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Help! Scratch Stocks - How the #$%@ do you cut the blanks?

Help! Scratch Stocks - How the #$%@ do you cut the blanks? (post #169788)

KentMich on Sun, 02/12/2012 - 16:39

Hand Tools

I'm trying to make some scratch stocks for beading, and everyone says, "Just use an old saw blade or cabinet scraper." When I took a course with Garrett Hack a few years ago he handed out some blanks he had made up for us and we all filed nice little scratch stocks from them. But now they're gone and I need to make some new ones.

So how do you cut a cabinet scraper into 2" blanks? I've gone through three high speed steel 32 tpi hacksaw blades and hardly made a dent! Those suckers are made of hard steel, and those are the best blades I can find at the local hardware store.

So do I need to take my scraper to a machine shop and have them cut it into 2" blanks? Or does Lie Nielsen sell some special $250 cabinet scraper cutters that I just HAVE to get?

Kent, Well, now you have a (post #169788, reply #1 of 6)

by joinerswork in reply to KentMich [original] on Sun, 02/12/2012 - 18:13

Kent,

Well, now you have a passel of dull saw blades you can use for scratch stock blades dontcha? ;-)

the toothed side will be real hard, so can be shaped pretty much only by grinding, will be hard to get a file to touch that edge, but the backs are generally soft enough to easily shape, and will stay sharp long enough to work for you, unless you are scratching miles of moldings.

As far as your scraper, you could score it by grinding a groove, then snap it off, and clean up with grinder/files.

Ray

Two sources are available (post #169788, reply #2 of 6)

by gdblake in reply to KentMich [original] on Sun, 02/12/2012 - 20:11

Hock Tools and Lee Valley both have scratch stock blanks available on their websites. You can also cut down handsaws or card scrapers with a hacksaw to make blanks. I prefer to use my scroll saw with a metal cutting blade to do this. I sandwich the metal between two pieces of 3/4" plywood scrapes to keep it from flexing while the cuts are made.

gdblake

We're all here because we're not all there.

Hey . . . Watch Your Language. : ) (post #169788, reply #3 of 6)

by roc in reply to KentMich [original] on Mon, 02/13/2012 - 19:56

http://www.amazon.com/Anytime-Tools-DIAM...

http://www.amazon.com/SE-Professional-Di...

http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-952-Alumini...

http://www.amazon.com/Foredom-K-2272-mot...

http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-4000-3-34-1...

roc

Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )

Blanks (post #169788, reply #4 of 6)

by Westchester in reply to KentMich [original] on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 10:01

An old hand saw blade will supply you a long time. Try heating the blank to soften it - grind the profile - than re- harden the steel -

You can pretty easily cut up (post #169788, reply #5 of 6)

by ThomD in reply to KentMich [original] on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 15:56

You can pretty easily cut up metal with a dremel and the abrassive blades they sell. The wear quickly and are fragile, but a fresh one spinning will cut quite substantial metals. I got turned onto it by a pal who was building chopper frames, and cut out the 3/16" tubing with a dremel. I thought he was nuts, but while not a serious production technique, it really does cut metal well. Of course the same goes for blades for a 4" grinder, and on up. Sounds like you stock is too hard, and one has to consider whether it is safe the a 90 degree scraping operation with a big handle attatched it. I'd do it, but I woud probably be looking for something else.

Also, you can sometimes just score the metal about 1/2 way then snap it. All the normal precautions should be taken, eyewear, wrap it, etc... This reduces the wear on the dremel blades, and makes it less likely you will get a catch and have little bits of blade flyiing every which way.