What are cabinet scrapers made from?

28th February 2020

	What are cabinet scrapers made from?


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			Cabinet scrapers can experience a lot of use throughout their working lives. The materials used to make them need to be able to withstand plenty of use without easily becoming damaged.

			High carbon steel
			This is a type of steel that contains more than 0.5% carbon, which makes cabinet scrapers’ blades very hard and able to withstand lots of use.

			Medium carbon steel
			Medium carbon steel is an alloy created by adding carbon to iron. Carbon and iron are the alloy elements that give steel its strength. Cabinet scrapers that are produced from this type of steel are strong and hardwearing.

			Nickel-chromium steel
			Adding nickel and chromium to steel also increases its hardness. Chromium improves the steel’s resistance to corrosion, abrasion and oxidation. The nickel offers greater toughness, provided the carbon content of the steel is kept below 3%.

			Cast iron
			Cast iron is a very hard material which can be readily cast in a mould and contains a higher proportion of carbon than steel does. Steels with a carbon content of 2% or more without further added elements are considered to be cast iron. Cast iron is resistant to deformation and is hardwearing. It is used for the bodies of two-handled cabinet scrapers.

			How are these materials treated?

			Hardening Hardening and tempering are the special heat treatments given to steel. A number of makes of gooseneck scraper are hardened and tempered. The hardening process involves heating an object to a high temperature then cooling it down with cold, clean water. This will prevent the cabinet scraper wearing down easily.

			Tempering In the second process, tempering, the cabinet scraper is heated until a blue line of heat appears. The scraper is then allowed to cool slowly, after which it will be tough, hardwearing and unlikely to break or snap.

			Cold rolling Certain cabinet scrapers are made from cold-rolled steel. This is the process of rolling steel into sheets while cold, providing a smooth and hard finish. Cold rolling is performed at room temperature, adjusting the structure of the metal and strengthening it in the process.

			Hardening and tempering together produce the most efficient cabinet scrapers, making them strong and abrasion-resistant.

			Polished Another treatment that is used on cabinet scrapers is polishing. The process involves running an abrasive (buffing wheel) over the surface using a rotatory tool such as a drill to remove lines, nicks and scratches and provide a smooth, shiny finish. Polished surfaces on a scraper enhance the look of the tool.

			Which material to choose? The material is important when choosing which cabinet scraper to use, as you want the best scraper available to you. High carbon steel, nickel chromium steel, cast iron and medium carbon steel are all tough and make excellent scrapers. However, high carbon is the strongest – it withstands wear, stays sharper longer and generally has a long working life.