Anyone else use a freshly cut piece of glass as a scraper? i just fit a DB fingerboard, then pretty much shaped and smoothed a tailpiece using nothing but a piece of broken glass.
Much nicer to use than a steel scraper; doesn't get hot, doesn't need sharpening ...
Glass scrapers
Been using broken glass for years and I must agree Mathew, it does make a superb scraper. I was first introduced as a child when shaping cattle horn into ornaments such as penguins and albatross and the like. It was fun and effective and I have often carried broken glass scrapers into wood working.
I always found the thicker clear glass of old milk bottles to be best for longevity of the edge however it is true to say that a cold stubby will always get you out of a hot spot.
cheers
Kim
I always found the thicker clear glass of old milk bottles to be best for longevity of the edge however it is true to say that a cold stubby will always get you out of a hot spot.
cheers
Kim
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matthew
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I'd forgotten about glass ... used to use it all the time, then after having just made about 30 picture frames for my wife's current exhibition I ended up with a whole stack of glass offcuts ... I have a few 100mm wide strips of 3mm glass, and cut off a 20mm strip with a curved edge whenever I need a scraper.
Yes, have used broken glass many times as a scraper. On my lutes and historic instrument repairs I never use modern abrasives so all smoothing is done with glass scrapers.
Custom curved scrapers can also be manufactured as needed. Score the glass with a cutter then snap along the score. The opposite side to the score is the best to use.
Colin
Custom curved scrapers can also be manufactured as needed. Score the glass with a cutter then snap along the score. The opposite side to the score is the best to use.
Colin
"In 1969, I gave up alcohol and women, worst 20 minutes of my life." George Best.
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Paul B
Having been a microscopist, I wouldn't think that microscope slides would be a good choice. The good ones have ground edges (hence no cutting edge), while the cheap ones are pretty thin and would be prone to breaking.
I wouldn't normally disagree with anything Frank Ford has to say, but this is the exception.
I wouldn't normally disagree with anything Frank Ford has to say, but this is the exception.
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matthew
- Blackwood
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Well, climb outta that corner ... it could have been microscope slides, particularly if they were scored and snapped before use. But I prefer thicker window glass, less likely to snap un-intentionally while scraping.
My mum was an electron-microscopist once, and she used the edges of glass just like this to mount as blades in the microtome (a sort of tiny guillotine for shaving micron-thick slices) to prepare samples for use in the electron microscope
My mum was an electron-microscopist once, and she used the edges of glass just like this to mount as blades in the microtome (a sort of tiny guillotine for shaving micron-thick slices) to prepare samples for use in the electron microscope
Allen, come out of the corner. That's no place for you to be. I remember reading about them as well. And, like you, I can't recall who the advocate was, but I recall that it was someone I respected. While I was reading about it, I was thinking that backing it with a thin piece of hardwood might be a good thing. It would help prevent me from inadvertently flexing and breaking the slide.
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Paul B
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