Burnisher recommendation

[memzey]

Hi Gang,

I recently picked up a scraper plane (Stanley 112) and as a result need to add a burnisher to the ever growing list of oddments in my shed. Can someone recommend me a decent one at a not too astronomical price please?

Thanks in advance.

memzey

 

[bugbear]

This thread, on scraper sharpening, turned into a burnisher thread; good stuff.

sharpening-a-scraper-t70504-15.html

BugBear

 

[Glynne]

I got one of these for Xmas and it is brilliant: -
http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/ARNO-Carbur-2-Solid-Carbide-Burnisher.html
I did have a Veritas one (picked up from a show) but it is no where near as good.
You might want to check out as to how you use it: -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmvpqtDEDSE

 

[ED65]

Instead of buying something that will have just one job you're sure to be able to use something you already have amongst your tools.

So do you have a nail set? How about a gouge? Failing both of those an HSS drill bit will very likely do what's needed.

 

[memzey]

Let me dig around and see what I have. There are varying opinions on what does and does not work but I suppose I will lose nothing by having a go with what I have. The scraper itself is an original old Stanley so not too thick and not too hard.

 

[JakeS]

I got one of these for Xmas and it is brilliant: -
http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/ARNO-Carbur-2-Solid-Carbide-Burnisher.html

I messed around trying to sharpen a scraper with gouges or drill bits or screwdriver shafts for ages, and eventually gave up on scrapers.

Some time later I tried one of the Arno CarBur tools as above, and sharpening the scraper became such an incredibly simple job that I'll do it even during periods I'm stubbornly carrying on using a blunt chisel.


I'm sure that some gouges, screwdrivers and drill bits are perfectly hard enough, but some definitely aren't, and if you don't already know what you're looking for it's not that obvious which is which. Not to say that you should run out and buy a fancy carbide burnisher; just that if you don't get anywhere with random other vaguely-hard-steel things in your workshop, you might give one a try if the alternative is giving up.

 

[custard]

Let me dig around and see what I have. There are varying opinions on what does and does not work but I suppose I will lose nothing by having a go with what I have. The scraper itself is an original old Stanley so not too thick and not too hard.

That's the key.

A lot of modern scrapers are far harder than their traditional equivalents, so the burnisher needs to be correspondingly harder still, which often tips you into fairly exotic territory like carbide. There's a lot to be said for the traditional scrapers, they're easier to keep in good condition and they're far easier to learn with.

Good luck!

 

[ED65]

memzey if it turns out you need a carbide burnisher and you want to do it on the cheap, pick yourself up a set of solid carbide burrs for less than a tenner, select a burr that looks like it won't be much use (there's always at least one :lol and epoxy the business end into a handle made from a scrap of wood. Bish bash bosh, job done, total cost about 90p.

This can just be a very rudimentary affair, or you can go all out and make an heirloom tool along the lines of Derek Cohen's, bottom in this picture.

 

[John15]

I bought mine from Axminster - not much money and it's really hard steel.

John

 

[BenCviolin]

Bending a hook on a scraper blade is easy with a clean round tungsten vanadium screwdriver blade.

Otherwise, I just use a file to put an edge on a scraper, then bending a slight hook if at all.

 

[lurker]

Find a scrap yard
Get a gas strut from a tailgate
Cut ( you will need a grinder as a hacksaw will not touch it) off the shiney metal rod, dump the rest.
Fit with handle of your choice

 

[bugbear]

Find a scrap yard
Get a gas strut from a tailgate
Cut ( you will need a grinder as a hacksaw will not touch it) off the shiney metal rod, dump the rest.
Fit with handle of your choice

I looked this up, being curious.

A very few struts are marine stainless steel, but most are chrome plated.

Following that up I found:

"Hard Chrome plate hardness is Rc 65-68"

That'd do it.

BugBear

 

[memzey]

Thanks guys. Funnily enough I as per this thread I had to change the gas strut on my morticer not so long ago. Can't remember if I threw the old one out but will have a look tonight as there's a good chance I held on to it.

 

[Sheptonphil]

If you can't find it, go to any service garage, especially the small independents, and ask for a removed one. They will willingly give you one.

Phil

 

[JJ1]

I bought a set of four hard Veritas scrapers about a year ago. I didn't have a burnisher but was keen to give the scrapers a try. I dug out an old sharpening steel from the kitchen knife draw. It was pretty smooth, not sure if that was the way it's meant to be or it's become that way from lots of use, anyway, tried it and despite intending to get the Veritas burnisher eventually, it's a year on and I've still not bothered as the sharpening steel seems to do the job perfectly.

