Biax scraper blade question

[Sdmf5150]

DAPRA doesn't sell direct unless you set up an account first with a $200.00 minimum. They were trying to change it, so it might be worth a call, 800 243 3344 or 860 242 8539. You might not get a lot of response as they are setting up a Large booth at IMTS show. That's why I recommended ED who is a 1 man company who sells and repairs scraper. Ed has a similar story as mine. His Dad was a service tech for Pratt & Whitney in Michigan rebuilding Jig Bores in all the auto industry plants. When Ed's Dad, Ed SR. retired from P&W he he opened his company selling scraping tools and became DAPRA's largest rep in the USA. Ed can demo scrape as he never apprenticed under his Dad and is a great salesman plus he can repair BIAX scrapers blind folded. He doesn't have a minimum and accepts credit cards. I can sell the BIAX tools, but I prefer to just sell my classes and straight-edges, not have to monk around with a 10% commission on a $14.00 bottle of ink, etc.

Biax scrapers are DAPRA's smallest line even thought the original owner helped invent the scraper. They are big into Engraving be it lasers or pin punch. They also sell work holding and metal removal. One more thing about handscrapers. I said I didn't like Anderson scrapers. I started scraping when I was a little kid 55 or so years ago and back then it was a the only American made scraper unless you made a home made one. They originally had HSS and I spent as much time hand lapping them as I did use scraping with them. Then we started to buy their carbide blades and they were a pain to sharpen as diamond wheels in the 1960's were expensive and we didn't own one. We sharpened them at customers shops and back then no one had fine diamond like 1200 grit.

Then in the late 60's we bought a Sanvik scraper and not until the early 70's we bought a 300 grit diamond wheel for our Baldor double sided tilt table Grinder. I cut and added a thin extention in the handle of the Sanvik handle. I used a Sanvik until the middle 80's when I started to teach the scraping classes and became a DAPRA rep and their USA BIAX Instructor. I called Anderson new owner a few years ago and told him he needed to make a longer handle for their 1" handle. He blew me off. So if you own one slide the blade out as far as it will go or add an extension to the file handle or wend in a longer handle. Same goes for the Sanvik or mill the center a bit thinner. Tom Lipton did a great You Tube recently about scraping, scrapers, 3 points, the ink, etc. He dis the YT after we met and he attended one of my recent CA classes.

The key to fine scraping by hand or power is a flexible blade. You know scraping isn't a hobby for me. I was paid to scrape as a profession, I learned to scrape from a Journeyman Machine Rebuilder (my dad) who had experimented with all sorts of hand scrapers and we bought our first Power scraper in the early 1970's. Used those stiff blade holders and 1 x 1 carbide inserts to rough scrape and we finished by hand scraping. Then in the early 1980's we stated to thin those blade holders and began buying the 150 series blades.

I have perfected the classes I teach so you can learn to WAY scrape be it by hand or BIAX power and I teach you the best way I have perfected over my 55 plus years of scraping. I also teach you all the basic tricks of the trade I have used and what my Dad taught me. Over the years DAPRA and BIAX discovered my abilities and hired me to teach people to scrape using their tools. I have had an amazing career teaching 3 years time over 20 years in Taiwan, taught dozens iof not hundreds of classes here in the USA for GM, Cumins, Timken, USA bases, etc. etc. I want to teach you and help the machine tool industry better. I saw my award in the forum pictures the other day. The award the Taiwanese Machine Tool industry gave me as I am called the Grandfather of scraping in Taiwan. Before my classes there machines coming from Taiwan were called "disposable" because the scraping was so lousy and the machines wore up years before the other parts of the machine. Oh and if you want to sell the power scraper, I am interested. Rich

Yes I saw Tom Liptons slide hammer type scraper prototype he made for the very fine points and how he mentioned the Aqua Wash ink. One day soon I want to take your class as your knowledge is priceless as far as I'm concerned

 

[Boxster9]

Last month, I purchased a hand scraper and three blades for a Biax machine from DAPRA. I guess they are selling to the public because I have no special account with them.

Rich-thanks for the Scraping Class in Petaluma, a short drive from home and a wealth of information from Richard and Alex.

 

[Richard King 2]

DAPRA has changed there sales directive as of September 2018. They will now sell small orders to anyone with-out opening an account as long as you pay with a credit card.
If anyone has a BIAX Scraper and would like to trade it in on a new one I will consider that and deduct that value from the new machine price.