Phil irons shear scraper difficulties.

[Aidan Lasky]

I recently received the shear scraper from woodcut tools and I can’t for the life of me get it to do what it’s supposed to do. It has to be user error.

I’ve watched the videos and I feel like I have the right angle. I’m using the tip, not the bevel and I seem to be getting dust and worsening the tear out. I’m not great at sharpening by hand but I have tried sharpening it with a 300 grit diamond stone. I am lining it up with the angle of the bevel and going straight down.

Does anyone have experience with this tool? Are there other videos out there that go more in depth?

 

[hughie]

Looking an image on line I would imagine you should using the curved side and present the edge to the wood at around 45' and draw it toward the rim or lip of the vessel, pull cuts only and never use the points other than to make a groove etc.

 

[Richard Coers]

You don't want dust, you want whisker sized curls. It has to have a burr on it and the burr does the cutting, not a cutting edge. So you either have to move steel with that hone, or use a hardened rod to turn up a burr. Also the included angle between the cutter and the work must be less than 90 degrees. Phil seems a little heavy handed in his video, I usually just barely touch the wood. Just skate over it. This video shows a lighter touch.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxkwe53RYes

 

[Bill Blasic]

What speed are you turning, faster is better. Also think 45° angle in 2 directions. 45° angle to the bed and 45° angle to the piece, yes those are 2 separate angles.

 

[Doug Freeman]

It may need a good bevel and edge put on it. Can you see the edge using a light? Needs ground. Very easy to gring using a platform on a bench grinder. I use 70 deg but less is ok. The wheel will create a significant burr easily felt. As others said, tilt the curved edge 45 deg to the wood rotation, and lightly guide the edge across the surface.

For a sharper longer lasting edge, hone off the burr, and raise a new one with the hone or carbide burnisher (better).

 

[robo hippy]

Not familiar with that particular tool, but most shear scraping tools work the same way. A sharpened edge, at a high angle, 45 degrees +, and very light passes. It is just for touch ups, not for stock removal. Here is a link to a video I did a while back. I prefer dedicated scrapers for shear scraping. Some use their swept back gouges. Both work.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeOhPqOsORs


robo hippy

 

[robo hippy]

Well, googled it and found this video. With that triangular shape, you would not want to attempt to shear scrape the inside of a bowl as the corners would want to dig in. You also could not do a push cut on the inside of a bowl. You may be able to do it, but I found it far easier to pull from the bottom up to the rim rather than the other way around. Tear drop scrapers are fairly common for hollow forms, but generally they are used for smoothing out ripples in scraping mode rather than shear scrape mode. He does hone a burr on his tool, and note that he hones the old burr off first. That does work. You can also do it on a standard grinder, and use a very light touch, especially if you are using a coarse wheel, like 180 grit. I have long wondered if by honing sideways with a diamond card would yield a better burr. For sure, the burnished burr is far more durable. I noticed that he tends to cut near the middle of the cutting edge. Personally, I would cut with the lower third of the blade, and never above center line of the edge as that can lead to a catch. Maybe over cautious on my part. As I and others say, a burnished burr is better.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axjAHlzp2jc


robo hippy