Thread: Sharpening A Stanley #80 Scraper

Yes 45° is correct. Then turn a hook on it with a burnisher. Some people just hone it square and scrape away but I get good results with the burr. I have an #81 but the theory is the same.
Bit of an explanation here Sharpening #80 Cabinet Scrapers

Thanks for the response and the handy link!

Craig

Craig

as supplied the #80 blade is square one end and has a slight crown the other
the crowned end is for cleaning glue lines -- bevel at around 45° but there'd rarely need for a burr on tis end

as Archer said sharpen the square end at 45° -- depending on what you are doing, the burr can be considered optional.

Yep, what t'others have said. You'll get the best results with a very sharp edge and a fine burr, depending on what you are scraping & how fine a surface you want. Don't overdo the burr, because it's easy to go past the 'sweet' point, & the fixed angle means you can't compensate by leaning the blade further forward as you can on the more elaborate scraper planes (or with a card scraper). Now that I have the big LV scraper plane, I only use my 80 for cleaning glue & other rough work, so I rarely bother with burring its blade these days (in fact I am ashamed to say, it doesn't get sharpened anywhere near as often as it ought, either. )

The #80 is a pretty crude device, but you can coax very good work out of it once you get the hang of setting up that blade. Not quite the finesse of a card scraper, but when larger surfaces need to be scraped, your fingers will thank you. The smell of barbequed finger tips permeating the shed is not one I ever relished! They have a little vice that you will soon discover, & that is the habit of rolling off the end of the piece you are scraping, & leaving a nasty scar or scuff in the process. You have to keep your mind on the job, because as soon as you don't, it'll happen, & usually just as you are & taking those last couple of strokes on an otherwise perfect surface! The LV clone boasts a longer toe which they claim will prevent this. I've not used one, so can't vouch for how well it works, but it sounds like a good idea.

Cheers,