Lynx Concave and Convex Scraper Sets

Scrapers are exceptionally useful in the shop; they're a lot quicker to use than sandpaper, and, when properly polished and burnished, they produce a silky smooth surface ready for finishing.

These specialty scrapers are made by Thomas Flinn & Company (a brother firm to The Garlick Saw Company) in Sheffield, England. The company has been making saws since 1923, so they should know a thing or two about working steel. While you might not have heard about Flinn saws, you've undoubtedly heard of Pax and Lynx saws - an exceptionally fine line of hand saws carried by Lee Valley.

Concave set

Convex set

The scrapers come in two sets of two scrapers - a concave set for working beads, dowels and various concave mouldings, and a convex set for working flutes and convex shaped moulding . Each scraper has five sizes - 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4" on one scraper and 7/8", 1", 1-1/8", 1-1/4" and 1-1/2" on the other scraper. These sizes cover a pretty wide range of the most common sizes used in woodworking. The sizes are exactly matched - the 1" convex for example, fits precisely with the 1" concave - ideal if you're fastidious about ensuring that same size moulding matches perfectly.

The scrapers are perfectly matched

1/32" thick steel

The scrapers are made of tempered steel and are nice and thick - a full 1/32" - so they won't flex in use. While you could use the scrapers as they are, they'll really benefit from a quick polishing (honing) and burnishing. The process is quite easy. For polishing I wrap P1500 grit wet/dry silicon carbide sandpaper around dowels to fit the scraper sizes. The silicon carbide cuts very quickly, so polishing the edges takes only a few minutes. To burnish the scrapers I use the Veritas Carbide Burnisher; it's easy to use one-handed and has a  1/8" diameter rod. If you need more detail check out Liutaio Mottola's burnishing primer - it's on card scrapers but the technique is basically the same for these Lynx scrapers.

For the price (under $12 a set) these Lynx scrapers are exceptional value. They're particularly handy if you make chairs or stools and are super when it comes to cleaning up mouldings. Get them - use them!

Reviewed May 2010