Nothing is more frustrating than having one of those cheap, plastic windshield scrapers snap in your hand when you are trying to remove the remains of a cold winter's storm. This heavy-duty scraper is just the answer to that perennial winter problem.
The blade is made from tough 'ultra high molecular weight' (UHMW) polyethylene, while the handle is rosewood

.The nice thing about this project is that you don't need a garage full of power tools to make it. All you need are a few, inexpensive hand tools: A coping saw, wood rasp and file, hand drill, and a few sheets of sandpaper.

STEP1
Cut the scraper blade from the sheet of UHMW polyethylene with a coping saw. Use a fine-toothed blade, as a coarse blade will grab and jam. The choice os shape and size is yours, but you can refer to the drawing for approximate dimensions.

STEP 2
Cut two pieces of 1/4" thick wood for the handle. They should be slightly oversized, so they can be trimmed to size with a rasp.

STEP 3
Mark the spots on the one piece of wood where you want the rivets to go. Clamp the three pieces together and drill one hole with a bit just large enough to receive the hollow rivet, as it has slightly larger diameter than the solid rivet. Slip the hollow rivet into this hole. Drill one more hole, and slip a rivet into it. Now you can remove the clamp and drill the remaining holes, as all three pieces are locked together and won't slip.

STEP 4
You can countersink the rivet heads by drilling shallow holes with a forstner bit the same size as, or slightly larger than, the rivet head. This isn't an essential step as the rivet heads look just fine sitting proud of the wood.

STEP 5
Place the handle on a steel black (your vise will do). Then rivet the assembly together by firmly tapping the solid rivet into the hollow one. This is a small point, but an important one: If you drive the follow rivet onto the solid one, the hollow one will expand, and may bind in the hole.

STEP 6
Grip the scraper in the soft jaws of a vide, and shape the handle, first with a coarse rasp, then a file. I liked the angular shape of the handle and blade, but a soft, rounded shape might be a bit more comfortable, especially in bare hands.

STEP 7
Rasp and file a bevel on the working edge of the blade.

STEP 8
Sand and five the handle a couple of coats of pure tung oil to protect the wood from moisture, and you're finished.

STEP 9
Keep a sharp eye out for storm clouds, so you will have a chance to put your new tool into action.

ROBERT DUNN teaches children with learning disabilities in Calgary, Alberta and does woodworking as a hobby. Email: robdunn@cadvision.com

Visit our web site at:
www.canadianwoodworking.com