Making A Knife Blade Scraper

In this video I make a simple knife blade scraper using a regular Stanley knife blade and some pallet wood.

Video about my spokeshaves: http://bit.ly/2B5GHP9

In this video I'm going to be making a simple but very useful scraper tool using a knife blade and some scrap pallet wood.
I'm not sure what type of wood this is but it's some sort of hardwood that I got from a pallet
I chose this piece from my scrap bin because it was slightly wider than the length of the knife blade and it was longer than I needed.
First I made some markings for the shape I wanted for the head of the tool using a small square and a washer to mark up some curves.
And then I worked on the shape of what would be the handle of the tool
I used the bandsaw to cut out the shape.
Then at the disc sander I could refine the shape of the curved areas.
I wanted to round over the handle and a router table would have been ideal for that but I don't have one.  Actually I do have one, but it isn't set up. In fact it's not even in the workshop because I haven't found a home for it.  But that's ok because I was in the mood for using some hand tools anyway. 
So after making some reference marks for where I wanted to remove material, I used my spokeshave to shape it.  It's a really enjoyable tool to use, it's great fun to carve with as long as you keep the blade nice and sharp and set it up well.  I've got a video on my channel about me restoring the one I'm using here, and I'll leave a link to that in the description box if you're interested in seeing it.
I first took some shavings at roughly 45 degrees right up to the lines I'd drawn, and then I could work my way around the handle rounding it over.
I also shaped the end.
I decided to cut a bit more of a scoop in the handle to make it a little more comfortable to hold, so after marking that up I took some more shavings.
The head end of this piece of wood had an angle cut in to it, and I decided to round it over, so I cut some material away at the bandsaw and then rounded it at the disc sander.
And while I was there I could do more sanding to shape it.
I then did some hand sanding at 100 grit.
Next I could add the knife blade and first I measured the thickness of it using my calipers.
The blades I have came from a poundshop and they measure just under half a mm in thickness.
Out of my few saws, I found the one with the thinnest kerf which was this one at just over half a mm, so I used that one to make a cut in the head to accommodate the blade.
As expected the blade was a bit of a loose fit, and I did consider some ways of locking it in place using a screw or a nut and bolt but I preferred the idea of having it as a friction fit so that it's quick to put in and out, and I could do that just by simply adding a layer of masking tape to the blade.
It was then a perfect snug fit.
For finish, I'd use some of my home made oil wax mixture, this is available to buy both as an original formula and a food safe version via my etsy store if you're interested in trying it out.  It brought out the grain quite nicely and also makes the wood really smooth.
So this scraper is really useful for things like removing finish from wood, as an alternative to using a card scraper or sanding.  By pushing down on the head of the tool you can alter how much downward pressure to apply. If you're worried about the corners of the blade gouging in to the wood, it's pretty simple just to ease over the edges of the blade using a file or some sandpaper, but I don't think it's really necessary, at least, it's not something I've had any issues with.  It's also very useful for scraping off old glue or paint from your worktops.
I like to re-sharpen my knife blades, and I get loads of use out of them just by putting a new edge on them using a 400 grit belt on my benchtop grinder and sander.  I know they're supposed to be disposable but why throw something away when you can re-sharpen it in 5 seconds?
And then it's ready to use again.
Finally, I drilled a pilot hole in the handle using a small drill bit and then widened it with an 8mm bit so that I can hang it up on my tool wall.
So that's the scraper finished and it works well, although if I were to make another one there are a few things I'd do differently.  Firstly I'd choose a slightly thicker piece of wood, that way I could cut the slot a bit deeper and that would the blade a little more rigidly.  The piece I used was X thick........
Secondly, I might shape the handle so it's wider at the end, that would make it a little bit to hold and give you more purchase, I'm not sure if that's the right word but I'm sure you know what I mean.
It was really quick to build it took just over an hour I think, and it was a nice project to work on.  
I hope you enjoyed this video, please subscribe if you haven't already for more weekly woodworking videos.  If you'd like to support the channel and get early access to my videos as well as exclusive content, woodworking plans and a credit at the end of my videos you can do so by joining my Patreon page, link to that in the description box below.  Thank you for watching!

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