143 – Scraper Sharpening w/ William Ng

Video - April 1, 2011

During the Greene & Greene coffee table class I attended a few weeks ago, William Ng gave us an impromptu lesson in scraper sharpening. Fortunately I had my Flip Cam at the ready and captured this tutorial for your enjoyment.

William uses Takenoko 4,000 and 8,000 grit sharpening stones and you can pick those up in his store. How do you like that fancy water bath?

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Cabinet Scraper Set Set contains a 2-3/4” x 4-3/4” gooseneck, 2” x 5-3/4” round end and 2-3/8” x 5-7/8” straight scraper for concave, convex and flat areas.Scraper Great for removing milling mar..

Cabinet Scraper Set, Scraper and Mill File

Discussion

Farley April 1, 2011 9:20 am

Very informative. Thanks for posting the video.

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Lori April 1, 2011 11:05 am

Priceless Marc…thanks so much for sharing that with us. I took a woodworking class once and they showed us how to “sharpen” card scrapers. The process was so daunting, and I became frustrated with myself. I never could get more than dust out of my card scraper. After watching this video I can now see why I was making dust instead of those nice curled shavings. I’m so excited about trying this technique on my scrapers. I especially can see how using that 90 degree block ontop of the polishing stone would greatly improve the flat surface of the scraper. We were taught to use the burnisher to create that 90 degrees. I’m sure mine never was 90 degrees and that was probably a big part of my failing to create a sharp edge. It seemed like everyone focused on getting the largest bur possible, which is contradictory to this fine example. I can also see that Mr. Ng uses a lighter pressure than I ever did. I can’t wait to practice this technique.

Didn’t you all just LOVE that polishing stone bath. Very nice video, great demo from William Ng. Thanks so much for that simple, yet priceless, lesson. Truly inspiring and I’m truly grateful for the knowledge.

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Marie April 1, 2011 11:25 am

Leave it to William to make it sweet and simple. Do you know that the water stone bath becomes a meditation fountain after class.

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Yaakov April 1, 2011 12:15 pm

Great video! Thanks for sharing this Marc.

yaakov….

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Travis April 1, 2011 1:02 pm

Ive been trying to get the card scraper thing forever! I cant wait for the day when I can reburnish that fast. WOW! Not as easy as it looks.

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D1st April 1, 2011 3:59 pm

Is the Metal in a screwdriver not hard enough? I have been told from old woodworkers to use an “Old” screwdriver not the new ones for burnishing. Thanks for posting.

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Dan Drabek April 1, 2011 4:37 pm

Excellent video Marc. What a gift. Lots of good information. It took me a lot of scraping over the years to learn the hard way that you want to avoid too large a burr on the scraper. I used to think ‘the bigger the better’, and then wondered why it went dull after a minute of use. Just enough turn-over to give you an edge is best.
I noticed he follows the scraper with sandpaper. Franz Klaus recommends the same procedure. I’ve had endless debate with a friend who swears that the scraper provides a better final surface than sandpaper. Maybe it’s a personal kind of thing. :-> The only procedure I don’t get is why he works the scraper edge to 4000 grit on the water stone when he follows the scraping with 280 grit sandpaper. Maybe the finer grit stone gives you a longer-lasting edge?

DD

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- Bill February 5, 2020 4:45 pm
  
  The smoother the edge on the steel before creating the burr (or edge) the stronger it will be and the longer it will last. A rough edge (straight off of a file) will create an edge with lots of small nicks and fractures that will break off very quickly.
  
  Reply
ryan April 2, 2011 12:14 am

Great video Marc.
Just tried it out on my own scraper. Supper simple, and I got great results. Thanks! I will definitely be using this as my go-to method for scraper-sharpening.

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Jeff April 2, 2011 6:52 am

Thanks for posting this. I have been having trouble with my scraper. Interesting though how many woodworkers sharpen their scraper a different way.

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Brian April 2, 2011 8:42 am

I just tried this on my scrapers and man what a difference, I “thought” I was getting great results before but now wow. Thanks for posting this, very helpful video.

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Todd April 2, 2011 9:20 am

Hey Marc great video of coarse! William Ng seams like a great teacher, he seams like a great instructor! I need to see about taking one of his classes next time im in SoCal visiting!

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Dave April 4, 2011 8:19 am

Very timely information as I have a pile of scrapers that need to be sharpened.

