Thread: Card scraper burnisher

I got chastised the last time I mentioned this but an exhaust valve from a car cylinder head with the head cut off it and a handle to hold the shaft will do the job and it will cost basically nothing to put together.

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

I got chastised the last time I mentioned this but an exhaust valve from a car cylinder head with the head cut off it and a handle to hold the shaft will do the job and it will cost basically nothing to put together.

I have also heard somewhere in the deep recess's of memory that the pushrods of motors were an option ,I have'nt borne this out myself just thought I'd pass it on.

What about a pinion gear as a burnisher?



Regards from Perth

Derek

My polished File burnisher showing two of its edges. One wide and one tight radius.

IMG_2642.JPGIMG_2643.JPG

Rob

Rob, do you use the flat(s) or the edges? Have you tried both? Curious about the difference the width makes on downforce, and the resultant hook.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Yeah I use the edges Derek . The corners .
Ive never used the flats I don't think . Unless I was flying through the job and didn't realize .
I made the burnisher with one domed or larger radius as the top user .
The two tight ones were either side of its base as I used it .
It wasn't to long ago that I needed a aggressive hook and thought Id give one of the tight ones at the base a go . It made a big difference. A noticeably larger more aggressive hook. I'm not into light passes . First drawing out the hook ( I forget what it’s called , with scraper on its side ) Then three sometimes four firm hard pressing down with scraper upright and burnisher on the bench is how I was tought, after doing one light one first . And Ive stuck with that.

Rob

Rob, that’s in line with my experience. The carbide burnisher I made and use is a thinner-than-usual rod ... about 3/16” (from memory ... anyway, about a third thinner than all else I have used). A friend (who manufactures steel) sent it to me about a decade ago. It is polished, and has remained slick. I quickly discovered that it required much less downforce. A triangular burnisher makes sense as well. A file would also be harder than the average burnisher, and a good way to re-purpose one.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Last year I forked out AU$65 and bought a Veritas burnisher from Carbatec the same as this one

Veritas Tri-Burnisher | Burnishers - Carbatec

Try as I might, I just cannot get a decent cutting burr by using this tool on any of my scrapers. I've tried and tried, over and over again using different techniques and pressures but all I manage to get is a scraper that produces sawdust instead of thin shavings.

It now sits unused in a cupboard, and I do my burnishing with an old 6" long round nail punch that I've had for many years, it does a much better job on my scrapers, does it more easily, and gives me a burr that cuts lovely shavings.

You live and learn, but it's a $65 lesson I rather not have had.

$65 and it doesn’t work !! Give it a test with a file and see if it bites in or slides off .

Mine works ok. If it was not hard enough I suspect you would see damage to the burnisher itself.

I’m with Chris. Mine works fine

Just tried to file it. The file won’t touch it


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Redx,
First, in the Veritas picture, the burnisher is being used wrong. The burnisher is being held perpendicular to the card scraper. The burnisher needs to be held at a 15° to 30° angle. You should push down with a consistent amount of force. You will get the feel for it. As you push the burnisher over the card scraper sort of slide it to the high end of the burnisher. It is an awkward movement and takes a bit of practice. Work first on the straight edge card scraper until you are getting the edge that you want. Then do the curved scrapers.

I don't know if this is a problem or not but you really need to file the edge straight and true before attempting to burnish the hook onto the scraper. That is with every sharpening.

Not 15-30 degrees, in my view and experience. The hook is created in two separated strokes. The first is a set of 3-5 lights strokes at 5 degrees, followed by another 3-5 light strokes at 10 degrees. I would not recommend greater than this angle as you will end up tilting the blade forward very far.

Keep in mind that before all this takes plane, the edge needs to be (1) made square and flat, and (2) the steel drawn out slightly, which is there for the hook. The hook does not appear from nowhere! This may be an issue at present.

Regards from Perth

Derek

The edge should be filed and also dressed up square on its two sides and edge on both sides . I do this part twice . The more square smooth and true the better the finish .