What is a cabinet scraper?
What is a cabinet scraper? |
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A cabinet scraper (sometimes called a ‘card scraper’) is a woodworking tool used for shaping and finishing. | |||
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The name ‘cabinet’ is used because scrapers are versatile and important tools for cabinet makers.
‘The ‘scraper’ part of the name is used because they are used for scraping. |
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The name ‘card scraper’ comes from the tool’s shape, which resembles a card.
The body and the cutting edges of most cabinet scrapers are formed from a single piece of material. The blades are created on each edge of the body. |
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The only cabinet scraper which is not formed from a single piece of material is the two-handled cabinet scraper. | |||
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Cabinet scrapers are used manually to scrape small amounts of material from the surface of wood – to smooth it, shape it, or remove an old finish from its surface. | |||
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They are often used on furniture and musical instruments such as guitars and violins. | |||
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Cabinet scrapers traditionally resemble a simple blade with no handle, but there are other, more complex designs available, which are explored further on. | |||
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The tools can be used on hardwood or softwood – but when using a cabinet scraper on any wood, you should generally work along the grain.
Scrapers are used in the same way for both softwood and hardwood. |
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The wood from a broadleaved tree, such as oak, ash and beech, is known as a hardwood. | |||
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Softwood comes from trees known as conifers (trees that bear cones), including pine, fir and spruce. | |||
