Card Scrapers Made Simple!

Almost everyone hates sanding. But there is a tool that can greatly reduce or completely eliminate the need for sanding!
Card scrapers can leave a very smooth finish ready surface in just a few minutes. They are great for removing glue squeeze out and can even smooth heavily figured wood that can chip and tearout with planing.
The biggest issue most people including myself have run into is figuring out how to sharpen them. I’ve tried out a lot of different methods, but this is what works for me.
Card Scrapers: amzn.to/3YOwjDE
Burnishing Rod: amzn.to/3YRSCIi
Diamond Stones: amzn.to/3YQF0Nx
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This costs you nothing extra, but helps me keep the lights on!

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Do you use card scrapers on your projects? Let me know!

[@michaelwillson6847]

I use them on certian things at least after a sharpened it back up after my wife set about taking paint off a door with mine.

[@Shujashaher]

One of the best scraper sharpening video👏👏👏

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Thank you!

[@zstewart123]

Great video. Learned more about card scrapers than I have in past 4 yrs

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Awesome!

[@keithbrock6410]

Thanks for the video

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Thank you for watching!

[@carolwingert64]

This is amazing. I’ve never seen this.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Thanks!

[@JL-wi9bd]

I've never used a scraper, however now I'm interested in giving one a try

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

It can be tricky at first if you've never done it! I hope the method and tips I showed in the video helps! If you still have questions just ask!

[@MG-vo7is]

Thanks.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Welcome!

[@a9ball1]

I've got to say i love your stone technique. I wish more people would stop going back and forth on the same spot on the stone. I've seen so many at garage sales where they actually have a valley in the middle of them. Tip, when using the wood block on the stone, a wider piece of wood is easier to keep straight.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Yes, you want to keep the blade moving to prevent ruining your stone! Thanks!

[@mirandamom1346]

Here’s a business idea for somebody: if I could subscribe to a service that sent me a sharp card scraper and an envelope to return my dull scraper once a month, I’d pay for that. Until then, I’ll have to continue to live without a card scraper in my life.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

Haha! I completely understand! I struggled with it at first, but once you get it, you can re-sharpen one in less than a minute!

[@michaelwillson6847]

If it helps try looking around for either a metal or woodworking shop there probably set up for sharpening and usually or least in my area they'll help u out with stuff like that worth try. A got my plainer blades sharpened from local joiner cost me £5

[@1deerndingo]

Could you cover intermediate sharpening. I've seen where a card scraper is give a quick touch up with the burnisher only. This is repeated a few times until a full sharpen such as you have shown is required.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

I covered it in the video, but only briefly. You just go back through the steps to draw out the burr and turn the hook. It's the exact same technique as doing it the first time. You can do this until the burr breaks off. At that point you go back to the file and stones. If you still have questions let me know!

[@janiceshrader4297]

Just out of curiosity, I have a knife set that came with a sharpening tool that I have never used. It is shaped remarkably similar to your burnishing tool. Not that I am trying to be cheap here, but could I use it as a burnishing tool. It’s just been gathering dust for 20 years. Why not make it useful. What do you think?

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

A knife sharpening steel isn't really a good option since they typically have grooves running the length of the steel and are not made from a hardened tool steel. A card scraper is made from much harder steel than cooking knives so it requires harder steel to form the burr. A card scraper burnisher is made of very hard tool steel and has a smooth, almost a mirror finish so you get a clean and not jagged burr.

[@4jmbl]

With the scraper used with a slight bend as you put pressure on it in the center, wouldn’t that create a valley in the wood?

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

A card scraper takes off very thin shavings, but yes if you keep using it in the same spot it can create a low spot. It's no different if you set a sander on the wood and didn't move it. You want to go over the entire surface of the wood to remove material evenly.

[@4jmbl]

@@biscuittreewoodworks pretty much what I figured. Thought I’d ask since I’ve never tried them. Didn’t know if the curve was severe enough. Thanks brother.

[@fungames24]

With all that maintenance, I don't want a scraper any more.

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

It's not that bad! Once you've done it a couple times you can get a fresh edge in no time at all!

[@marvinostman522]

I have asked this question a few times and got no response. Maybe I am not too bright but this nags at me. You take such great pains to make sure your card scraper is perfectly flat and square then you flex it putting a bow in it. My question is why bend it? Using it that way you are putting a small groove in your work piece. If you aren’t getting a curl the full width of your work piece and or the scraper you are not ending up with a “flat” work piece. Could you explain that?

[@biscuittreewoodworks]

You can't get a shaving the full width of the scrapper because the scrapper is too soft and flexible. It would just chatter across the surface of the wood. The bow adds rigidity and a focal point for smoothing. The shavings are so fine you aren't going to get a groove in the wood unless you spend a long time in the same spot. These shavings are less than 0.001" thick. If you go up to a thicker blade, you now essentially have a cabinet scrapper. These also have a slight curve to the blade to prevent ridges from the corners of the blade digging into the wood. Even a properly sharpened hand plane blade will be sharpened so the corners are slightly higher than the middle of the blade to prevent these track marks from the corners. Hope that helps!

[@marvinostman522]

@@biscuittreewoodworks Yes it was helpful. I guess I had a card scraper and a cabinet scraper mixed up. As far as sharpening a plane iron so the corners don’t dig in is pretty minute. Most of the iron is flat. If the whole iron has a radius we are talking about a whole other animal. I was in a bind one time and needed a (now I will call it a cabinet scraper) scraper. I had 6” muddying knife. I took the handle off and did your sharpening process and it worked just fine. I had no chatter and had a glass smooth surface. I guess that is what made me ask the question. Thank you. I am more knowledgeable now. I hope you won’t be offended if I don’t put the handle back on my mudding knife or trowel which ever name you prefer.

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

@@marvinostman522 to the point of keeping the scraper at 90 degrees to the abrasive surface when removing the old bevel and preparing the surface, you want the surface that the new bevel will be made from to be correct or any flaw would transfer directly. I saw another video where a gentleman bent his scraper in a slight curve when shaping the edge- no guide blocks because the curved shape ensures that it is perpendicular to the diamond stone(in that case)