New Lee Valley Veritas String Inlay Scraper

The critical dimension for string inlay material is thickness. If too thick it won’t fit into the groove; too thin, and it will leave an unsightly gap. This tool scrapes veneer – or any narrow, thin stock up to 2 1/2″ wide – to the exact thickness required.

Instead of a sole that travels on top of the material, it has two skates to elevate the blade from the work surface. This allows the inlay material to pass underneath the tool, and the skates to act as a depth stop for the blade. The blade height is adjusted relative to the work surface and is set to match the width of the inlay groove (just use the thickness of your grooving blade as a shim when setting the blade height; no need to fiddle with micrometers or rulers). The inlay is then scraped until the skates make full contact with the work surface.

The 2 3/4″ wide blade has two edges ground at 45° so that the blade can be flipped over, reducing the frequency of sharpening sessions. Two brass clamps, tightened with thumbscrews, hold the blade. The skates are 3″ apart to allow the tool to be skewed to accommodate changing grain direction and prevent chatter marks.

To speed up bulk production of string, the stock can be clamped to a strip of MDF or other flat material and two included pins screwed into the bottom of the scraper to act as guides, keeping the scraper skates on the strip. An accurate and reliable way to achieve exact thickness.

Made of aluminum with brass hardware and hardwood, it is 10 1/4″ × 3″ overall.

Made in Canada.