Fig. 68 shows a handle made almost like the one in Fig. 65, with the exception that the brass washer referred to in Fig. 65 is here turned down to 3/4 inch, commencing 1/2 inch from the large end, which is 1 inch in diameter. The leather washers are slipped on over the small part until it is filled, and then a washer is screwed on the small end and the whole turned as shown in the sketch. A hole that will tap out 3/8 inch is bored in the large end of the brass center, and then tools made with threaded ends on them that will fit into it. These tools are made of 3/8-inch tool steel with scraping ends, as shown. These scrapers are used only for removing glue that is too hard and too thick to be removed by the scraper shown in Fig. 69.
Figs. 69, 69a and 69b show views of the only tool that is hardly worth being referred to as a leather-cutting tool. It is made of a thin piece of steel, about 18 gage, or any old hand-saw will make the very best scrapers that can be secured. They should be about 4 inches square, perhaps a little smaller, and fixed in a hardwood handle (usually of hard maple), simply by sawing about 2-1/2 inches into the handle and then driving the blade in. The saw cut should be just a trifle thinner than the piece of steel. Should they get loose from use, a piece of paper folded over the back of the blade and forced back into the handle with the blade will usually tighten it all right.
This is the tool that will ordinarily worry the novice more than all the rest to keep in proper condition. Fig. 70 shows an exaggerated view of how the blade should look when properly finished. It should be hooked considerably.
Fig. 71 shows a small steel for sharpening the scraper after it is turned, and it should be absolutely smooth.
Fig. 72 shows the equipment for turning the edge of the scrapers. A large three-cornered file, about 12 inches long, which has all the teeth ground carefully off of it and then nicely polished, is fastened to a piece of good clean belt leather by means of the staples shown.
Fig. 73 shows the method employed in turning the edge of the scraper, which is as follows: After the blade has been set firmly in the handle, grind the edge rounding, as is shown in Fig. 69; then grind sharp with a good long taper of about 3/8, and grind from both sides just as you would an ordinary axe. After you have a good smooth edge on it, put it on an oil or water stone and put as fine an edge as possible on it, then put on a smooth piece of leather and hone it down until it would shave you. You will then have a tool that will do a world of work for you, "if you will turn it right." The method shown in Fig. 73, if properly carried out, will do the trick for you; the thing to be remembered is that at no time in the turning of the scraper must the cutting edge bear on the smooth file. The first position is not shown right; the handle should be allowed to touch the file the first few times it is passed over, and then gradually raise the handle and keep on passing the blade from side to side, as is shown in Fig. 74; allowing it to slip off on the leather every time you cross the file; this is to keep the corners in proper shape. Another thing to remember is to bear down on the blade as it is passed over the file; you can't bear too hard; the only thing to look out for is not to raise the handle too fast. An ordinary blade can be turned in about fifty strokes across the file. The edge turned over should be at least 1/16 inch long and should be well hooked, as is shown in Fig. 73.