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Scraper Question

L

LANKFORD

Joined
Mar 21, 2006
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Location
Vienna, Virginia
Getting back into turning after many years has got me bevel crazy. Hope you guys can bear with me. I am just about honed in on most of the correct bevels for my tools. However, I do have a question about scrapers. The bevel on most I have seen lately is about 70 degrees. I have 2 old scrapers about 30 years old. One is a Sears Craftsman and the other a Richard Raffin. Both are large tools, 1/2" wide with a round nose. Now the bevel on both is about 30 degrees. Yes, really 30 degrees as opposed to the blunt 70 degrees of the newer tools. Now are these sharp bevels something from the past? What was the purpose of such a sharp angle? They seem to work well and I really don't know if the blunter bevels sharpness lasts longer or not. Im just wondering if I should regrind these old tools to the 70 degree bevel or just use them as is. I'm trying to get some standardization in my tool bevels.
 
I wouldn't "re-grind" them to 70 degrees, but I would do all future sharpening at 70 or 75 degrees. With a scraper, a large clearance angle behind the edge has no real advantage. On the down-side, it does provide less support for the cutting edge, weakening it slightly. (But steel is so strong compared to wood, that the effect isn't all that significant.)
 
Lankford I reground my favorite scraper from about 75 degrees to 45 degrees. Ilike it better at this angle and feel it gives me better shear scraping action. I never use it for regular scraping. I'm going to regrind one of my round scrapers shortly and see if it helps it. I occasionally use my round nose scraper to hollow boxes or goblets that are fighting my gouge.
I think 30 is a little shallow and would regrind it somewhere between 45 and 80 depending on what is the most convenient. I don't think you will notice the difference at this early stage in your turning.
 
Shopsmith set

Lankford
I started turning with a set of Shopsmith tools from late 50s or early 60s that belong to my Dad. The scraper in that set was like that. I found it to be a very interesting tool that would cut in many circumstances that the 'right' tool wouldn't work, or at least my skill at the time wouldn't work it. It cut for me, but surface finish was not the greatest. My advice use it as it is compare performance in different situations with the Raffan scraper and make your adjustments slowly.
Frank
 
john lucas said:
Lankford I
I think 30 is a little shallow and would regrind it somewhere between 45 and 80 depending on what is the most convenient.
Click to expand...

Personally I have almost all of regularly used scrapers ground 25 degrees on each side in a stuart batty style negative rake and the 25 degree angle works especially well on shearing cuts and with my heavy asp 2060 steel scrapers has no noticeable difference when doing any straight forward scraping either as compared to my 75 degree ground scrapers.
 
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