Stanley No. 80 Scraper

Specifications
Body Material:	Cast Iron
Length:	9"
Cutter Width:	2"
Rating:

Review

If you like to use planes I suggest you take a look at Stanley No. 80 scraper. Stanley still makes these scrapers but I feel the vintage models are better quality. They are not hard to find and sell for around $20.

When I received this particular scraper the tool wasn't in usable shape. The sole of the tool was very rough and the blade didn't resemble a scraper blade.

To fix the sole I tool out my trusty float glass and applied some silicon carbide sandpaper to it. After a few minutes of work on the sandpaper the sole was ready for use. There were still a few deep scratches from the previous user but it doesn't seem to effect the performance.

The blade was overall in bad shape. The blade was severely rounded and the 45 degree bevel was nowhere near 45 degrees. A trip to the grinder and a bit of time spent with the water stones brought this blade back to a good useable condition.

Once I properly tuned the blade I needed to produce the nice hook that makes the scraper work. I took out burnisher and quickly produced a nice hook.

The beauty of the No. 80 scrapers are the ease of setup and use. Once you have a nice hook on the blade, the hard part is done. To properly set the blade I just lay the body on my bench and set the bade in the body. This rests the blade on the bench with essentially no cutting depth. Then I tighten the two thumbscrews that hold the blade in the body. Once the blade is held in place it is time to adjust the cutting depth with the remaining thumbscrew on the back of the blade. By tightening the thumbscrew the blade will bend slightly and increase the cutting depth. Trial and error will determine which cutting depth works.

If you like using a card scraper then you'll certainly enjoy using this scraper. I've found this much easier to use than a card scraper because you don't have to worry about proper blade angle. This scraper also protects the hands from the heat generated using a card scraper. If you've ever scraped a large area with a card scraper you can appreciate this benefit.

This immensely practical tool that will save time and avoid all of the dust created by sanding. It may not be as glamorous as most planes but it will certainly outperform most planes on difficult woods.

Overall Rating 6 out of 6.