Handled Scraper

Posted by Easy WoodCraft on

Jan 16, 2017

A variation of the cabinet scraper is the handled scraper (top photo). These are designed to be used with either one hand or two. The handled scrapers at left in the photo are called shave hooks, and are basically scraper blades attached to metal rods inserted into wood handles. The scraper blades come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are intended mostly to remove paint and old finishes from moldings and other curved surfaces. But I've found that if you sharpen them properly and roll a nice burr on the end, they can work much better than a gooseneck scraper.

The middle and far right scraper in the top photo are basically paint scrapers, good primarily for removing glue squeezeout. The Sandvik scraper (middle photo) features a triangular carbide blade that stands up very well and can be rotated to a fresh edge when one side dulls.

One of my favorite handled scrapers is my grandfathers Stanley No. 82, shown in the middle photo. It's quite an interesting tool that works surprisingly well. Although the actual scraper blade is pretty small, it fits in a sturdy head that can be adjusted to the desired angle. In use, you grip the long handle with one hand and then press down on the front knob with the other (bottom photo). This produces a considerable amount of pressure on the blade, and you can remove a lot of wood quickly. At the same time, a light touch can produce thin, wispy shavings. Even though these scrapers aren't being made anymore, you can regularly find them at auctions, at yards sales, and on the Internet for just a couple of dollars.

Thanks for reading Handled Scraper. Please share...!