How to Use Cabinet Scrapers

Cabinet scrapers are made from hard steel and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. A basic cabinet scraper has a 3-inch by 5-inch piece of hard steel with one edge rounded over to form a hook. The hook is pushed and pulled over a wood surface to create a smooth glassy finish or to remove paint or lacquer without damaging the wood. In the hands of an expert, a cabinet scraper can achieve a finish smoother than is possible with even the finest sandpaper.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bench vice
• Cabinet scraper
• File
• Bench sharpening stone
• Oil
• Burnisher

1. File the scraper edge by placing the cabinet scraper in a vice. Hold the file at a 90-degree angle to the body of the scraper as you smooth away the ragged edges on the blade. This filing, or jointing, will be adequate if you want to use the cabinet scraper for removing globs of dried glue or paint, but for most jobs you will need an even more finely sharpened blade.

2. Stone the scraper to smooth out the filed edges. Lay a bench sharpening stone flat on a workbench while you rub the scraper against the stone. Continue sharpening with the stone until you have an evenly fine smooth edge.

3. Draw a burr. Clamp the cabinet scraper in a bench vice and apply a small amount of oil on the scraper's blade. Hold a burnisher at an angle of 5 to 10 degrees from the blade and run it along the edge of the scraper several times with a little pressure. If you are using the cabinet scraper for removing paint, make a 10-degree angle; if it is for fine wood finishing, make a 5-degree angle.

4. Use the cabinet scraper going with the wood grain. Bend the scraper slightly by putting pressure on the middle as you hold the edges and draw it toward you. The more you bend the blade, the deep the cut will be.

5. Sharpen the cabinet scraper as needed. Sharpen your scraper with the bench stone when or before it starts producing dust instead of wood shavings.

Tips & Warnings

• A commercial jig can help hold the cabinet scraper into the curved position for ease of use. If you don't have a burnisher, you can use a screwdriver as a substitute.

References

• Woodzone.com
• Woodcraft