Accu-Burr Burnisher for Cabinet Scrapers

November 30, 2022 Taylor Toolworks

Make A Scraper Vise

Watch the video on cabinet scrapers and the Accu-Burr here:

A Scraper Vise is a wood block that clamps a scraper and makes it easier to file, polish and burnish. A Scraper Vise is simple to build and will simplify sharpening and improve the performance of your cabinet scraper.

Anatomy of a scraper vise

A scraper vise consists of 2 pieces of wood held together by 1/4-20 carriage bolts and wing nuts.

Clamping a scraper in the vise allows filing and honing at a perfect 90 degrees. It can also hold the scraper to allow a more consistent hook to be produced.

A finished scraper vise and a scraper on a wooden workbench

How to make it:

Cut 2 pieces of 3/4" thick, closed grain hardwood to 2" x 7-3/4"

A black mechanical pencil, two pieces of cut hardwood, and a measuring tape on a wooden workbench

Attach both pieces together with double sided tape

A black mechanical pencil and two pieces of cut wood with a piece of of double sided tape along the length of one of them, and a tape measure all on a wooden workbench

Mark both pieces so it can be reassembled in the same order

two pieces of cut hardwood stuck together with two perpendicular pencil marks running across them to create a "v" and a measuring tape, all on a wooden workbench

Mark drilling holes centered widthwise and 5/8" in from each end

a pencil mark on a cut piece of hardwood marking 5/8" from the edge of the wood on a wooden workbench

Drill 1/4" holes through both pieces at each marked location.

Disassemble the pieces.

Enlarge the holes on one piece to 17/64". This will allow one jaw to slide and make opening the vise possible.

A drill press drilling through the pieces of cut hardwood that are stuck together

Insert 1/4" x 2" long carriage bolts through one half. Ensure the head of the bolt is in the half with the 1/4" hole. Pound the heads in with a hammer.

Attach the other jaw.

The two pieces of cut hardwood together with a long carriage bolt through them on a wooden workbench

Plane both long edges square and smooth. The vise is ready to use.

A Hand plane on the scraper vise with wood shavings on top of the hand plane. The scraper vise is clamped against the edge of a wooden workbench

How to use it:

Insert a scraper in the vice and clamp down the wingnuts with the scraper just proud of the vise (no more than 1/64"). This will ensure the edge cannot be filed or polished out of square.

A scraper in the vise, just barely visible on the surface of it and they're on a wooden workbench

File both scraper edges with a single cut file until fresh steel is exposed along the entire edge.

A single cut file laying on top of the vise on a wooden workbench

Next, flip the vise over and place it on a diamond stone or lapping film stuck to glass and hone the edge until there is a consistent polish along the entire edge. Start honing at 320 grit and finish at 600 grit.

The vise, turned over and on a diamond stone on a wooden workbench

Remove the scraper from the vise, lay the scraper flat on the bench, place the burnisher flat on the edge and push the burnisher along the edge making sure to keep it parallel with the scraper edge. This step draws steel from the edge that will be used to create a hook.

the scraper, now out of the vise, with the burnisher laid flat on it

Place the scraper back in the vise with the scraper proud of the vise 1/8"

The scraper, now back in the wooden workbench

Run the burnisher along the edge, keeping the burnisher perpendicular to the scraper.

The burnisher set on the scraper, perpendicular to it

Next, turn the hook by running the burnisher along the edge, tilting the burnisher until it is in contact with the edge of the corner of the vise. Tilt the burnisher front to back as you turn the hook so you are drawing the steel out as you push the burnisher along the edge.

The burnisher tilted against and on the edge of the scraper, which is in the vise