Scraper plane blades

Dave Black

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638
Location
Central PA
I want to make something like a stanley 112 scraper plane, My plan is to buy a replacement blade from veritas of Lie Nielson. Heres my question, Veritas has a thinner high carbon steel that comes standard on the plane and an optional 1/8th" A2 tool steel blade. The A2 blade is about 2x the price of the High carbon blade. Lie Nielsen's blade is 1/8th" A2 tool steel. Is the A2 is the "better" blade. Any thoughts about the blade thickness and A2 s high carbon steel, and anything in general about scrapers?
 
A2 is an "air hardening" steel, which means its great benefit is that it'll hold its hardness up to a higher temperature than ordinary high-carbon steels like O1 and W1. In a scraper for wood, that's totally meaningless unless you use yours a WHOLE lot harder than I do. No scraper should ever see annealing temperatures as it's used, and since it's sharpened with a file (and optionally a hand stone) before burnishing with a hand burnisher, it'll never see annealing temperatures as it's maintained.

A2 isn't harder or stronger or tougher than common high-carbon steel. In fact, quite ordinary W1 takes & holds a better edge. W1 can be hardened harder, O1 distorts less during hardening & tempering, and A1 has higher heat resistance. Choice of tool steel really comes down to a choice between one of those three (unless you reach for one of the exotics).

As to thickness... a 1/8" scraper blade sure seems like overkill. That'd be a blade you certainly couldn't bow if you tried. If you're counting on making a scraper plane that bows the blade (as a #12 or #112 would), you'll want about the thinnest blade you could muster.
 
Insider tip: Dunno if you'd be interested, but I believe Dominic Greco will soon be listing a variety of scrapers and scraper plane blades for sale at good prices. Keep your eyes on the Commercial Post Zone for more info. ;)
 
I don't know which would be better, I assuming the thinker one would be better since lie nielsen is using that instead of the thin one.:huh:
 
Heres what I was looking at
http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=112
down the page a little bit it says about the blade and the thickness of it. I figured since lie nielsen was using that it should be good

I don't think I like that - wouldn't an inflexible blade leave "curbs"? You'd have to radius the corners to prevent it. I like a flexible scraper MUCH better, since the act of flexing it rolls the corners up off the wood's surface and lends the rigidity it takes to prevent chattering.
 
I've always wondered about the thicker blades myself. I've been using the thinner ones and can't really see an advantage to the thicker steel. On a bench plane, thicker cutting irons do a great deal to eliminate chatter. On my scraper plane, the tall angle of attack generally takes care of the chatter. If it's a particularly difficult piece of wood, i find scraping in a different direction, or a variety of directions takes care of any chatter.
On the other hand, every Veritas plane i own is very well engineered and built. I've grown to have a lot of faith in their design.
I wish i could test drive one with the thicker blade.
paulh
 
I can't help much here but I believe that while a thin scraper held by hand allows you to work on a specific spot, with thick blades on a scraping plane force you to work on a more wide area to fix that same spot which eventually will give you a more uniformly flat surface, not to talk about less tiring in you fingers and hands.
 
I guess I will find out how the thick blades will work, I ordered 2 lie nielsen replacement blades from woodcraft yesterday. There is free shipping and I had a $10 off coupon. I got 2 so I can make a scraper plane for me and 1 for a Christmas gift for my father in law.
 
I guess I will find out how the thick blades will work, I ordered 2 lie nielsen replacement blades from woodcraft yesterday. There is free shipping and I had a $10 off coupon. I got 2 so I can make a scraper plane for me and 1 for a Christmas gift for my father in law.

be sure to show us your progress pics on the building of your planes:):thumb::thumb:
 
Plans for a Stanley #112 "Look-alike"

Go to your local library and request that they find this book for you:
The Workshop Companion
Sanding and Planing
In its "Projects" section, it has plans to build a scraper plane the has all the functions of the #112.
It does not have a blade bowing feature like the Varitas has but has a blade tilt that should give 25 degrees of forward tilt from vertical.
 
At a recent Lie-Nielsen show they said that a square edge worked on their scraper plane, without having to turn a burr like most scrapers.

I am happy enough with my cheap Stanley scraper plane, with a thumb screw that determines the amount of cut in the center by bending the blade.
 
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