore).

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"