 

[memzey]

Well I've given it ago and can report some mixed results. I couldn't find the old strut (must have chucked it) so I used the smooth base of a rat's tail. The scraper iron did leave some marks though it may not have been 100% hard enough. I will end up getting a burnisher or something hard enough to act like one I think. Even with the dodgy rat's tail I was able to turn a hook so I thought I'd give it a go on some oak I had lying around. I got a really good finish on it but the shavings I got left me scratching my head a bit. I was expecting shavings that were powdery and more like saw dust (based on YouTube vids) but in fact they looked more like they had come from a smoother. Is that normal? Like I said the finish on the wood was fine so I'm not complaining:

 

[JakeS]

scraper iron did leave some marks though it may not have been 100% hard enough.

In my admittedly limited experience, if you get marks left, it's probably because the edge of your scraper wasn't perfectly smooth before you started. This can lead to nicks or serrations in the hook, which can lead to marks or scratches left in the workpiece. Before creating and then turning the hook at first, file off your scraper square, and then use a diamond stone or something (whatever you use to sharpen your chisels) to polish the edge and faces smooth. Like that, your hook will be more likely to have a continuous sharp edge.

I was expecting shavings that were powdery and more like saw dust (based on YouTube vids) but in fact they looked more like they had come from a smoother. Is that normal?

That means you're doing it right. ;-)

Well, to be honest, the shavings in your picture look thicker than what I usually end up with - I'd worry that my scraper was too aggressive if I was taking off that much, and it may result in hollows in the surface you're scraping. See how it goes for you, but you may consider burnishing less next time!

 

[bugbear]

I bought a set of four hard Veritas scrapers about a year ago. I didn't have a burnisher but was keen to give the scrapers a try. I dug out an old sharpening steel from the kitchen knife draw. It was pretty smooth, not sure if that was the way it's meant to be or it's become that way from lots of use, anyway, tried it and despite intending to get the Veritas burnisher eventually, it's a year on and I've still not bothered as the sharpening steel seems to do the job perfectly.

A sharpening steel is nigh-on untempered after hardening, so yeah, that'd work well. Pretty much "glass hard".

You don't want a modern ridged one though.

Jim Kingshott just ground the teeth of a small file, and polished it up.

BugBear

 

[memzey]

scraper iron did leave some marks though it may not have been 100% hard enough.

In my admittedly limited experience, if you get marks left, it's probably because the edge of your scraper wasn't perfectly smooth before you started. This can lead to nicks or serrations in the hook, which can lead to marks or scratches left in the workpiece. Before creating and then turning the hook at first, file off your scraper square, and then use a diamond stone or something (whatever you use to sharpen your chisels) to polish the edge and faces smooth. Like that, your hook will be more likely to have a continuous sharp edge.

I was expecting shavings that were powdery and more like saw dust (based on YouTube vids) but in fact they looked more like they had come from a smoother. Is that normal?

That means you're doing it right. ;-)

Well, to be honest, the shavings in your picture look thicker than what I usually end up with - I'd worry that my scraper was too aggressive if I was taking off that much, and it may result in hollows in the surface you're scraping. See how it goes for you, but you may consider burnishing less next time!

Thanks Jake. I was trying out the adjustment settings so some of the shavings were thicker than others. I did find that when I gave it a finer set I wasn't getting a shaving across the whole width of the scraper which I think was the result of my cack-handed efforts at burnishing (and the less than fit for purpose burnisher). This will require a bit more practice but I think like most things it's probably not that hard once you've done it a few times.

 

[ED65]

the shavings I got left me scratching my head a bit. I was expecting shavings that were powdery and more like saw dust (based on YouTube vids) but in fact they looked more like they had come from a smoother. Is that normal?

When scraping there isn't a single type of shaving everyone goes for, but "powdery" and "like sawdust" wouldn't be commonly what you'd aim at. Normally that would be taken as a sign that you need to turn a fresh hook!

Like I said the finish on the wood was fine so I'm not complaining

That is the main thing, as when planing the resulting surface is what counts. Many guides online are guilty of judging success in sharpening or plane setting by the quality of the shavings produced and while they are some guide we have to remember this is waste. What matters most is the surface left behind and as long as you get something you're happy then you're doing okay.

As to the thickness of the shavings you did get, did you turn a hook on a 45° bevelled edge, as commonly done on a cabinet scraper, or just turn the corner of a flat edge as on a card scraper?