The No-Nonsense Way to Sharpen a Card Scraper

[@michaelsaxman]

Been using your method, and came up with a trick to make it easier. When you go to square up edges, after you've flattened the sides, put the card lengthwise (short sides to the rubber) in an irwin pistol grip clamp and crank it down till the card is flexed into a crescent moon shape. Then the card will sit perfectly perpendicular to the stone and be easy to hold.

[@jcsrst]

Excellent and easy alternative to some methods I've seen! You can stick a rubberized fridge magnet where your thumbs go when using the scraper and it will keep them from getting warm as the scraper heats up during use😊

[@dennismarjamaa6805]

I also always had dust when using my scraper. Tried your method today and was excited to see actual shavings! Thanks for your no nonsense videos!

[@orellinvvardengra6775]

I'll have too give this a go myself as I also only get dust.

[@bobdriggers6111]

Well, the mule got skinned as one would say! As if not more important, it's not just what you see but, what you can hear.There is a noticeable change in sound after a few passes. Bravo!

[@johnford7847]

Using the carbide router bit was very clever. And your method is elegantly simple. Thank you.

[@terryt2910]

Sweet demo. I've never sharpened mine, because I was clueless on how to go about it. You've answered all my current questions. Thank you.

[@Dragon_With_Matches]

I appreciate the simplicity of your approach. I just got a set of scrapers and watched a bunch of how to videos, they made all kinds of jigs and whatnot. You got the same results. Thanks!

[@shermantank]

Jodee killing it as usual. Covered a topic clearly in 6 min that most videos cant do in 10-20min. You're the best!

[@naomarik]

Thank you so much, got my scraper to make some good shavings. All the other videos make this a daunting task. As a beginner I don't have all the materials and time to make a jig just to sharpen this tool.

[@rickmasten6409]

You always have the best videos on KZbin the most influential never miss a video. I always get a dah why didn't I think of that.give yourself a big pat on the back and keep on giving thank you so much!

[@kentrichardson9070]

I was shown the magic of a card scraper back in the 80s at a cabinet shop I worked at by my boss. Basically anything steel at hand can work. A nail set works well even a screwdriver. I now own a Veritas card sharpener sharpener with adjustable angle settings but don’t recommend it. I also do all four edges. Always wanted to make a holder....good project for you to come up with Jody. Cheers

[@scotttiffany9453]

Scott Tiffany 11:39 It’s so awesome to watch your videos that are short and right to the point with no fluff! You are a natural instructor.

[@pmdinaz]

Thanks for the head's up! These are on my list of 'nice extras' to have around.

[@bhartissimo]

Thanks for this video. I've never successfully sharpened my scarpers cos I don't have a burnisher. Now I can try it with a router bit. Thanks!

[@Mark--Todd]

I now use this method to sharpen the spine of my bushcraft knife. I use the spine to get fine shavings and also to strike sparks on the ferro rod. Works perfectly so thanks for posting.

[@MalenyFieldsForever]

Probably the best video I've seen on this topic👍

[@viracocha03]

im a completely new woodworker, about 3 months into the craft. I know I want to work with hand tools and I made a card scraper from an old saw I had and got it working in about 30 seconds after this video, i used a drill bit instead but it did the trick.

[@plainnpretty]

I love simple which usually works out to be the best. Thanks

[@chriskeeble]

Had no idea. Love this. Going to try it. Thanks muchly!

[@daifeichu]

I saw that kit that's been out lately going for about $100. I looked at it and it's one of those things where I can use what's already in my shop, like that diamond stone to prep it. I've got one of those and also carbide bits. Thanks for showing this.

[@escapefelicity2913]

well done! as ever, the simplest solution is usually the best

[@Jimbo878]

I've used the shank of a HSS 13mm (half inch) twist drill bit as a burnisher for a few years

[@MARKCURRAN-v8l]

Just adding my thanks for the great tip. I hadn't gotten past the saw dust stage with my "scraper" but now there is hope! Thanks man!

[@AtomicWoodworks]

I have been watching your channel for a while, and I must say your methods of finding different, simple ways to do things is very refreshing. Thank you for all the many hints you have provided. it is much appreciated.

[@etcher6841]

This guy rocks

[@jgo5707]

Wow that's much less daunting than any other example I've seen yet, beautiful!

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

Gotta love that simple process. Thanks for making it easy man.

[@tharemyhopkins5873]

Fantastic demo! One thing that helped me keep track of which edge I had done / which was sharp or dull etc., was to write 1, 2... on each edge and that helped me keep track of which edge to go back to if I set it down during work. Also having a 2nd card to switch to when one gets hot was a nice bump in productivity.

[@BruceAUlrich]

Very clear way to do this. Thanks for sharing!

[@mikedodsonlabview]

What a great method of sharpening. Great video. Thanks.

