Cabinet Scraper - How to use and Sharpen 

I didn't know who was calling me from Canada this morning and come to find out it was the one and only Rob Cosman regarding my purchase of a shooting board! I didn't expect that call and it made my day! I can't wait to use it!

Love your 2-14 infantry patch! I was a Golden Dragon 2007-2011. The Right of the Line!

Many different tools to burnish an edge. My introduction to a scraper was from a cabinetmaker whose uncle taught him to use a nail set. I’ve used a screwdriver,nail set,file end but now have a Veritas variable burnisher. I like having a scraper in my toolbox for job site work. It can remove a finish quickly and takes up little space. Thanks Rob,again.

I remember having asked for this video!!! Thank you Rob for following followers!

great video Rob, very informative.

Nice instructional vid. I use a cabinet scraper to finish the ribs on the lute I'm making. Thanks for sharing.

As expected, a number of great tips for sharpening the card scraper. Thanks!

Superb, Cleared up a lot of myths and simplified things for me. As is so often the case, sharp edges are the key. Thanks, Rob.

I've always had trouble sharpening my scrapers. Great suggestions! Thanks

Spectacular teaching/learning moment! There are at least 5 or 6 gems of information that are found nowhere else ... selecting and prepping the tools that will be burnished and do the burnishing is left out of most every other instructional video ... of course, now I will have to revisit your store to see whether my upcoming order for plane steel sharpening gear should be 'leveled up'! Wow! Farmer John, Ontario

Thanks for sharing that and tips!

Fantastic! Been trying for ages to master the scraper. Great method and suggestions. seems lots of scrapers used in wood strip boatbuilding to get wood finish before epoxy application

Very helpful, thank you.

This is very timely, I was making one today and stopped for a break when I saw your post 😀

Absolutely great video. 👍🏻

Thanks for the tips and the trick to use one when finishing too is a game changer!

This method looks so much easier and faster than all the other videos I've seen Thanks for sharing you expansive knowledge

Fantastic wood working channel

I enjoyed your video. Like the trick with the chisel burnisher. I hope you can answer some questions I have every time I see someone use a card scraper. You just spent a great amount of time making sure that your card scraper is perfectly flat, straight and polished smooth. Now you take the burnisher all polished to roll the burr. I am with you all the way to this point. I have worked with a lot of metal (17 years in a metal fab shop.) Lost a lot of hide and blood to burrs. If while you are rolling that burr your pressure is not "the same" the full length of that scraper your burr won't be the same. Since you went to 16000 polishing evidently those minor differences are important. Now comes where you really loose me. Myself when I am using a scraper I try not to bend it at all (unless you are working an isolated spot like you talked about) to maintain a straight cut with that burr. If you hold the card perfectly perpendicular to the surface your burr won't touch the surface, so you need to tilt it slightly in the direction of travel. If you bend the scraper you no longer have a straight edge against your work and will therefore have a wavey surface. My other thought is that burr at the cutting edge is very thin. In metal fab you always broke the square edge of the piece of metal before you bent it so that the sharp square edge didn't split or tear. I am confused and do not in any way claim to be an expert. That's why I am asking this question. I consider myself a life long student at Observation University and am confused by some of the things I observe. Thanks. Keep the videos coming.

Thank you Rob

Use um all the time.... thanks for sharing

Señor Cosman video excellente👍🏻👍🏼👍🏽👍🏾👍🏿

im glad king jake finally showed rob how to do this so he could share it with us. thanks again jake. ;)

Wow, had no idea those worked that well!

Thanks Rob another tool I have to learn to use the list keeps growing

I was so impressed by this video. I made myself one. It is not as good as the scraper you sell, but it works. Thank you for the idea.

Thanks for the tip of Burnisher substitute. as long as it’s harder and same polish.

Excellent method! It seems better, as it has fewer steps that require a practiced touch/skill.

Thanks I'll use it the next time good information

I have never heard anyone mention having the burnished polished to the same level as the scraper. Genius!! Gonna try resharpening mine today!

Great video and new knowledge to me! One small suggestion for video editing: when you jump cut while Rob is sharpening, it would be useful to know exactly how much time you removed from the clip (maybe text on the screen saying "jumped forwards 1 minute" or something). As a viewer we can't tell whether Rob spent 30 seconds on the 16000 grit stone or 3 hours (of course we can guess it was closer to a minute, but still). Regardless great video keep the good content coming!

