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This morning I went to the local guild to take a class on card scraper sharpening. The class included 3 new different shaped card scrapers and the Arno Burnisher (Carbur2 model).
@glenn bradley's post on the subject has been my go-to. But for a burnisher, I've mostly used an old nail set punch, which was hard enough to create and turn the bur.
Michael Pekovich has a pretty good video on the topic for those that need a video, and it's worth watching. The main difference in what was taught was the burnisher used.
Using the Arno Burnisher:
There are two sides to the burnisher, one with a rounded carbide bar, the other with a triangle shaped bar. The bars are each canted out about 15* from the handle, not parallel to them
My first scrapers test, can see some of the saw marks on the left of the second pic. This one could have had a bit more burr, but worked.
Another thing the instructor taught me. He holds his scrapers at a bit of an angle, and follows the grain. Kind of like a snow plow going down the road. He said he gets less chatter spots in the scrape.
@glenn bradley's post on the subject has been my go-to. But for a burnisher, I've mostly used an old nail set punch, which was hard enough to create and turn the bur.
Me Sharpening a Card Scraper
There seem to be as many variations on this as there are woodworkers. Someone invariably posts William Ng's video which is great as are many others. For those with no special tools I started with some shop made stuff that still works fine. I also show commercial products which I was gifted...
familywoodworking.org
Michael Pekovich has a pretty good video on the topic for those that need a video, and it's worth watching. The main difference in what was taught was the burnisher used.
Using the Arno Burnisher:
There are two sides to the burnisher, one with a rounded carbide bar, the other with a triangle shaped bar. The bars are each canted out about 15* from the handle, not parallel to them
- Once you are to the stage of using the burnisher, you don't have to worry about holding the blade on it at a specific angle, just hold the handle level, this is the important part.
- For burnishing the sides, lay the card scraper flat at the edge of the bench and use the rounded bar of the burnisher to burnish each of the sides you wish to add burs to. It takes only about a half dozen strokes, with about as much pressure as you'd put on a screw driver to drive in a wood screw (as it was explained to me), don't stand on your tip-toes and put all your weight into it.
- Flip the card scraper over and repeat on the other side, remember to burnish holding the handle of the burnisher level, the built in 15* angled bar will be at the appropriate angle to create the bur.
- Once done doing the sides, you have the start of burrs for each side of the card. You now need to roll those over to finish making the hook.
- Clamp up the card in a vise. Using the angled bar on the burnisher, holding the handle level, give the card 5 to 6 strokes of the burnisher on each side. you should be able to feel the hook with your finger on the sides you've burnished.
- Flip the card around and burnish the other side of the card the same way.
My first scrapers test, can see some of the saw marks on the left of the second pic. This one could have had a bit more burr, but worked.
Another thing the instructor taught me. He holds his scrapers at a bit of an angle, and follows the grain. Kind of like a snow plow going down the road. He said he gets less chatter spots in the scrape.
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