Thread: veritas small scraping plane Any good

I've got it and it seems good to me. Very well made. Has an extremely smooth sole. The swinging palm rest is odd at first (like the handles on the Veritas large and med shoulder planes), but it grows on you quite quickly and you can lock it in place with an Allen key.

Scraping planes are a new toy for me. I haven't used it very much and I think there's a bit of tweaking to be done on it. Basically I fitted the blade straight out of the box and started using it. I'd say it's for finer work. It doesn't seem to take aggressive cuts. My technique will have to improve markedly before I say a bad word about it.

My $0.02

I think you'd be unlikely to find too much fault in any tool from Veritas, SB, but are you really after a small scraper, or are you considering it as an introduction to scraping planes? If you already own & use a larger scraper, then the following advice is superfluous, but I would go for the bigger brother, if I only had one (I did, and I still have only the one!). For not much more, you have a more versatile machine that will be easier to use on furniture-sized jobs. The baby scraper would be the goods for working into tighter spots, and up against edges (I'd like to have one, one day) but not so convenient for scraping large areas.

I haven't used the small scraper, but it should be just as easy as its big brother to get working. In fact, since it has a fixed blade angle, probably even easier - no guesswork involved when you start out. Initial setting of the blade is the learning curve, but you soon learn how much projection is needed (virtually none) so that you can control the cut with the bowing screw.

Scraping planes aren't tools you use every day in the average workshop, but when they are needed, they are such a blessing. Card scrapers were a wonderful revelation to me, but there comes a time when you grow tired of the pain & the smell of cooking flesh as you scrape away at a table top ......

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

Scraping planes aren't tools you use every day in the average workshop, but when they are needed, they are such a blessing. Card scrapers were a wonderful revelation to me, but there comes a time when you grow tired of the pain & the smell of cooking flesh as you scrape away at a table top ......

Cheers,

Thanks Tools4Me and IanW, I know what you mean with the card scraper and I was looking at an easier method on the hands to replace my card scrapers. I already use the Veritas scraper holder. I looked at the large scraper plane but it's too big for my general use with tweaking small jobs. When I get into more table top builds I'll probably get one then.

SB

Try using a card scraper with a fridge magnet between your thumbs and the blade , this disperse the heat & reduces the blister problem.

regards

Originally Posted by Basilg

Try using a card scraper with a fridge magnet between your thumbs and the blade , this disperse the heat & reduces the blister problem.

regards

Genius! - wish I'd thought of that.
Many thanks for the idea.
SG

Originally Posted by Basilg

Try using a card scraper with a fridge magnet between your thumbs and the blade , this disperse the heat & reduces the blister problem.

The rubber finger stalls for sorting papers are another way to protect your hide and still retain some 'feel' of the scraper. But heat is only part of the problem - my thumbs just get bone weary on a big area. You can't beat the versatility & convenience of card scrapers (I still use them a lot), but the planes do make life easier on many jobs.

Cheers,

G'day SB,

I use the following plane for scraping, HNT Gordon and Co Classic Plane Makers Australia

By reversing my 30 degree bevel blade, i.e. making the bevel face up, I get a very good scraper that fits my palm well. The plane works well either by pushing or pulling. I like the simplicity and versatility.

Aussie made with exemplary service, though LV's products and service are excellent as well.

My 2 cents.

Regards,

Gunn

and if you've got an old no 4 veritas have the scraper plane attachment for not much more than a replacment plane blade.

Veritas® Scraping Plane Insert - Lee Valley Tools

Originally Posted by IanW

The rubber finger stalls for sorting papers are another way to protect your hide and still retain some 'feel' of the scraper. But heat is only part of the problem - my thumbs just get bone weary on a big area. You can't beat the versatility & convenience of card scrapers (I still use them a lot), but the planes do make life easier on many jobs.

Cheers,

I am a lazy Soldier the fridge magnet stays on the blade so I don't have to remove the finger stalls each time I pause for something. I am talking about using the scraper for small or localised areas, for something like a table top I would definitely be reach for my Stanley Scraper plane. or a plane with a high cutting angle.

Regards

Originally Posted by dynoforce

G'day SB,

I use the following plane for scraping, HNT Gordon and Co Classic Plane Makers Australia

By reversing my 30 degree bevel blade, i.e. making the bevel face up, I get a very good scraper that fits my palm well. The plane works well either by pushing or pulling. I like the simplicity and versatility.

Aussie made with exemplary service, though LV's products and service are excellent as well.

My 2 cents.

Regards,

Gunn

Hey Gunn,

I thought about doing this but wasn't sure how well the blade would hold up? I remember asking Terry and he said get the HSS blade as it would hold an edge longer.
What blade do you have and how do you find scraping with HNT?

Cheers,
Andy

Originally Posted by Basilg

....... I am talking about using the scraper for small or localised areas, for something like a table top I would definitely be reach for my Stanley Scraper plane. or a plane with a high cutting angle.

You use the fridge magnet for SMALL areas Baz? What a sook! I thought you must be scraping whole kitchen counter tops or something like that......

Actually, I did just that quite a few years ago. Helped a friend fit NG Rosewood bench tops in a (large) kitchen. Most of it planed up nicely & only needed a lick of paper to get it ready for the finish, but a large breakfast-bar section had constantly-reversing grain and would only respond to a scraper. At the time, I had a Stanley 80, which did the first stages ok, but it required the attention of a very sharp & well-burnished card sraper to get it all the way home. My thumbs ached for days! It was soon after that I saved enough pennies & bought the LV scraper plane. It is a quantum leap up from the 80, but there are still lots of situations where the card scraper beats it, too, so next time I have any serious hand scraping to do, I'll be trying your fridge magnet tip...

Cheers,

Hi Andy,

I bought the HSS blade since it is better for scraping. After the smoothing plane, I used it on small areas which felt a little "bumpy".

For a cheaper alternative, these little planes from Mujingfang work just as well. And you can get an extra blade for not much more. I have one of these and I alternate between it and the HNT for scraping & planing.

I am eagerly waiting for the completion of the wooden blade group buy to have HSS blades to fit my HNT smoother as a bigger scraper.

Regards,

Gunn

Well I've just ordered the Veritas Small Scraper Plane and when it arrives I'll give it a workout. I like the idea of the Mujingfang plane. Thanks for all input.

It's a great little scraper plane for small areas of interlocked grain/tearout...



Regards from Perth

Derek