Scratch-stock
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Tagged: scratch stock, shop-made, tool
- This topic has 6 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 8 months ago by Andrew Sinclair.
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23 May 2018 at 4:22 am #548044
This is the newest tool I’ve made for myself, a scratch-stock. It’s made from oak, but just about any timber would do the job. I’d probably stick with a hardwood, just for durability.
Basically, it’s just a holder for a shaped scraper. The scrapers can be shaped to produce beads, as shown here, or grooves for inlaying, or even complete mouldings. Usually a scratch-stock would be used for relatively small features, as the effort required to create the forms in the wood goes up greatly with the increase in the area of scraper in contact. In this case, the stock will take a maximum width of 35mm, and I doubt I’ll ever get close to using that whole width.
The double-bead seen here is just done with a simple step-and-repeat with the basic beading cutter.
I’ve made the scraper/cutter here out of a saw plate. I would have used an old plate, but I don’t actually have one that’s unusable as a saw and a pair of brand new throwaway saws only cost twelve bucks; they’ll supply me with metal for scrapers and what-not for years. The steel is good and hard, but not so hard it can’t be shaped with a file as long as you stay away from the edge with the hardened teeth.
24 July 2018 at 8:58 am #549568Peter,
Thats a very fine looking design. I’ve just made my first scratch stock from Garret Hacks video. I’m thinking of converting an old guage for times when I need a more detailed pattern or further from the edge.
If you don’t mind me saying, you could round the other end of your fence and turn it around for circular/rounded applications.26 July 2018 at 10:40 pm #549654[quote quote=549568]If you don’t mind me saying, you could round the other end of your fence and turn it around for circular/rounded applications.[/quote]
That’s not a bad idea, I’ll give it a go.
14 August 2018 at 8:58 am #550183Cool-looking tool and nicely made. The result looks great too!
Are you able to get a consistent bead over a reasonable length of stock? How many passes / how much time does it take?
I’m wondering if this is a pragmatic halfway house between a simple screw-in-a-block and buying a bunch of moulding planes? And I’ve already got just the saw to sacrifice – an ugly hardpoint plastic handled sandvik 🙂
14 August 2018 at 9:36 pm #550222The beads are very consistent and clean, as long as the scraper is sharp.
It’s not necessary to complete the whole length of the wood with a single pass; I usually work it down in a length comfortable for my own rather short arms and then move on to the next length. The key is to be careful to keep the fence hard up against the edge of the plank for the first few passes while it’s establishing its track, and after that it’s largely self-guiding.
Where I do find it difficult to keep the bead clean is at the very ends, but I suspect that’s more a matter of my own technique than a limitation of the tool.
16 August 2018 at 11:02 pm #550298Thanks Peter, that’s highly encouraging. This is going to be my next mini project.
I’ll start with something less elaborate to see how I like it. PS has a blog on such:
https://paulsellers.com/2013/04/minimalist-woodworking-another-poor-beading-tool/Since I don’t have bandsaw blades I’ll chop up an old blunt hardpoint handsaw I have. Reading elsewhere I saw thicker steel is preferable to thinner for scratch stocks, so my plastic handled tenon saw gets a reprieve.
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