Woodturning: Finish Cut with Scraper

Video Transcript

"In this clip I'm going to show you how you can use a scraper to get a finish cut. Now in the very bottom of the bowl I can see an undulating surface. The very bottom of it has a small little divot put there because the bowl gouge went a little deeper and it is not going to be a tragedy because I can clean that up using the scraper. Now when you use the scraper, the scraper is sitting flat on the tool rest and the tool rest, you want the tool rest to be a little above center because the scraper should be cutting just at or below center but you want it to be tipped and right here I'm giving you the exaggerated version of it. You want it tipped so that the wood as it is spinning around doesn't grab the scraper and throw it. When I hold my tool, my scraper, I have my scraper handle aligned with my entire forearm and this gives me a little extra support so that if I do get a catch the place that that tool is going to go is right into the bottom of my arm so my whole arm becomes the tool handle. Let me show you how it works. Tool on the tool rest. I raise the handle and when I raise the handle, the cutting edge comes down and I very lightly pass from the center moving to the left and I am only taking very light cuts, this is a very big cutting edge. You don't want to grab too much wood because the scraper will throw right into your forearm and all I'm going to do is just smooth out the bottom and you can see that undulating surface start to disappear. This is an area you don't want to rush through, it will come so be patient and there we have it."