[@jsmxwll]

"now it's startin' to get hot" I have a scar from not realizing just how hot a card scraper can get. I was in Jr High shop class and had the scraper in a holder and then touched it. At first I thought I cut myself, but nope. Apparently you can get a card scraper hot enough to burn yourself pretty good. Just mentioning because I don't see it mentioned very often.

[@InspireWoodcraft]

@jsmxwll Dang! Well thanks for mentioning it here. That's crazy.

[@jgo5707]

Similar if you sharpen a chisel on a dry medium like sandpaper, with no water, it gets quite hot if you don't pay attention and take your time

[@fredparsons5134]

Nice tips Jody. I like the tip where you just slip the scraper under the burnished to put the small angle on it. Simple technique but effective.

[@MixingGBP]

A big fist bump to you, my man!👊🏼 I could not figure this out for years! I believe I was messing up the last step to fold over the hook. And I didn’t get the concept to find the correct angle when you are using it. Now I can get full shavings as thin as .004”!

[@stevestamper3509]

Simple. I love it. Thank You

[@Erik_The_Viking]

I'm definitely trying this out! Thanks - I'm tired of getting sawdust with my scrapers.

[@DrShaggy]

thanks for the inspiring video!

[@williamdanaher2574]

Simple elegance. Nice job.

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

I have never owned or tried a scraper, but now I need to get one. I know I have a broken carbide router bit or I probably will soon..

[@glencrandall7051]

Well, by the time I got here the subject has been pretty well covered. With the process I agree. An excellent idea to use a carbide bit. But I will have to check my screwdrivers too. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

[@acerjuglans383]

He held a carbide bit in his hands....but he used the steel shank to do the burnishing. No one would actually wreck a router bit doing this.

[@coreygrua3271]

Inspired, AGAIN.

[@gholmes182]

Excellent advice! Thanks.

[@alainguindon6621]

Merci beaucoup! (Thanks a lot!) 😁

[@hansonlife9465]

Might have to try this on my griddle spatula. Like em sharp! 🔪

[@skippylippy547]

This works great! Thanks.

[@etcher6841]

Another great one, thanks!

[@mayberrywj]

Excellent video, thanks.....:)

[@toeknee276]

Completely spot on sir, most tooling steel is good enough for burnishing. New subscriber here and really enjoying your content 👍

[@BobBlarneystone]

And the next vid could be an adjustable holder for the scraper that flexes the scraper and is easy on the hands

[@hassanal-mosawi4235]

Thanks for sharing that!

[@bhboyle]

Great video Jody but you used the router bit on the wrong side. At least thats what I saw. I love your videos. Your style and presentation is just about the best of the wood working channels I follow.

[@InspireWoodcraft]

@Brian Boyle Thanks! What do you mean "the wrong side" though?

[@bhboyle]

You rotated the scraper 180 and burnished the opposite side that you prepared on the stone.

[@InspireWoodcraft]

@Brian Boyle Ha! I think I see what you mean. It's the correct side. It does kind of look like I flipped it though. Maybe I need to slow down!

[@bhboyle]

@@InspireWoodcraft Sorry man. I didn't mean to be a pain. Please don't think I am trying to give you a hard time. I truly love your work. Cheers.

[@BartonMaxwell]

​@@bhboyle Nah, I thought the same thing. Even typed out a comment before slowing the play speed. Like a magician, making us think he did something he didn't.

[@dpmeyer4867]

thanks

[@willhoward9190]

great job. Keep it up

[@makermark67]

I've seen folks use screwdrivers as the burnisher before too. Never tried it, but seemed to work. Great tip, Jodee. Thanks!

[@jellyartist]

I use a hardened screwdriver that had a ruined tip, so ground that end off and use its shaft as a burnisher. It’s perfect for the job and has a handle so easy to hold. A few swipes every now and again will re-establish the burr edge.

[@alans1816]

That used to be the standard recommendation. A few decades ago I tried all the screwdrivers in the shop, and only one of them worked well. (It was chromed and small diameter.) These days scrapers tend to be harder steel than in the past. Carbide is better as a burnisher.

[@jellyartist]

@@alans1816 Indeed. I’ve always done things on the cheap so got my scrapers from a house clearance and the screwdriver from a skip. All work a treat though. It’s good to recycle. Must turn an old saw into some scrapers!

[@michaeldean2053]

Great video

[@sui24fu]

I love the videos you do. Keep up the good work.

[@DraganIlich-r1s]

Thank you Sir

[@raymondbunkofske4702]

Just a note, the shaft of the router bit is high speed steel, not carbide. You can burnish with many things as long as they’re harder than the scraper. I have some scrapers that are hard enough to score the shaft of a drill or router bit so be careful on those first few passes and check whatever you’re burnishing with.

[@woodturnermark8529]

the one piece spiral router bit he used was solid carbide.

