The rake is the amount of clearance between the upper and lower knives of a shear.

• A. True
• B. Both
• C. Not Specified
• D. False

Answer: (D)

Rake refers to the angle or bevel of the knife edge or the blade’s orientation in the shear, not the gap between the blades. The clearance is the actual gap between the upper and lower knives, measured in thousands of an inch, and it controls how the cut begins and how much distortion or burr occurs. Because rake is about blade geometry (the tilt/edge angle) and clearance is about blade spacing, the statement is not correct. Understanding this helps you set up the shear correctly: clearance affects the cut’s fit and burr, while rake affects how smoothly the blade engages the material and the quality of the edge.