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Jack April 4, 2011 11:18 am

I’ve never had much luck with sharpening my scraper until now. Gave this technique a shot and had great results in less than 5 minutes. Simple and more importantly effective.

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david April 20, 2011 11:33 am

Mr. Ng is an artist with the card scraper. It’s amazing how easy it is for him to get the scraper ready for work. I’ve tried many long involved methods and never get the results he does. Thanks for posting.
Dave

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William April 20, 2011 11:59 am

greetings everyone. I’m not one who spends time in forums, but this seems like a friendly group. First of all, Thanks for the nice comments. I’ll try to answer a few of the questions posted here. D1st – The reason I don’t use a screw driver is not because it’s not hard enough, but because I have not found a screwdriver that is as polished as a good burnisher. Since I take the time to polish my scraper, I would want to use something equal or better to burnish it. There’s also a difference between a $45.00 burnisher as to a $20.00 one. Make sure your burnisher is polish and smooth as can be.
Dan – The reason I sand after scraping is because when I land and take off with my scraper I can leave very tiny lines in my wood (cross grain) that you won’t see until you put the finish on. It also helps blend in the surface. As to why I use 280 grit paper following 4K grit scraper? A sharp tool is separate and has nothing to do with sanding. I sand to 280 because I feel it take on finish and color (if I decide to add color) better than if I finish over a hand planed surface. Brian Miller, who is the best finisher I have ever seen, sand to 220 grit max. Keep in mind he works with color all the time, matching finishes from the Gamble House, Blacker House, Huntington Library and on and on. If you’re concern with the smoothness of the finish sanding to only 220 grit… try rubbing out your finish with 1/2 part mineral spirit and 1/2 part mineral oil with 0000 steel wool or a used 1500 grit paper. It will be smoother than anything you’ve felt. I have a student that sands to 2000 grit. The finish looks like a piece of glass over raw wood. There’s no life, no depth. I know this sounds crazy and goes against everything we’ve been taught, which is to sand, sand, sand until it’s glassy smooth. Give it a try, you might find that you don’t have to work so hard and save a little money on sandpaper.
The last thing is the Polishing stones. Don’t compare grits to sharpening stones. Different component. The polishing stone mixes grits with natural clay which they have to mine for them. It removes scratches quickly without changing the shape of the metal or very little. I can now sharpen my tools faster and sharper than my very expensive 30,000 grit Shaptons.
Marc created something very spacial here. I hope you all continue to support him. We do not want the Wood Whisperer to go away.

Reply
- Dan Drabek May 28, 2011 7:01 pm
  
  Thanks William,
  
  I just revisited this thread and found your reply. From your explanation, I conclude that the very fine-grit sharpening stone is not intended to create the smoothest surface on the wood, but is intended strictly to create the sharpest edge on the tool. Makes perfect sense.
  
  DD
  
  Reply
John F May 3, 2011 7:24 pm

Marc, William – thanks for the video and advice. I have some scrapers that I never used because I wasn’t sure I was up for the daunting task of preparing them. I like the sanding after scraping approach – makes being ‘perfect’ with the scraper less critical.

I spent some time preparing the scrapers, and learned 2 things – (1) most tools’ cutting edges are crap (“not very well prepared”) when fresh out of the box – ok, so I already knew this, but it was reinforced by the condition of these scraper edges, and (2) even without burnishing, a freshly squared edge of a card scraper cuts pretty well…….on, say, a thumb.

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MikeM May 13, 2011 11:33 am

Great video and follow-up comments! I got my first card scrapers at Lie-Nielsen tool event last month. Watching this video and doing some practice runs, I was able to get a bur on my scrapers that seem to work very well! Thank you!

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Josh May 13, 2011 8:19 pm

Thanks for the great video. Easily the best video I have seen on sharpening a card scraper.

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Brian May 14, 2011 10:29 am

I took me too long to resharpen my card, but watching him work and simply swipe the burnisher a few times along its side and a couple times down it’s edge makes it usable in less than a minute.

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Marilyn May 14, 2011 4:07 pm

Wow! This is all really great information. I love learning new ways to do stuff. I check and the burr on my scraper is enormous. Think I’ve been a bit too heavy handed.

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Eric May 14, 2011 9:09 pm

Great video! Very informative. Just wish the sharpening stones were less expensive.