[@tedrzz]

Thanks for this!! I just got my first card scraper and will sharpen it using your method!! Question - what type of finish should I expect from a card scraper? I'm familiar with finishes from sand paper - approximately what grit should I expect? Just so I know what to look for? Thank you!

[@batchrocketproject4720]

Card scrapers are a type of plane, cutting slivers of wood parallel to the grain while papers grind away the surface. The scraper should produce a hard silky-smooth surface, different from anything achievable by sanding.

[@tedrzz]

@@batchrocketproject4720 thank you!!

[@burtreynolds3143]

@@tedrzz 10,000 grit

[@tedrzz]

@@burtreynolds3143 Thank you!!

[@burtreynolds3143]

@@tedrzz they're great for taking down the little bumps after a first coat of polyurethane and they don't make so much dust as sandpaper does.

[@kencoleman7762]

Nicely done and I appreciate it. I don’t recall hearing much about card scrapers until fairly recently and now I find card scraper videos much more common.

[@glencrandall7051]

It's probably the You Tube algorithm. Once you watch something You Tube starts showing more of the same to you.🙂🙂

[@DonsWoodies]

Ha! I have half a dozen carbide rods (scrap from my machinist days). Never even occurred to me to use a carbide router bit. Duh! Have to remember this when someone tells me they don't own a burnisher. "Didn't you say you have a router? - well I have news for you. :-)

[@deemdoubleu]

Awesome stuff

[@wittworks]

I need to make a video on this.

[@InspireWoodcraft]

@Wittworks I mean, you could. But I don’t know, man. The topic is pretty flooded. 😂

[@LaurentBourdier]

I will try this very clear and simple way. Only thing is I cut myself with a drill bit once while using it in a very clever way, it wasn’t nice, and that’s not happening again. I’ll use a proper burnisher, or make one.

[@nefariousyawn]

I think it's weird that they sell kits and burnishers to sharpen scrapers. I think I saw it in an old Paul Sellers video where he used the shaft of a screwdriver.

[@InspireWoodcraft]

@Tucker Southard I definitely love to have a decent burnisher at some point, but I don't know about the screwdriver. Whatever you burnish with has to be harder than the scraper. But whatever works for Paul, works for Paul!

[@dwightl5863]

I use a screwdriver as well. Just has to be harder then the scraper.

[@nefariousyawn]

@@dwightl5863 Yeah, I have one specific screwdriver in my collection that I know is hard enough, because I didn't have any carbide at the time.

[@nefariousyawn]

@@InspireWoodcraft I don't even know if it was Paul Sellers now. I just went through his scrapper vids that I can find, and he uses a dedicated burnisher. Nonetheless, I did find a screwdriver shaft in my collection that was hard enough to roll a burr on my scrapper, but this was before I had any carbide in my collection.

[@dwightl5863]

Good video. Now a challenge: How to sharpen curved scrapers?

[@jellyartist]

Essentially the same way but obviously flatting the edge at first takes a lot more time and care especially on tight curves where you need to use fine files or papers to get rid of any machine marks because you can’t run them on a stone. Methods may vary!

[@MCsCreations]

Thanks for the tutorial, dude! 😊 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@woodworkingandepoxy643]

Just wanted to add if anyone doesn't have a carbide router bit a hss drill bit will do it too

[@superpuppy7854]

👍

[@samhoschar5794]

I have a set of DMF scraper's and they are really heavy duty there so thick you can hardly bend them I have tried to sharpen them with some luck I think they are just to heavy duty to work properly I can get a great burr on it but I can't get very big shaving how thick is your's. I will be getting a not so thick one. Thank you again for your informative videos

[@burtreynolds3143]

He's using perfect grained wood. You're not going to get those curls on pine lumber.

[@burtreynolds3143]

You notice almost 100 comments, most saying, "I'm going to try this!" Look for a single comment saying, "I tried it and it worked." I couldn't find one.

[@mrhobbs5713]

I save magnetic cards to stick to the scraper to keep from burning my thumbs

[@teejay3510]

Next: how to stop the damn things from rusting 😩 P.S. for those people like me who can't hold something square freehand to save their life just cut a block of wood and square it up then hold the scraper against it when you do your first step to flatten and prep the smallest edge. It will take a good long time for that wood block to wear out, don't need to get fancy and use something like torrefied wood if you don't want to.

[@burtreynolds3143]

just hold the block still and slide the scraper back and forth against it and push down on the scraper. Then move the block as the sand paper wears out in that spot. 20 strokes for the paper I used. 400 and 1000 grit.

[@donhuffer5167]

I’ll ask guys that have burnishers actually never hold the handle when we use it. So it’s not much different than holding a piece of steel in your hand. Lol

[@BigBrotherIsTooBig]

First😁

[@Solid_Jackson]

Have you ever used a card scraper on your own legs?

[@debandmike3380]

honerite