I have some high-spot areas to make flat on some butcher-block table tops, and it looks to me like cabinet scrapers might be a good way to go. Does anyone have any recommendations for current best (or adequate) choices? I see some scrapers on Woodcraft.com under various brand names, such as Lynx and Sandvik. I'm leaning toward Sandvik, but I thought I would canvass other opinions.
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Cabinet scraper blade recommendations?
- Thread starter specfab
- Start date
- Replies 13
- Views 1,158
dcsipo
Diamond
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2014
- Location
- Baldwin, MD/USA
In addition to the Sandvik. I have some Bahco scrapers. The other scrapers I have are Stanley, some unlabeled, and some Woodcraft. The Sandvik and the Bahco are longer lasting and also somehow sharpen better. https://www.rockler.com/bahco-cabinet-scrapers. or https://www.abolox.com/cabinet-scra...QHL1wsu6oAHPkI-QxCdgvWOgyn5XXaLcaAq3vEALw_wcB or https://www.woodcraft.com/products/...t4FFhDkz1QSNPoEaAigaAjX2EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Thanks for the info -- The (strange?) thing I note on Woodcraft site is that Sandvik is shown in product grid, then the link is to Bahco. From your link, though, they seem to have them.
Have you had any experience with the blued steel scrapers from DFM or similar?
Have you had any experience with the blued steel scrapers from DFM or similar?
Scottl
Diamond
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2013
- Location
- Eastern Massachusetts, USA
I have a couple from Crown Tools in Sheffield England and I'm very pleased with them.
RE Sandvik, it seems the products are now sold here under the Bahco name. When I bought replacement carbide blades for my Sandvik handled scrapers they were branded as Bahco.
RE Sandvik, it seems the products are now sold here under the Bahco name. When I bought replacement carbide blades for my Sandvik handled scrapers they were branded as Bahco.
dcsipo
Diamond
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2014
- Location
- Baldwin, MD/USA
I never used the DFM scrapers. The main point of a scraper is its ability to form and retain the hook. That requires steel that is both deformable, tough, and hard enough to keep the edge. I have some unlabeled scrapers that are harder to sharpen than the Sandvik and the Bahco but wear out much faster, most likely because the hook breaks down faster. The Sandvik and Bahco sharpen easily with a fine mill file and pull a whisper-thin shaving much longer than anything else. You can make a scraper from an old saw blade, and it works fine, I never tested them for hardness, but I bet they are somewhere between 45 and 50 HRC.
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richard newman
Titanium
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2006
- Location
- rochester, ny
My vote is for Sandvik. Altho I have a couple of Japanese scrapers that were custom made for an old friend by a saw maker that are really nice.
dcsipo
Diamond
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2014
- Location
- Baldwin, MD/USA
It seems in 1999 Sandvik sold their handtool division to Bahco/Snap-on
Sale of Sandvik Saws and Tools completed
Last edited:
stephen thomas
Diamond
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2001
If you are trying to take some humps off
As opposed to smoothing out rough areas?
I like scrapers like these for bearing down.
Left- and right- most Stanley box & label scrapers - i use pieces of industrial hacksaw blades for the scraper. The 2 Starrett cabinet scrapers (center with big wingnuts) have really nice steel for a burred scraper, if you can find some that the steel is not used up small (short). When that happens, the scraper does not have enough angle adjustment to easily get the hook down where it is effective.
I sometimes simply use a wide red devil paint scraper with a filed and honed edge, too. The unfortunate thing about them is they have cheesy plastic handles these days. I made a batch of wooden handles years ago for the flooring guys (They used to use them after or in conjunction with the edgers, for a clean edge and corners) and kept a few on hand for my own use. Easy to make when the plastic fails.
since you are asking about hand tools, have you hand planed it close?
I find planes easier for making things flat.
smt
As opposed to smoothing out rough areas?
I like scrapers like these for bearing down.
Left- and right- most Stanley box & label scrapers - i use pieces of industrial hacksaw blades for the scraper. The 2 Starrett cabinet scrapers (center with big wingnuts) have really nice steel for a burred scraper, if you can find some that the steel is not used up small (short). When that happens, the scraper does not have enough angle adjustment to easily get the hook down where it is effective.
I sometimes simply use a wide red devil paint scraper with a filed and honed edge, too. The unfortunate thing about them is they have cheesy plastic handles these days. I made a batch of wooden handles years ago for the flooring guys (They used to use them after or in conjunction with the edgers, for a clean edge and corners) and kept a few on hand for my own use. Easy to make when the plastic fails.
since you are asking about hand tools, have you hand planed it close?
I find planes easier for making things flat.
smt
Thanks for all the inputs -- I finally threw my hands up after I found out that the bottom surfaces of these tabletops were wavy up to about .080" peak to valley. I had previously had the top side done, but they apparently really moved a lot since that point. Since I need to put Formica on these parts on all surfaces, I decided to take them to the local woodwhackers supply shop to have them sanded BOTH sides to flat.
stephen thomas
Diamond
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2001
Putting formica on butcher block does not sound like it will last?
The butcher block does not stop moving with any humidity swings though doing both sides will help.
Or if they are *always* in a climate controlled environment.
good luck!
smt
The butcher block does not stop moving with any humidity swings though doing both sides will help.
Or if they are *always* in a climate controlled environment.
good luck!
smt
dcsipo
Diamond
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2014
- Location
- Baldwin, MD/USA
Do not Formica on it; if the block were ever oiled, it would delaminate. If you do not have them equalized, they will warp. Best to have them flattened when they get out of flat. Treat them like a workbench. The best way to flatten them is with a belt sander.
Thanks, y'all -- Every surface on the wood is covered so (IMO) there shouldn't be a lot of wood movement due to humidity changes. This is a workstation top for for one of our instrument systems, designed to reside in lab spaces and even cleanroom areas, hence the complete coverage of the wood. It's an adaptation of a commercial rolling cart as a starting point. Haven't yet heard of any field issues with these in 3 years of shipping them, fingers crossed....
scsmith42
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2020
- Location
- New Hill, NC
If you end up doing much scraping, the Veritas Scraper Plane is a joy to use. Much easier on your fingers than a card scraper.
Having said that, my first choice would be to run them through a helical head face jointer and planer. You can find them in 25" widths in a lot of cities.
Wide belt sanding is ok, but not as precise as face jointing and planing.
Veritas Tools - Specialty Planes - Scraping Plane
Scraping Plane from Veritas Tools
www.veritastools.com
Having said that, my first choice would be to run them through a helical head face jointer and planer. You can find them in 25" widths in a lot of cities.
Wide belt sanding is ok, but not as precise as face jointing and planing.
A CNC router or a router sled would be a whole lot easier than a scraper or a sander, if the desired end result is flat and glue-ready. CNC routers are a dime a dozen. Literally every cabinet shop in the country will have one or more.
A router set up to do this regularly would be running a 2" or 3" face mill at probably 300ipm, so six square feet a minute.
If this is a tabletop, being used for an actual product, I can't imagine a less cost effective way to flatten it than scraping, especially given that you don't care about the surface finish under the Formica.
A router set up to do this regularly would be running a 2" or 3" face mill at probably 300ipm, so six square feet a minute.
If this is a tabletop, being used for an actual product, I can't imagine a less cost effective way to flatten it than scraping, especially given that you don't care about the surface finish under the Formica.
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