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There are times when, despite all the tools in one's armoury, the only thing that will create a decent finish on a piece of curse-grained timber is a
cabinet scraper. That can mean a nightmare of sore fingers and aching arms but there are alternatives to the pain! Veritas have two very effective solutions to the cabinet
scraping situation, either of which makes the task a whole lot easier and even pleasureable. Based on the old "No. 80" design, the simpler solution is the aptly-named
"P3205 Cabinet Scraper" which, as the name suggests, allows a cabinet scraper (supplied) to be held easily, securely and at the correct angle to accomplish a wide
range of scraping tasks. This enables the scraper to be used for many tasks that might otherwise mean using a belt sander: to clean off glue splashes, to remove dirt and
grime when renovating older pieces or using reclaimed timber or simply for finishing tough timber. This device has a long sole so that the scraper is
held flat as you approach, and pass, the end of the workpiece and the camber of the scraper is simply set using an integral thumbscrew. The handles are set low and behind the
"traditional" position to reduce the tendency to topple somethines seen with the original design by bringing the line of applied force into better alignment with the cutting edge.
For the final smoothing of figured timber surf aces, the P2901 Scraping Plane, which is based on the traditional No. 112 design, is ideal. With an easily adjustable cut and finely
adjustable cutting angle from 0 to 25 degrees, this tool is really unsurpassed for the finest of finishing jobs. The configuration, with a long, flat sole, full rear handle and front knob,
exactly as in a bench plane, gives superb control and ensure that there is no tendency to create dips and hollows at the ends of the cut. An integral thumbscrew bows the blade
to eliminate damage to the surface from the scraper corners, although an optional 3 mm (1/8") thick blade is available for those who prefer the rigid blade technique. To assist in
preparing the surface of workpieces destined for veneering, a further toothed blade is available (with 25 tpi toothing) which considerably improves glue adhesion by increasing the glued area.
This blade can also be used to pre-condition areas of difficult grain before proceeding to a final finish using the straight blade. (NB: Not included here, but mentioned elsewhere on this site are the Veritas
Scraper Plane Insert, to convert a Bailey-pattern plane into a scraping plane, and the Veritas Flush Plane.) |
