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I'm scraping the corners and edges that were sanded against the grain of an old wooden floor.

Lots of good info, thanks. I've been using a file on the scrapers.
No worries! You're doing me the favor, I can wait as long as it takes. You're a busy guy.
I had 2 bench grinders and sold them both when we downsized from a house to an apt thinking "I'll just get another when we have space again". Who knew that the days of getting great stuff super cheap were coming to an end. I know there are still amazing deals out there, but they aren't as plentiful as they once were. The file is working OK for now.

thx

The file sucks on those scrapers you shown, but I only use a file to sharpen my card scrapers then a burnisher to create the cutting edge. The grinder doesn't work there.

The grinder is similar to a serrated knife. Rough cutting edges that requires sharpening once dulled but it is well worth it for speedy work in both removing materials and especially sharpening.

I have a whole drawer full of scrapers. If they made it, I probably have it. The 4 edge one is not a great tool but one that you need. And they are cheap enough that having one is not a waste of money.

To sharpen I hold it opposite what Jeff shows and have the grinding wheel turning towards the handle. This creates a nasty burr that you would not use on anything but a rough house project like a peeling window sill. I find that the serrated edge is just a little nastier but I never use it.

I do use a file on those to keep from having to walk to the bench grinder. I used to take a bench grinder with me when I was painting in the '70's. 4 and 5' angle grinders were just hitting the market and when I got one that was all I needed to dress the the scraper.

You can experiment with angles until you find one that works best for you at whatever angle of attack you use. One side of the square blade has ears for corners and I use that side up before the others.

Carbide scrapers are worth the money but not unless you buy a green carbide wheel. You can make those wicked sharp and they do lose the edge just like the steel ones, but they will still work well a lot longer than the steel before dulling out.

Yeah, a file is a must on a card scraper to keep the edge dead straight. Lots of YT's one how to create a nice burr.

I like grinding wheels rated for using the side. I will gently use a side of a wheel even though they say to not do that. If all you are doing is lightly touching a scraper blade, you're safe enough. But you didn't hear that from me. Get the side rated one and have confidence.

Or use your angle grinder but not on the card scraper.

Another use for cards is to make profile scrapers for moldings. 300 years ago they made moldings by hand, sometimes with a plane and sometimes with a free blade.

Watch scratch shaping:

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Works well with hardwoods and tends to tear at softwoods, but it can be done. I have used heat and a custom made scratch tool to remove paint and varnish from detailed work as well as create new.

I saw one of these old stanleys for sale the other day and almost bought it just because I think the old tools are cool.

https://images.finewoodworking.com/a...Unknown-2.jpeg

Get one of those REd Devil ones. They are simple, works very well and cheap replacement blades are cheap and easy to get. Trick to any scrapers is to not allow them to flex causing vibration, chatter, or skip, whatever you like to call it, making the cut rough. If you lack a bench grinder, use a belt sander with 80 grit belt. One pass or just rough the belt for 53 seconds will make you want to toss all your files into the yard as far as you can. I have done them both way, milt's way is a bit too rough but it will gouge out any paint especially from an inside corner.

If you don't have a belt sander, get an 80 grit sandpaper. glue it to a board or 4' belt (alum. oxide), wrap that around a block or lumber. sharpen the blade on there. Don't sweat the angle too much but after a couple time, you will find that angle and get the hang of sharping it. Drag that blade along the belt. it will get it nice, flat and sharp or run that belt over the edge of the scraper's blade upside down so you can see what you are cutting into. Works wonders.

Don't drop those carbide scrapers, they will shatter. I bought a couple from Festool for scraping edgebanging. Works damn great and stays sharp for a long time. One of my guy dropped it on the concrete floor. Poof, 90 bucks gone. We use the side of the grinders all the time. I normally don't tell people to do it but if they do, its usually something small.

Now that I reread milt's post, what exactly are you trying to do with this tool? Can you just take a heat gun to it and soften the paint and scrape them out in the corner like milt mentioned? How many corners or is it the stairs where the riser meets the thread?

I just watched a bit of that video you posted, Milt. Screw that man. This is 2024. I have a shaper that has not been fired up in a long time and thinking selling it because we no longer use it. 1 1/4" spindle. We made a few doors and windows with it over the years. Just like those who make custom plaster molding. I am done with those type of work.

This level was either my Father's or my Great Grandfather's, the tool box is one my Great Grandfather built, I'm soaking the hinges so I can open it without damaging it.
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This is the floor in the corner of a room. I've got to get the corner (4"x5") clean and smooth, and get the sanding marks out of the 4" where they go against the grain before we can stain and finish the floors.

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Wow, very cool! The level is in amazing shape and still has a partial decal! I think the "sweetheart" era is supposed to be 1919-1933, so that level is ~90-105 years old, but looks like it could be a couple/few years old. And that's one of the adjustable levels. I am going to get one of those some day. Very cool, thx for sharing.

I've got some boxes that my grandfather made for tools too, but they aren't nearly as old. I do have his old Stanley 750 chisels which I cherish.

Looks like you didn't use an edger? Do you have an orbital sander? A Scraper won't level out your drum sander divots. Get a power sander to do that then a pull scraper will work for the existing finish in the very corner

Looks like you deleted the pic?

I got a quote for a custom router bit from Daily Saw on Firestone Blvd. up your way. It was basically a doll house molding, think picture hang molding 5/8ths wide. $125 eight years ago. All I needed was 10 feet and no one had this molding. Plus it was for an 18th Century vargueno (or bargueno in Spain) in ebony.

Scratch stock worked great.

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Ebony, I'll bet that took a few passes with the scratch block 😃

Oh man, that's hard work. For Ebony, I spring for the router bit instead to save my tired fingers.

I use to drop blades off at Daily saw but they are too far for me and a real pain to get to with traffic. But these shops what will made custom knifes are slowing going away. I has LRH (not around anymore) made us a couple pieces of shaper knifes. That was not exactly cheap.

5" random orbital will take care most of that corner. Scrape out the rest, it only needs a little more to go. If not, get one of those cheap Ryobi triangular sanders to take care of the corner. It wouldn't get your floor completely flat so you may have to fudge it a bit but that is such tiny corner that it should be noticeable.

This one will blow your mind, well worth the watch - puzzle boxes

https://youtu.be/_NreYBwzRQk?feature=shared