Crucible card scraper

[Bruce Mack]

I bought this, hoping it would be what I wanted. It is better than that. I'm making a box from resawn pine. I chose a 2x10 with pronounced cupping from my local Lowe's. I hoped the cupping would worsen after I resawed it. That didn't happen, so I shaped the sides with my plane. I chose a piece for the top, expecting to use the convexity to continue the theme. The concavity looks better to my eye. I found that linear sanding to smooth and deepen the concavity created scallops related to earlywood/latewood density differences. The gooseneck card scrapers did not correct the scalloping, probably because I was unable to register the contact point of the scraper with the latewood peaks.
This Crucible card scraper with its long and gradual sweep has done what I hoped. As advertised, it is beautifully machined with perfectly smooth edges and it even comes with a slight hook. I used it right out of the envelope. I think it will replace all of my card scrapers.

 

[Graywolf]

That’s good to hear.

 

[Darl Bundren]

Be attentive if you're using a crucible scraper on a flat panel because, well, if you do it right you can scrape a groove down the middle of your piece. My lesson learned.

It's a really nice scraper, though--and easier on the thumbs than those you have to flex. They say you can use it one-handed, but I haven't tried that yet. The profile turned out really nice.

 

[Bruce Mack]

Thanks, Allen. I had thought of scrapers as an afterthought of hand tools. My right thumb often hurts, but not with today's scraping. It was nice to get good results.

 

[Bruce Mack]

Here are two photos of the completed box with stain and oil-based poly. I think the body of the box is too dark so I'll sand it down a bit and reapply the stain less heavily.
Shellac with colorant is another option. I'm driving my wife, who is not the recipient, and myself crazy.

 

[Hmerkle]

Funny,
I had trouble pulling a burr on mine?!?
Need to work on that...

I had to go back to my BACHO for a job I was working on...

I also have some Adkins (NOS) scrapers and you want to talk about a beast, it is absolutely fantastic!

 

[tvrgeek]

I am missing which specific scraper is being talked about. Material, source, or shape? The one from Lost Art?
I use my DFM sourced scraper the most but have a thicker one ( Stanley) and thinner ones from some unknown source. Never got a great burr until I got the textured rod from Wright. Beat my old Triumph exhaust valve stem. Got an Acu-burr and find it much harder to use.

 

[Mike Davis]

I also have some Adkins (NOS) scrapers and you want to talk about a beast, it is absolutely fantastic!

I gave one of those to the president of Triangle? Woodworkers yesterday.

 

[Bruce Mack]

Here is my final shot of the completed box. I'm ok with the stain. The miters taught me a lot about persistence. The sides were planed and sanded to their curved profile. After I cut the miters on the tablesaw I did a dry assembly with tape. A mismatch reflected the variation of the profiles compounded with my use of the miter sled. Anyway, nothing matched well. I recently watched an inspiring lecture by Douglas Brooks on Japanese boatbuilding (

) in which he showed one of his teachers edge-fitting planks by running his saw perpendicular to the planks at their junction, removing a little from each plank. The technique is called suriawase. Here are some photos of the boatbuilder, Mr. Ando, doing this (Japanese Wooden Boatbuilding: History and Traditions - Association for Asian Studies.)
I knew my miters were beyond unacceptable, so I tried sawing along the seams at the four corners, then removing the tape so I could smooth the cuts with block plane, chisel, or file. I secured the pieces again and again, repeating the saw cuts. Wonderfully, things looked a lot better. I glued the box and removed any outside mismatch with a block plane. It won't float or hold water but it is a good example of appropriating skills from one's betters.

 

[pop-pop]

You used an established technique called “kerfing” and got a great result.

 

[Bruce Mack]

You used an established technique called “kerfing” and got a great result.

Thanks. Here's another clever kerfing technique I came across just now. Timber Frame Tools » Kerfing a live edge joint