Thanks

Thanks a mill Rob.

thanks from California

Another reason I call you "The Professor". Great video Rob. However, when I use a scraper for a long time it bothers my thumbs. Tuff being old. Made a handle for mine. Just makes it easier to use. Keep them vids coming Sir. Semper Fi.

I like my card scrapers and use them often. I use a small scrap of carpet (a carpet sample) between the scraper and my thumbs to prevent the heat build up.

HI rob thank u so much. I have used the cabinet scraper but never knew how to sharpen it. thanks.

Dang Rob!... Wish you had this video out before I bought a burnisher. I like the chisel idea for forming a burr! 👍

Rob please do a video on your thoughts on scraper planes and whether you think they are worthwhile for dealing with burl, or figured exotic woods! Thanks so much!

I have a feeling the results will be worth the expense of the stones and the time invested learning to prepare the scraper and turn a burr. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

Good information..

I found a handful of hydraulic valve rods in my garage and they work perfectly as a burnishing rod. I looked the hardness up and they are at least Rockwell 67.

Using an “unburred” card between coats. Interesting. Thanks for the video.

Aaah...my favourite tool.

HI Rob, what do you think of using Corian to make a support to hold the scrapper vertically while making the side edge flat? I do not have that special maple you used, but I do have a lot of Corian.

Been wondering if you were going tp do a vid on card scrapers! Just started trying one a couple of months ago, but still need to work on my edges. Very satisfying when I get some shavings, though!

Sharpening the card scraper have always been really hard. I have been using a Stanley knife blade instead. They are really cheap and always sharp😊 only problem is that they are quite soft so they will bend a little making them only scrape in a small area and there by making a small shallow in the wood and not scraping in the whole width of the blade. But if your aware of it you can counter it.

Are you positioning the chisel perpendicular to the vertical scraper in the vice?

I haven’t had any luck at cards. Mine must be extremely hard steel. Your technique is the third one I have tried and still cannot attain the correct burr on both cards. Thank you for the video at least I have one that does create a little shavings because of your video.

I have seen your planes in action, and if i could sharpen and tone my plane as you can, I would also prefer them lol, at last, I can't , however, i am able to very easily get my Cards to make a lovely whisp of wood and save myself a tone of sandpaper, so I stick with a card scrapper hahaha

Okay. Person I certainly respect; I'm a 67 year old newby. A scraper seems to me to be the simplest of tools. Now I find I need vice, a fine file, a 500 grit stone, a lapping plate, a piece of something like torified (I don't know how to spell it) maple, a 4000 grit stone, a 16,000 grit stone, a steel rule, a 4000 grit stone, and a really nice chisel, not to mention rare earth magnets. Is there a bottom line, a basement floor? I really like wood, but perhaps diamond cutting would be a more realistic endeavor. I'm not trying to give you a hard time, but I'd really appreciate some direction.

Rob, do you sell the torified maple to make the jigs? How about adding those to your store? I’ve been using almost this exact process for years to sharpening my scrapers, but without the jigs, what a difference that would make. Thanks for the enlightenment, your the best!

Suggestion someone passed on to me you know the fridge magnets the flat on some company advertising. Well they stick on to the scraper and add that bit cushion when flex the scraper and protects against the heat.

Card scraper is a fantastic tool. I use a goose neck to scrape the dead skin from my heels. Smooth.

Great instruction on sharpening a card scraper. I just got a 160000 grit Shapton and I'll have to use it before using the scraper again. Is the 4000 grit stone cracked? Does that affect its performance?

Rob, where did you get your "Extra Eyes"? The grey magnifiers you wear on your head?

Thanks Rob. I especially like the jig with the magnets in conjunction with the Charlsworth ruler method. Card scrapers save me a ton of time, but getting them sharp has always been a problem. Your technique looks flawless and fast.

Hi Rob, fellow Canadian here. I purchased a 16 thou Shapton stone (from watching your sharpening videos). I am wondering if there is a specific grit of diamond stone I need to get in order to flatten that Shapton stone. I have a trend dual sided diamond stone (300 and 1000). Would the 1000 grit diamond stone work for flattening the Shapton 16,000? Or do I need a dedicated diamond stone of a specific grit? Thanks in advance.

Rob I have some really old chisels that I had in a drawer and never used. I watched your videos and purchased the trend 300/1000 and shapton 1000,4000,6000, 8000 and the 16000. Now I think I’m set to sharpen plane and chisels. I started to sharpen my current chisels that I use and they look great. Then I pulled out the really old chisels and started to flatten the backs. I’m on the trend 300 side and have been on it about two hours and still it’s so hard that I can’t get them flat. Not sure how old they are but they are hard as hell. Any suggestions on this. No names that I can see on the wooden handles been used a lot from the wear on the handles.

