Popular Woodworking 2004-11 № 144, страница 76
One side advantage to rasps is you can modify your tools to fit your grip. Here I'm shaping the bun and handle of a Norris-style smoothing plane kit from Shepherd Tool so it feels like an extension of my arm. The Microplane is in a class by itself. The teeth cut like small razors instead of saw blades. the teeth. Periodically clean the teeth with a stiff-bristled brush. Some recommend a wire brush, but I don't find it necessary. Comparing Different Tools For the last five months, I've been using a selection of rasps for a variety of tasks, from shaping the bow of a Welsh stick chair to cutting wide bevels on tabletops to forming the handle and bun of an infill smoothing plane. Let's start with the tools that do the initial hogging of material, the cabinet rasps. The Spanish-made Belotta cabinet rasp is reasonably priced, but it cuts slowly like a patternmaker's rasp. And its machine-cut teeth left a deep scratch pattern. I don't recommend it. The inexpensive tool that surprised me was the Czech-made Blundell, which has hand-cut teeth and a black plastic handle. From the looks of it, I wasn't expecting much. However the tool impressed me. It cut smoothly and left a decent finish. My only complaint was the teeth required more cleaning than the other tools and I don't like plastic handles. If I were going to use this tool every day, I'd replace the black plastic job. For rapid material removal, I preferred the Microplane offset-handled rasp. I was ready to dis miss the tool as a gimmick, but I found it in my hands constantly when I needed to remove material in a hurry. Because the tool's teeth are like razor blades instead of saw teeth, the resulting surface is different than with a traditional rasp. Though the resulting surface looks cleanly cut instead of abraded, it's faceted. After using the Microplane I'd follow up with a patternmaker's rasp and found the facets easy to knock down. Microplanes come in a variety of profiles and have replaceable blades. After months of use, the Microplane has become my favorite modern tool for shaping. With the cabinet rasp's work complete, the patternmaker's rasp gets its turn to finish the job. For many woodworkers the Nicholson #50 rasp is the go-to tool. It cuts smoothly and leaves a pretty good surface behind. I've always thought it was a bit expensive, but it always outperformed the inexpensive imports. But then there are the Aurious. These tools will spoil you. After working with the other rasps for a couple weeks I'd eventually switch back to the Aurious and never want to go back. They cut smoothly and leave such a nice surface behind that you don't mind paying the extra money (I paid it out of my own pocket). Plus the sharp point of the tool allowed me to go places the other rasp s wouldn't. My only complaint was the handle, which I considered to be rough for a tool that performs at this level and commands this price. You can, of course, finish the handle to your liking. The only difficulty with the Auriou rasps is picking the right ones for your work. For general work, I used a 9"-long cabinetmaker's rasp with a rated 10 "grain." Unlike other brands, the Aurious are graded by "grain." The grain is the fineness of the teeth on a scale of 1 to 15, with the finer grades between 9 and 15 being common for woodworkers. The other Auriou rasp that was useful was the 4" modeler's rasp with a 14 grain. This tool was great for getting into tight curves and difficult spaces, such as a saw handle, that the other tools couldn't deal with. I also tried out an Auriou riffler and a rattail rasp and those were equally nice. If I were to purchase one additional Auriou for my toolbox, I'd get a 7 "-long cabinetmaker's rasp with a 12 grain. There are many different shapes and sizes of tools available, including a selection for powered rotary tools. Also note that many of the tools are available with the teeth cut for either a left- or right-handed user. The Verdict If you've never used a well-made sharp rasp, you're in for a shock. And here's how to get started: Buy a Microplane for initial shaping tasks - be sure to get the one with the offset handle recommended in the Supplies box. Or call Slav's Hardware Store and order some vintage cabinet rasps. And I recommend - without reservation - that you give the Auriou rasps a try. The high quality of these hand-made tools is a rare find these days. You'll cringe a bit when you pay the bill, but you'll quickly forget what you paid and just be glad you own a tool that works this well. PW SUPPLIES Tools for Working Wood 800-426-4613 or toolsforworkingwood.com 1 • Auriou 9" cabinetmaker's rasp, 10 grain, $81.95 1 • Auriou 7" cabinetmaker's rasp, 12 grain, $69.95 1 • Auriou 4" modeler's rasp, 14 grain, $67.95 Slav's Hardware Store 312-455-0430 or lunytools@aol.com • an excellent source of cabinet and patternmaker's rasps in a variety of sizes and patterns Lee Valley Tools 800-871-8158 or leevalley.com 1 • Microplane flat rasp and handle #27W05.01, $19.95 1 • Nicholson #50 patternmaker's rasp #62W11.01, $46.50 1 • Belotta 8" cabinet rasp, smooth cut #62W03.01, $10.95 1 • Blundell 8" half-round rasp, hand-cut #62W25.08, $14.75 Prices as of publication date. popwood.com 75 |
