How to make a DIY wood turning side scraper

This kind of tools are really expensive. So making them is often a good solution. 

I make these tools from old files. Files are made of really hard, tool steel. This makes them ideal for making tools, knifes etc.

The handle of my side scraper is made of a piece of maple.

I made this tool for smoothing the inner sides of wooden bowls.

First of all I used a chalk to design the basic shape of my tool. 

I then used the angle grinder to cut the shape out.

To clean the teeth of the file I used the front side of the angle grinder’s disc. I then added a sanding disc to smooth the tool even more.

I made the handle out of piece of maple. In greek it is called “κελεμπέκι” (kelebeki). It definitely is a kind of maple but I am not sure if it is exactly the same tree you find in other parts of the world.

To smooth the board flat, I marked the surface with a chalk and used the plane perpendicular to the grain to remove fast a lot of material. The chalk helps me see which spots the plane didn’t cut.

I used the sole of the plane to check the board for flatness. Then I planed the board with the grain to smooth it out.

I then used the bandsaw, to cut the wood in two pieces.

I used the steel blade as a guide to mark the area of the handle. I used the router with a straight bit to open up the grooves. I then finished the grooves with a chisel.

I glued and clamped the two pieces of the handle. I did that with the steel inside the handle. After everything was secure I removed the steel part of the tool.

While the glue dried out, I heated the blade in my homemade propane torch mini forge. After heating it to red hot I dipped the steel in oil. I then heat treated the steel in my oven at 180 degrees celsius for 2 hours. I cleaned the black patina with the angle grinder and a sanding disc.

I cleaned the edge on the grinder while dipping the metal in water to prevent it from burning. 

I then mounted the handle on the lathe between centers. To make that easier, I temporarily glued a piece of wood in the open side of the handle.

Using a scraper and a bowl gouge I turned the handle true. 

I then used the angle grinder, to cut a piece of metal tube for the front end of the handle. Using a caliper and a flat chisel I created the tenon that wood receive the metal tube.

I then used a bowl gouge to shape the outer curves. I used a spindle gouge for the inner curves. I shaped the back of the tool with a skew chisel and smoothed everything out with a round scraper.

I sanded the handle from 100 to 320 grit sandpaper. I finished it with a paper towel and Yorkshire grit. This is a woodturning abrasive paste. It contains, oils, beeswax and tiny stone fragments.

I then added the metal tube in place and sanded it flush on the disc sander.

I glued the blade of the tool in place with two part epoxy.

I then set up the angle on my grinder’s base to match the angle of my round scraper.

I then grinded the bevel of the tool. During this procedure, I often dipped the blade in water to prevent it from over heating. When I created a wire edge on the tip I removed it, on an oil sharpening stone.

My tool was now ready, I tested it on a scrap bowl I had and worked really nicely in smoothing the inner sides!