The Channel scraper comes pre-sharpened. I suggest trying the tool as delivered on some scraps of wood before shaping the blade to your desired channel profile. This will show you how easily the tool cuts when sharpened properly.
There are many methods and techniques to sharpen a
scraper. For the channel scraper blade, the cutting edge must be at 90
degrees to the length of the blade for the scraper to effectively cut in
two directions. Here is a sharpening method that works consistently.
1. Shape the end of the blade to the desired channel profile
at the C-bout. A pedestal grinder or a disk sander are the tools of choice
here. Avoid getting the cutting edge too hot. (Too hot and the blade will
lose it’s hardness.)
2. Flatten the sides of the blade on a stone by moving
the blade in one direction only, away from the cutting edge. A medium Arkansas
or similar oil stone is preferred for the sharpening process. ( Note: Many
water stones have a soft bond and may round off the cutting edge.)
The burr that is left from the stoning process
is just right. I find that burnishing is not necessary and may actually
be counterproductive. I have measured the size of the burr on scraper
blades that cut well with this tool. The burr size is less than .0005”(
that is less than 1/5th of the diameter of a human hair).
