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Thread: Hand scraper heat
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22nd March 2022, 09:34 PM #1
Hand scraper heat
I’ve picked up this lovely old white cedar chest recently. The finish on it is I assume a shellac based on the scraper shavings. It’s quite blonde or yellow in it’s present form and apart of its retrofit to become my toolchest I’m scraping it off
I have begun scraping it off as it’s quite effective so far with my standard lie Neilson rectangle scraper, I’ve put an edge on it with a burnisher but I’ve noticed it can generate a fair bit of heat. Not with every stroke but there has been once or twice it was a little too hot to handle quite literally
Is this standard for scraping ? Or specific to the fact I’m scraping shellac and I should try dissolve it with metho or something? I’ll admit I’ve had these scrapers for years and is the first time I’ve properly used them on a project.
I do also have an extensive hnt Gordon selection of planes and understand they can be used as a scrapers but it was clogging a little and a hand scraper was just more effective in this case
Is this the reason the veritas cars scraper holder exists or is that due to pressure on thumbs and making it more ergonomic for big jobs using scrapers?
Cheers
Nathan
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22nd March 2022, 10:00 PM #2China
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Welcome to world of hand held Cabinet Scrapers burnt thumbs, it just takes practice to know when the scraper gets hot just pause for few seconds and let it cool down, place your thumbs above the cutting edge not right on it.
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22nd March 2022, 10:14 PM #3
Haha so I’ve learnt , yup just above is where they are and yeah try to take small breaks. Happy with the result though the material is coming up nice.
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22nd March 2022, 10:50 PM #4Senior Member
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That's why I usually have a couple of scrapers to hand. They don't take long to cool down so I just grab the spare and keep going. To be honest that's the main thing I use hand scrapers for - removing old finish. I find it faster and way less damaging than sanding, particularly when removing old yellowed finish from a veneered surface.
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22nd March 2022, 10:56 PM #5
Good to know I’m on the right track, I didn’t want to even consider sanding I just thought it was either a scraper or some form of dissolve the depending on what the finish was
Now I know this I’ll pull out my
Other scrapers to have near by and rotate through them all
Thanks
Nathan
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22nd March 2022, 11:14 PM #6GOLD MEMBER
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Delbs,
Try putting onto the face of the scraper one of those flat rectangular fridge magnet things that plumbers, electricians etc drop in your mailbox from time to time. Flexible but magnetic. Insulates your thumbs from the heat.
Regards,
Brian
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23rd March 2022, 07:08 AM #7Senior Member
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If it is shellac, you could save yourself a lot of work with some alcohol. Apply it to the shellac, not to yourself, of course; if you apply it to yourself, you won't get any work done, although, on the other hand, after a while you won't care either.
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23rd March 2022, 07:25 AM #8
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23rd March 2022, 08:54 AM #9
Nathan, try it on a section, but it usually takes quite a deal of soaking to dissolve a thick layer of shellac, especially old stuff that's been there for years. If you make it gluggy & scrape, it will come easier, but sticks to the scraper and may make it harder work. You may find, as I do, that it's usually easier to scrape while it's hard, then use a metho-soaked rag to clean the surface. Done carefully, this will leave you with the surface & any grain-filler that was used intact (& they probably used plenty on white cedar, it's normally pretty porous). Just a rub-over with 0000 steel wool when it's dry and you should be good to go, if re-polishing is your intention.
Cooked fingers is a very common syndrome amongst heavy card scraper users! Apart from the solutions already suggested (fridge magnet or rotating throughscrapers) other 'solutions' people have found are to use those rubber finger-stalls on your thumbs (like bank tellers used to use for counting notes before there were machines to do it), or if you want to spend more money, Lee Valley make a card scraper holder. They aren't hard to cobble up, I made this one when helping a friend scrape the poly finish off a very large dining table: Scraper holder.jpg
You don't get the sensitivity of a hand-flexed scraper, and it's not something I'll use much, but it was a godsend on that job. It doesn't have to be fancy, a couple of 5mm bolts & wing-nuts & some hardwood scrap is all you need. Experiment with different amounts of curvature to find the right amount for your job (it doesn't need much)....
Cheers,
IanIW
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23rd March 2022, 09:25 AM #10
They are a very efficient way of removing an old finish like yours.
I bought the Veritas holder because I always got blisters.
But it was too slow for an impatient person like me. Taking it out to burnish or flip it over was a pain.
I usually have a few on the bench when I have a big job.
Once I got into the habit of flipping it over every few strokes then rotate it and use the other two edges, I was less likely to get blisters. And I think the burrs held up a bit longer.
When one stopped scraping I would use the other scraper.
When they were all blunt I'd reburnish them all and start again.
The finish is usually pretty good but don't worry if it is a bit patchy. A light sand usually cleans off the stubborn bits.Scally
__________________________________________
The ark was built by an amateur
the titanic was built by professionals
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23rd March 2022, 10:04 AM #11
Thanks Ian for the suggestion of a holder, yeah I wasn’t too keen on the idea of spending $90 or so on the veritas holder as.I do have a pack of those wing but bolts getting around here somewhere to make something like that
The consideration I have is the additional time it takes to use it and then having to rotate or loosen the nuts in any holder before starting again. Small point but compared to multiple ready to go that I have nearby and simply rotate through will keep me going quicker
The dry shellac is just peeling right off so yeah if it’s not necessary To dissolve it I’ll just keep going as I am. It’s easier to sweep up than it would be to deal with wet sludge . it’s not a huge amount of effort, even if it was I’m in no rush so I keep working on over time
Included some pics, I just prefer the whiter look of it scrapped back than the existing finish. I’ll be adding a dust lip around the lid and making it recessed to handle my hand saws in the lid so I’m expecting to put in a fair bit of effort to this over time
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23rd March 2022, 02:16 PM #12SENIOR MEMBER
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I think i remember this conversation came up on the "woodtalk" podcast. Someone suggest using neomidium magnets on the scraper to act like a heatsink.
I've never tried it myself but i do understand the idea.
Regards,
Adam
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23rd March 2022, 03:30 PM #13
Maybe just sand it dude? 80 grit and the ROS?
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23rd March 2022, 03:59 PM #14
Another option for thumb protection......
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...Q3fX7MX0bODbZgCheers, Bob the labrat
Measure once and.... the phone rings!
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23rd March 2022, 04:34 PM #15
not a fan of sanding primarily due to not having dust extraction of any form, was planning on getting festool vac for my domino 500 but the old dyson with a funnel has worked good enough for those chips. Sanding on the other hand is worse than a card scraper. minus the hot thumbs of course ha.
I had another crack at it today alternating between two scrapers and works fine.
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