Homebrew Power Scraper

I really think there are several overlapping concerns here, all with trade offs.

Yes, a Biax scraper can get VERY expensive. I got my ancient one from Ulma Doctor for an extremely fair price. On eBay, most sellers are not as nice as Mike is, to say the least... So one approach is to simply wait for a good deal to come along. I do this a lot, but I notice that most of us get on a kick and want to be running with it NOW! Damn the cost and learning the options and the market! Often, mistakes are made, some expensive. I try hard not to do that.

One regularly seen approach is to show the ba$tards that one can be made for next to nothing using stuff laying around in dumpsters or modding a HF tool. Good idea, can allow for quick prototype builds with little investment of time and money. The down side is that quick and dirty does not usually give us the elegant 'does everything exactly the way I want it to and will last forever' qualities that we would also like to see. Been there, done that. Quick and dirty can require multiple resets, starting over from scratch again. After a few tries, the project is often abandoned.

Another common approach is trying to build the PERFECT power scraper, with all the bells and whistles, NASA grade components, ergonomic studies, pretty CAD drawings, finite element analysis (FEA), torture testing to failure, built in floodlights, video camera, electronic leveling readouts -- well, you get the idea. It will never be finished, and will cost many times more than a new Biax by the time it is only partially functional and is abandoned. Been there, done that, too...

All this is to say that I think we need to strive for a simpler and better answer. The more people working on it, and posting their success and failures, the better. In a tiny niche market like this, we need to create any improvements to the craft, because industry does not give a damn about us, no money to be made. Work on it, keep working on it, and let us know how you are doing, and what works and what does not. Collaboration is a powerful tool...
 
after converting a sawzall to a scraper i would also bend the cutting toll 90 degrees i think it would work better
 
In looking at the pics of the Skill recip saw scraper the maker did figure out how to adjust stroke length. I think was is missing is the heavy duty support the Biax has in the front end. The plus of the power scraper is the ability to take off more metal quickly. That requires pushing down pretty hard on the tool. I'm not sure I see the same support in the front of that recip saw that is in a biax. Might work well for power flaking.

What I don't like about the any of the power scrapers is the finish they leave compared to hand scraping. IF and only if you push your scraper with the hip rather than holding it in the hands you can accomplish some pretty good material removal. My former employers did not allow power scrapers so I know first hand the effort involved in hand scraping a large area. Fortunately for us hobby machine sizes are not large areas and can be accomplished by hand. Unfortunately somewhere along about back surgery number 2 of 4 my ability to push much of anything has decreased. Fun to break open the tool box full of handles and remember better times though.
 
As for adjusting stroke length on a converted Sawzall, maybe it could be done if there were a way to change out the scraper end. Kind of like how you can change ends with a drill or impact driver. Just a thought. I haven't looked at the referenced Sawzall conversion thread yet.
Then again, maybe thanking ends wouldn't change stroke length at all :-(
Darn!
 
I just made a new power scraper like none has done before. I may market it, it is 4 the hobby machinist only to small 4 commercial use. It is smaller than a biax but works good. I'm using a carbide tool as the cutter, sharpened at 5 deg. Negative.

Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk
 
I just made a new power scraper like none has done before. I may market it, it is 4 the hobby machinist only to small 4 commercial use. It is smaller than a biax but works good. I'm using a carbide tool as the cutter, sharpened at 5 deg. Negative.

Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk
Can't wait to see it someday.
 
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