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Thomas May 15, 2011 8:05 am

I have seen all films and keep most of them….. This one I keep and sent out to all my wood head friends… I have been wanting to get the down load THE REAL DOWN LOAD on scrapers, and I believe this is it….. Thanks

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Mark May 24, 2011 9:36 pm

This was great! I went over to William’s website and I found out that his school is less than an hour from where I live!
I signed up for a weekend class immediately.

I am a college student currently, but your podcast has been one of the biggest influences on my woodworking path (career?, lifestyle?) thus far. Keep up the good work, and thank you for the tips and inspiration. Who knows, maybe I’ll see you at the school some time.

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Christopher Stahl May 26, 2011 7:01 pm

Thanks Marc and William!!! I love my hand scrapers but I do spend quite a bit of time preparing them. This video certainly has helped me out with this process.

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Jimi June 4, 2011 12:14 pm

Thanks Mark and William, for this great video. I finally got a burnisher (Two Cherries) and followed the procedure in the video and have been getting great results after a few miss-steps. To help other beginners, I’ve found there are three critical steps in the process to get a good working edge:

1) Get the edges square using the water stones
2) Use oil to lubricate the scraper edge when burnishing
3) The “pulling the metal out” phase is where I focus to get my best edge.

Slow steady pressure and correct angle are the most important things I focus on while pulling the metal out, but I don’t obsess over the angle – I figure anything between 5-10 degrees is good enough. After that, a quick swipe across the top while holding the scraper in my hand is all it takes – just as shown towards the end of the video.

Again, I don’t worry much about the angle when doing the final swipe across the top, just try and avoid using too much or you’ll curl the edge way over. You can tell when you do this, as you scraper won’t catch on the wood unless you tilt it way forward.

Happy scraping!

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William June 4, 2011 3:42 pm

Jimi,

As a teacher/educator it always make me feel good when someone “Gets it”. Let’s not forget the 4th and most important point, “finding the angle”, the “sweet spot” Getting a sharp edge on your scraper is the easy part. Like they say ” It’s so easy a caveman can do it” The real trick is finding the best angle of attack and hold it there. From the sounds of things, I think you got it. Congrats!

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Ancyl Rath June 30, 2011 9:53 am

Many thanks for that video! I never really got into using scrapers, but after watching this I instantly ordered me two scrapers to check it out myself :) Are there more details about William’s water stone bath too?
Regards,
Ancyl

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David Staskiewicz August 4, 2011 5:04 am

Thank you Marc and William for this video. Tried the advice last night with much better results.

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raj January 18, 2012 5:59 pm

very nice marc

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Danny H November 20, 2012 9:29 am

Just came across this video and I’m excited to try this. have not been able to get much of and edge on my scrapers, so thanks again for for sharing this. You da bomb !

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Kirby February 23, 2013 2:45 am

I have had my Lee Valley scrapers and burnished for about 15 years, and have only ever had success getting and edge on one. I have been using just that one. I can’t wait to try this. Just out of pure luck though I have been burnishing “the one” almost the same way William showed except for the oil. Thank again Mark. You are making a much better woodworker out of me.

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Bart Estes March 6, 2015 6:55 am

Excellent video. Thank you.
Does anyone have a source for polishing stones like the ones William is using. The vendors I have checked do not make the distinction William does between polishing and sharpening stones, implying instead that a polishing stone is simply a sharpening stone with a very fine grit.
Suggestions?

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Steve May 20, 2015 11:54 am

Thanks for all the great information. I’m relatively new to woodworking, especially using hand tools. I’ve seen the cabinet scraper used in other videos and wanted to give it a try on some bed projects I’m currently working on, needed to remove some minor scratches and pencil marks. After watching this video a couple of times, I went to the shop and worked on the cabinet scraper. In a few minutes, I was able to get some decent shavings and put the finishing touches on some headboard and footboard parts. This sharpening skill and use of the scraper will be a permanent part of my woodworking. Thanks Marc for all the great information you provide, I’m about your age (if you multiply by 2) and have learned a great deal from your videos . . . hope you have continued success!

Thanks so much,
Steve

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Andy July 13, 2015 6:48 am

Hi
Found the video fascinating, purchased the set up and voilla, I have been able to remove scratches and watermarks from my veneered speakers. Really pleased. Not convinced I have the technique quite right, producing more dust than shavings, and the heat, wow! Yup, no one has mentioned the scraper getting too hot to hold. Any advice?

Reply

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143 – Scraper Sharpening w/ William Ng

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