Tools, Polishing Materials and their Upkeep.
SHARPENING THE SCRAPER (continued).
The burr formed must be rubbed down as before by applying the scraper flat to the
oilstone as in fig 3. followed by a few rubs in the vertical position.
The blade is then replaced
in the vice and the cutting burr made as shown in fig 4. with a few firm strokes of a steel
burnisher of or ticketer along the margins of the edge. Note that the burnisher is making an
angle of less than 90 degrees to the scraper.
All four edges of the two long sides are treated in the same way, and the turned up burr can then be felt with the thumb.
After being in use for a time the edges will lose their keenness and it will be necessary
to turn them again.
To do this the scraper is held flat and the burnisher drawn along each side in turn, as shown in fig 5. the blade being held perfectly flat. The turning process is then repeated.
This rubbing down and turning with the burnisher can be done several times, until it fails to produce a keen edge, after which the scraper must again be rubbed down with a file and stone.
It is not the size of the working burr that determines the quality of the scraper as much as it's evenness and sharpness. An ideal way of testing for nicks in the cutting edge is to gently draw the edge of a fingernail alog it -imperfections will be instantly felt by snagging the nail, ideally the edge is as smooth as a razor.