Rob, I inherited a toothing plane that seems to be for similar applications. What's the difference? Thanks!

Rather than filing along the edge of the scraper, I hold the file turned 90 degrees and pull it along the long edge towards me. Like you do at the end of the video. Same technique for sharpening skates.

mR. c, iIf I was to make my own scraper,would heating and oil quenching be advisable or would it be too hard or impossible to burnish it? Great informative video sir.

I have tried so many times with several different scrapers to get a useful edge. No real luck. The burnisher on the table trick is going to change that for me I think.

Do you crushthe burr of the first edge when you turn it upside down and clamp it in the vise to do the opposite edge?

Scrapers are used often by luthiers because there are so many places on an instrument where no plane can get to.

Ha! I've not heard of torrefied wood before and I thought you you said "terrified" wood. If I was wood in your shop I'd be terrified too! Question: I have some extra Corian I use for jigs and things that I know water will not affect. I was thinking of making the jig to support the card at 90° with the Corian. Could rubbing Corian on Shapton stones affect the stones (e.g., plug the grit up)? Thanks as always

Hi Rob, have you tried putting a magnet on the back of it? Wood by Wright mentioned that tip in a video, I tried it and it by some magic stopped my thumbs from burning off! Great video

Hey Rob, this got me thinking. I'm making endgrain cutting boards and sanding the endgrain is a pain and takes some time. Would the scraper or even my #5 be a better or more efficient alternative?

I watched this video. It’s terrific. What’s not terrific is that I’m now being pummeled with hundreds of card scraper sharpening videos. SMDH…

shapton says specifically not to use soap on their glass stones. Im relatively new to sharpening, but ive heard a few do and donts when it comes to use dish soap when sharpening. For diamond stones, its encouraged, ive even heard use soap on arkansas stones and not oil. But not to use soap on water stones and the shapton instuction on their glass stones says do not. Could someone elaborate plz

What is the magnifying visor you have? My closeup sight is suffering as I age... dang it!

Hi Rob, what are your thoughts on using the spokeshave style handle that holds a scraper blade, or a scraper blade in a plane? Is there any advantage to using them over a card scraper?

Totally off topic, could u show what a freshly sharpened plane blade should look like? I’m transitioning from honing guide to freehand and would like to see what it should look like

Rob, Why a ceramic stone rather than a diamond stone for the step after the file? Bill Mellon

Rob is such a joy to learn from. His approach is always well thought out and precise. Unfortunately the end result is a process that's daunting and takes a long time for the uninitiated. It's the reason my planes and scrapers are not tuned to the level they should be and I procrastinate on getting them to that point. lol

It's unfortunate that so few people have experienced the joy of using a properly sharpened card scraper

Hi Rob, when re-sharpening, would you start from scratch, or can you get a few goes a reforming the burr?

Oh, that is the timing

I wonder how difficult it is to set up the other shapes of scrapers !!

WOW, your stone just SNAPPED!!! Or was it like that?!

What is that liquid you're spraying on your stone and does that alleviate the need for soaking the stones in water?

👍🏻

What is the thickness of the rule you use when working on plane blades. I’m saving money to buy dovetail saw and other items for dovetails. Why can’t you sell wood river planes in the US?

What is that big pencil you are drawing with?!

Don't you need to worry about cross contamination of the stones using the flattening device and the torrified wood on different stones?

Cripes! I thought simple steel scraper maintenance would be easy, but you need a whole set of water stones, file, and special burnisher rod…I think I’ll stick to glass paper!

Did you drop that 4000 Shapton Rob?

Use all the time in guitar making

Thanks for the video, Rob. As you mentioned in the beginning, it's important not to roll the bur over too much. However, it was difficult to see how much you raised the card in your voice and also, how much you tilted your burnisher. Thanks.

I noticed that you spent a few seconds polishing the stones with another stone between doing the sharpening of the scraper. What stone is it, what grit? I understand why you do it, let me see if I get it right. Since you use the outer edges of the stones on the card scraper, you have to even out the plane with a quick polishing.

So close to first comment...

Rob, how come when you used the file, you didn’t rub back and forth? Is that the proper way to file, or am I just being pedantic in paying attention o what you’re doing?

No matter how close I follow I cant get curls...

Many points have obstruction between.

Poor soles scraper!