Hand Scrapers were much favoured by old time joiners. Sand paper was expensive and the paper backing was not all that great and the glue was extremely sensitive to moisture.

When I started I had no idea of how to use one. It was Jack Erehorn at WF Stone's in Alameda, Calfornia who patiently instructed me in the care and use of hand scrapers.

What I am speaking about here are the hand scrapers or cabinet scrapers not scraper planes. That is for another 'On', I'm thinkin'.

Just as a joiner would have a box of wooden planes made by himself to fit most any situation, he would have a broad selection of hand scrapers.

We didn't sharpen all the edges of a scraper some sharpened only one edge or at the most 2 edges. With a box full of blades it was no big deal to switch off as one became dull. The boxes used to hold a joiners scraper blades was a personal thing. Some were dovetailed and with nicely fitted lids and brass hinges and had slots for the blades whilst other used a ciger box with a layer of sawdust in the bottom and the blades laying atop one another.

The blade itself could be either store bought or made in the yard. Bandmill blades were much prized as were old handsaw blades. The band mill stock usually from the saw sharpening shop was sheared to size and then dressed to suit the owner. Old handsaw blades make fine scrapers BUT remember a good handsaw blade is 'taper ground' from tooth edge to back. The finer the quality of the saw the finer the taper grind. The taper grind meant that only one edge could be effectively sharpened. For the taper reduced the edge too much to support the hook.

Bandmill blades and, some were close on to 12 inches wide, would be sheared to the size needed and then the joiner would dress the blade to suit himself.

First step was to polish all flat sides. This was done on a big butchers style sharpening stone and then fine polishing compound and finally to the polishing lathe with jewelers rouge on a felt wheel. No Vice Grip pliers in those days just a pair of wooden jaws and a bolt with a wing nut.

Next was to dress the edge. Smooth Cut files were used for the first step. No freehanding. Each person made his own jigs to hold files and stones so that a good square edge was acheived. After filing the edge would be stroked on the SIDE of a Norton Combination stone. Depending on the finish from the first or filing step it would be the medium grit used first and then on to the fine grit.

The jig for this was similar to a 3 sided box with the 4th side cut down to expose the stone's long side and, just deep enough that one grit only was exposed . There woud be an 'apron' on that cut down side for the flat of the scraper blade to slide back and forth on. Some fellows inserted a piece of brass for a wear suface others depended on the hardwood of the jig to suffice. With the one side exposed in that way the stone could be flipped end for end and side to side to keep wear even on the stone sides.

To 'turn the edge' a piece of drill rod or a file with the teeth ground off would be used. A drop of fine oil and with strokes beginning in the middle of the scraper blade edge, the hook would gradually be developed.

There are enough books and web sites that I don't believe I have to go into more detail on how to turn the edge here.

For different jobs handles were made that held the blade and forced it into a gentle curve. This was needed on broad surfaces requiring much scraping and it did relieve the strain on thumbs and fingers too.

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