# Scratch Stock



## nathan1342 (Apr 22, 2013)

Hey Guys,

I am trying to make a scratch stock beading tool and I can't seem to get the blades right. I picked up some steel at my local lowes and filed a simply bead into it. My issue is that it is not sharp enough to cut. I've been watching all these vidoes on them and it just shaves the wood down and you get long shavings. Mine just seems to scratch at the wood. Maybe I am not sharpening it correctly? Though I look at closeups of finished blades and they appear not to be overally sharp. Anyone have any suggestions? I'm going crazy here trying to get this to work.

Thanks!


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

You may be better off with a post in the Hand Tools forum.

You do not mention the type of steel, but the type/alloy makes a big difference, High Speed Steel vs soft steel etc.

Then there is the heat treating, sometime tempering. You want the cutting edge to be hard or else it will dull very fast.

Here is a thread which includes links about heat treating.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/metalworking-woodworking-39647/

Also look at this thread. Around this page discussion about tempering blades for a marking knife.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/marking-gauge-swap-49324/index6/


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

Nathan JMHO but I think Dave has it just right about the quality of steel.I can`t really coment on the quality of steel from lowes but if you can pick up a old saw that hasn`t got to much rust on it it should do the job.

Old saws are made from spring steel and lend them selfs just right for this use.
Use a good quality set of tin snips to cut out the size you need try not to curl the steel, file the shape that you need and then flatten both sides on a oil or water stone.

The flattening is impotent because the shoulder of the shape should be as square as possible.
Before using the scratch stock check the direction of grain in the wood place the piece in the vice as you would if you where going to use a hand plane on it,thats a big point because a curly grain can set you up for a lot of frustration.

When you start to push the blade away from you the top of the blade should be leaning away from you,pay attention to the start and end of your runs and if possible leave the stock long for trimming up later.

Thats about it have fun Billy.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

I've also read suggestions about using an old card scraper, or even a new one if you don't have an old one. They're pretty cheap, and a lot harder than what you probably got at Lowes.


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## Midlandbob (Sep 5, 2011)

There are lots of tools to modify to a beading tool. A hack saw blade can work. I cut slices off an old plane iron. A 6 inch mill file would be good but may be too hard to shape. Any TOOL steel that is a cutting tool but is still soft enough to file can be used. 
The sharpening is vital. The cutting edge is the intersection of TWO edges. You should polish the sides if the metal before shaping and sharpening the bead. 
There probably are several you tube videos on sharpening a cabinet or card scraper. The almost same procedure makes scratch tools.
Fine Woodworking Magazine has had a few articles on the topic. Garret Hack for one has written on the topic. Scratch tools are used for inlay, stringing etc.
Holding the stock in a vice and cut with a chainsaw file at 5 degrees or so to the to of you stock should give a usable scratch tool. I have used a rotary tool and small diamont grinding tools to help shaping. 
If scraped at about 80 degrees or so to the surface will scrape off a shaving if you've got it right.


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## nathan1342 (Apr 22, 2013)

Thanks for the help guys. I think my issue is two fold. I don't have the right type of steel and my sharpening technique is poor. I was filling at 90 degrees so it was creating two sides and a flat part in the middle. So maybe if i file at 5 degrees it will remove the flat part in the middle and allow one edge to cut. 

I'll give it a go and report back!

Thanks!


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## nathan1342 (Apr 22, 2013)

I was making mine like this: http://villagecarpenter.blogspot.com/2007/12/scratch.html 

If you look everything is 90 degrees. But it seems to cut great. Is this what I am trying to achieve?

Thansk!


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## Midlandbob (Sep 5, 2011)

90 degrees is the best as the tool can cut in both or either direction. You tip it the get a scraping angle. 

It is VERY important to hone and polish all sides of the cutter to at least 1200 -4000. Thick Scrapers or old hand saw blades can be cut up and formed with files to work well.
The same system and stones or abrasives with which you sharpen your plane blades and to almost the same polish.


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