Tbh I finally got the hang of using a card scraper on curved legs

Honestly, I was sanding this old oak table for a client in Boise and the legs were a real pain. After about 3 hours of fighting with sandpaper, I watched a video where this guy said to burnish the scraper edge at a 5-degree angle. I tried it and the finish came off like butter in under 20 minutes. Has anyone else got a better trick for tricky shapes?

3 comments

3 Comments

danielr9419d ago

Remember seeing my grandpa use a spokeshave on a rocking chair. He'd always say the old tools just fit the shape better. Sometimes the simple way is the right way.

the_jennifer19d ago

Oh man, that burnishing angle is everything! I found if you put a tiny bit of camber on the edge first, it glides over curves without digging in. A little hook is good for flat stuff, but for legs, that gentle curve keeps it smooth.

anthonymurray11d ago

Hot take: Burnish, don't sand. Got a set of old violin maker's scrapers from a flea market. They're thinner and more flexible than a standard card scraper. You can almost bend them around the curve with your thumb. Lets you follow the shape without fighting the tool. That plus Jennifer's camber trick is the real one-two punch.