# Making Wood Scraping Tools



## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

I plan to make a couple of wood carvings which will have long, curved, very smooth parts. The, I will do some shallow relief carving in those surfaces. That means that sand paper is simply out of the question.
a) rough fuzzy or fine fuzzy, I expect a smooth (cut) surface.
b) I have no more plans to hit embedded sand grains with my wood carving tools.

Scrapers actually cut the wood but you simply can't dig in.

With a short tutorial from my violin lutheir friend, I made some scrapers from lumber strapping steel. Simple, encouraging results, too. I found that the edge "goes away" in about 10 minutes of steady use. I found that softwoods shred. May have to revise the carvings and do them all in birch. Then with a little experience , I decided to re-read Ch 11 (scrapers) in Leonard Lee's book. He takes most of page 141 to extoll the virtues of scrapers made from steel strapping. Yes, the edge goes away. Yes, they are very poor for softwoods. Dang! I like to carve western red cedar.

Picture #1 The materials. I have lots of 1.25" strapping stock. Tough cut with WISS aircraft metal shears but, any shape I like.
If the edge goes away in ten minutes, why not make a dozen?
The bundle of 5/8 strapping is more like what you will find in lumber yard garbage bins = free. Thinner, flexible and easier to cut.
But, just this afternoon, I discovered that some modern strapping is black plastic!
Picture #2 The process. Chalk up a medium mill file and try to square one edge to 90 degrees. LL shows a simple jig that would help. Burnish the fresh edge at about 5 degrees with a drill bit shank, the shank corner of the file, etc. You can feel the burr by pulling up with your fingers. The tune-up process for a used scraper is a repeat.
Picture #3 The result. This is one of a WIP pair of ladle spoons in birch. Can you see the little shavings? Those were the fine ridges between the gouge and crooked knife marks in the wood. Some are about 1/16" wide and curled up maybe 1/2". I just might finish those spoons with scrapers.


----------



## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Applopogologgies = forgot the pictures!


----------



## STAR (Jan 1, 2008)

Thanks for showing Robson. I like these home workshop made tools, especially using scrap materials to start with.

Regards

Pete


----------



## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Hi Pete. Thanks. My luthier friend uses strapping. I knew I had lots of it. Must be another 10+kg in that roll which dates back to a theatrical project of just more than 20 years ago (3 stage chandeliers with 120 lights in all). I made a few and tried them = good. Then I read nearly a page in LL regarding strapping as ideal for scrapers.
This is parallel to sharpening = getting the hook-like burr made right and away I go.


----------

