Synopsis: Peter Galbert uses a curved card scraper as a shaping tool to fair curves and dial in complex shapes on chair seats. With the aid of a simple honing jig, he’s able to sharpen a curved scraper quickly and reliably. Here, he shows how to make the jig, how to use it to create a sharp edge, and how to use the scraper once you have reached sharpening perfection.

The card scraper is an indispensable tool in my shop. I was introduced to it as a tool for refining flat surfaces, but I now use it more as a shaping tool to fair curves and dial in complex shapes on chair seats. The soft metal is easy to grind to a curve, and with a simple shopmade honing jig I can maintain a high level of sharpness across the curved edge with speed and repeatability.

The cutting edge…