Thread: What Rasp?

Hi Bob

I would hold off on any purchases for a while. In my sweaty hands I hold a bunch of curved rasps from Liogier for testing. These are a handle-making design I suggested to the manufacturer. They look the business ... and should prove to be much easier to use than the straight versions I have.

I hope to be using them next weekend to shape a plane handle ... when I have a bench surface to use! You are most welcome to come and try them out on the weekend. I am in Rossmoyne.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Thank you for your kind offer Derek.

I'll bring my pretend plane along and we can discuss mouth openings along with Liogiers.

When would suit you best?

Regards
Bob.

Hi Bob

I will PM you at the end of this weekend. I am under the gun to get my bench done as I otherwise cannot get to the items on my List, and the only time I have free is the weekend. Let's see how I go. I am optimistic.

Regards

Derek

This should be really interesting to hear reports from the two of you.
Cheers,
JIm

G'day Bob, the Swiss rasp you linked to is machine cut and therefore very limited. They are difficult/imposible to stitch teeth to the edge, and the range of stitching grains is limited to ultra-coarse. The rasps that Derek has are 150mm Half-Round in stitching grains 9,12,15 (15 gives a finish similar to 120-150 sandpaper. Along with the Curved HR that Derek specified, there is a 200mm curved Ratty #12 and a 150mm Curved Flat (safe one side) #14.

Important to not that Noel Liogier is open to any rasp design suggestions: he is currently making for me a couple of flat blades (no tang) which are screwed into a blade holder and then used like a plane. The idea for these is for hogging off oxidised timber from fence palings, and they will be in #3 and #7 grains. The idea for these camr to me from the flat blade Milled Files that Noel produces. These used to be used extensively in car repairs to hog down the bog (?).

I'm also going to get him to make me a Slotting rasp, based on the blank for a Saw File that is flat with two curved sides. The idea here is to drill 4-5 holes and then rough out with a chisel, finish off with a slotting rasp to create a slot for a bolt that needs to be able change position (currently in a box clamp).

You're right - they are not cheap, but you really do get what you pay for. These rasps allow for incredibly accurate work, and rasping down to a line a really easy. A machine cut rasp will wander all over the shop. It is the slightly random stitching of the teeth that gives such accuracy and finish. When the teeth are all lined up perfectly you get gouging rather than rasping.

Also worth noting that Liogier have a range of 330 files (Engineers, Saw, Milled, Needle). These are machine cut but very high quality.

HTH, Brett

Hello Brett,

I am certainly eager to rendezvous with Derek to sample the French wares. The video clip did it for me with all those hand cut teeth.

It's funny how things go. I was in Lyon a few months back and there in one of the cobblestone streets of the old city, was a Frenchman making marionettes. I noticed a vast assortment of rasps on his bench but my attention was drawn to the Jielde machine lamps illuminating his work. I bet those rasps were the products of Liogier.

Had I known about them then I would have looked closer.

Next time.

BT

Bob....Never let a chance go by to purchase a new tool...However...
I've had absolutely fantastic results with a couple of old files, rasps and some emery paper wrapped around a stick. A very OLD tool, seen in jewellery workshops, and other metal working workshops, like those making handmade shotguns etc ( the video for the Holland & Holland factory is a must see!!!)

It is better than an equivalent to 120 grit W&D....
I know it is a bit of heresy to advocate less tools per square meter, but the emery stick in a couple of profiles, in two or three grit sizes is a wonderful tool to add to the arsenal.
Here is a video I made of my wrapping technique.
You will see it takes less than 90 seconds to make one..!!!
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9SZ_PofBmw&context=C30eb41fADOEgsToPDskJkedVzuwBYydnVKzT_iNvz"]emery stick - YouTube[/ame]
Round and half round sticks are easy enough to make, just use a dowel and plane it down, also square, rectangle as well as the triangle are all worthwhile.
Regards,
Peter

Hi Peter

Thanks for the video.

Using files and sandpaper, both wrapped-around-a-stick and glued-to-faces-of-sticks is something I am very familiar with. For many years it has been a "do what you have to do".

Only in recent years have I had the "luxury" of owning and using rasps by Auriou, whom have been viewed as making the best around. There have been other European raspmakers, who are also good, but none with the fine reputation of Auriou. Now we have been introduced to the work of Liogier, who may just produce better quality and at a lower price (albeit still pricy if you expect handmade rasps to cost the same as a mass produced file).

Regards from Perth

Derek

Peter, I was just wanting to spoil myself with a Liogier.

I was introduced to the glued on to a stick, wet and dry file 30 years ago when jewellery was one of my electives out at WAIT. Since then laziness has prevailed and the wet and dry or Alox paper has been hand held around a file for the finishing touches on most of my metal creations. Maybe now's the time to make a selection of properly glued up versions.

BT

Good stuff Peter! Allows for that particular shape, albeit ongoing cost. However, please delete them from your arsenal: it is our duty to keep fine Toolmakers such as Liogier in business!

I spent about 8 hours carving and working on a sculpture on Tuesday, I had all my carving chisels and rasps lined up, chip a bit, rasp a bit, chip a bit etc etc I found even when I wanted to remove a good portion of wood I didn't go for the Aurio #6 but the Liogier #8. I then took a little more notice rather than what my subconcious had been doing. The L8 took more wood and left a smoother finish than the A6. The one I was most impressed with was the L#10. It became the weapon of choice.
Oh and by the way, does anyone want to buy an as new Aurio #6.

Abrasives stuck to shaped timber mandels are fine and will always have there place but these rasps are a whole new ball game. I find I use them for so many more jobs now.

Originally Posted by Claw Hama

I spent about 8 hours carving and working on a sculpture on Tuesday......

Is your camera busted, or just run out of pixels?

Originally Posted by Claw Hama

...but these rasps are a whole new ball game. I find I use them for so many more jobs now.

Spot on Mark. Without trying to sound like I'm trowelling it on, they have changed my life! They either make the task easier, better finish or even make the task possible. I keep thinking of new applications which sometimes requires a new rasp design, and where possible Noel is very happy to accommodate. The beauty of hand-made tools is that changes in design don't cost a fortune (mostly nil) because every rasp made is a one-off.

No lots of pixels left, look here https://www.woodworkforums.com/f10/au...on-aip-147785/

This forums only for us peeple with kulcha