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Stanley’s No. 85 Cabinet
Maker’s Scraper plane is a much sought-after collectible,
commanding high prices. Consequently, until now, few people had the
opportunity to own one to use. This is a fine scraper — not
prone to chatter, because the blade is bedded directly against the
plane body.
Blade Sharpening:
Our Scraping Plane comes with a much thicker blade than the original.
This allows the blade to be prepared somewhat differently than other
scrapers. We recommend that you hone the blade to a sharp edge like a
plane blade, and do not use a burr (at least until you get used to
using the tool). We have found that, with a 45° bevel on the
blade, our thick scraper blades sharpen more easily and produce a
better surface. Slightly round the corners of the blade with
a stone to prevent them from marking the work.
Burnishing:
If you wish to create a burr, hone the blade, and then hold it upright
in a vise. Begin by holding a burnisher at about 45°, working
up to 90°. Work the edge until you can feel a distinct
‘hook’ all the way across. Be very careful not to
cut yourself on the upright blade. Use of a burr will give more
aggressive cutting action.
Tilting Handles:
Loosen the nuts on top of the knob and handle to tilt to one side or
the other. Tighten the nuts, being careful not to overtighten.
Lubricate the pivot bar occasionally.
Frog Adjustment:
When the frog is in the correct position, the back of the blade should
contact the back of the mouth on both sides. If adjustment is
necessary, install the blade in the frog, and move both to the rear
until the back of the blade contacts the body. Then tighten the two
fillister head screws to lock the frog in place. The single set screw
is then tightened a bit. This puts tension on the frog assembly,
preventing the fillister screws from loosening.
Setting the Blade:
The blade is inserted with the bevel facing the handle. To set the
depth of cut, lay the sole of the tool on a flat surface and loosen the
thumbscrew. Press lightly on the top of the blade with your thumb and
re-tighten the thumbscrew. Do not over tighten. Usually, this will be
enough exposure for a fine shaving. If not, repeat with a slip of paper
under the front of the tool. Minor depth adjustments may also be made
by lightly tapping the top of the blade with a burnisher or light
hammer while the tool is resting on a flat board.
Toothed Blades:
We offer replacement blades, and toothed blades of 18 and 25
teeth per inch. Toothed blades are useful (before using the regular
blade) when working extremely difficult woods, because they
score fibers in a criss-cross pattern. They are also used to prepare
surfaces for gluing, as in veneering, by lightly roughening the surface.
Use: Handle
the Cabinet Maker’s Scraper like a Bench Plane. Use a light
touch, rather than trying to remove too much material at once, or using
too much downward pressure. Too aggressive a cut (blade set too deep),
or too much downward pressure will result in chatter — you
should be taking light strokes. Often it is helpful to scrape at an
angle to the grain, and then from the opposite angle. David
Charlesworth has a good discussion on scrapers in Furniture Making Techniques Vol.
II.
Materials:
The body is cast from Ductile Iron, a very strong alloy that will take
a lot of abuse. These castings are fully stress relieved, a process
that removes inherent stresses and ensures that the tool will remain
flat and true.
The blade is A-2 Tool Steel hardened to Rockwell 50-55, cryogenically
treated and double tempered. Our heat treating technique ensures that
the blade will take and hold a very fine edge for a long time. After
heat treating, the blade is fully surface ground on the top, back, and
cutting edge, giving a smooth, flat surface that will take a mirror
finish very quickly. The 1/8” thickness provides solid
chatter-free cutting.
Maintenance:
The body of this tool is Cast Iron and will rust. To protect it, you
should oil, wax and/or wrap the tool after use. At the least, wipe your
fingerprints off with an oily rag. The body casting is ground flat to
.0015” or less. Occasional hand lapping with fine wet/dry
sandpaper (320 grit or higher) on a flat surface will help remove dings
and keep it true. The bronze parts can be polished with any good brass
polish, or be allowed to patina with age and use. Occasionally, the
tool should be dis-assembled and cleaned. The blade should be kept
lightly oiled to prevent rust, especially when the tool is not in use.
In our shop, we use a fine abrasive handblock to remove light surface
oxide from body or blade. The handblock is available from us.
Guarantee:
Materials and workmanship are guaranteed for the life of your tool.
Call for repairs or replacement parts. We are available for advice if
you ever have a problem using your tool.
Proposition 65 Notice: Bronze and brass alloys contain lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects, or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling.
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