About a week ago I posted how happy I was with my Lie Nielson scraper and
how poor the Sandvik scraper had been treating me, especially not being
able to turn a hook.

Well, I still really like the Lie Nielson and the Sandvik is much harder,
it does have tendency to gall the scraper, but...

I read the FWW article on tuning scrapers and also watched the video:
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/wvt088.asp After hearing
the comment that after turning the hook about 6 times, the metal becomes
work hardened and seeing him eliminate that work hardened metal using a
mill file, a light bulb went on. Thus, I undertook the re-habilitation of
the Sandvik. Sure enough, running the scraper across a file, after a few
passes, the file started biting into softer metal. I built the jig he
showed and ran it across my Arkansas stone, honed the sides, then tried
drawing a burr and turning the hook. As I mentioned, the metal in the
Sandvik is much harder than the Lie Nielson, but I was able to get a burr
and a hook, and those wispy shavings that a scraper is supposed to make.
So ...

I still really like the Lie Nielson scraper -- it is thinner, easier to
flex and easier on the fingers to use, but the Sanvik is also useable and
has been returned to service. I have some more work to do, I did have the
burr nick this afternoon, so I'll have to re-sharpen and re-hone, but I may
finally have a handle on this.

Thus far, the only sandpaper I've used on the entertainment center has
been 300 grit between the second and third application of Watco. Scraping
is much more peaceful, less dusty, and really quite a bit faster
(neglecting the learning curve for now) than running through the 5 grits of
sandpaper on the ROS that I have used in the past. I've gotten the back
panels, the door panels, and several shelves finished all the way through
wax using only planes and the scrapers. Still have a ways to go, but this
may be the project where at least most of it doesn't need sandpaper.

Now, when the Lie Nielson gets work-hardened, I will be able to
re-habilitate it also.


Now, pass the crow.