Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 31 to 37 of 37

Thread: Need to pick out a rasp.....

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Tampa Bay, FL
    Posts
    3,895
    I sprung for a number of Auriou rasps a few years ago. I don't make that much curved furniture, but they have been invaluable when I do, and they are very, very well made.

    Pricey, no doubt, but clearly in another league compared with the Nicholson (along with the equally excellent Liogier rasps).

    I am very happy I made the purchase.
    - After I ask a stranger if I can pet their dog and they say yes, I like to respond, "I'll keep that in mind" and walk off
    - It's above my pay grade. Mongo only pawn in game of life.

  2. #32
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Bel Air, Maryland
    Posts
    535
    What's the rasp with the black plastic handle? $35ish range? My Father In Law got that, and loves it. He says it's every bit as nice as the Nicholson 49.

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Dublin, CA
    Posts
    4,119
    Quote Originally Posted by lowell holmes View Post
    You will eventually wind up getting a good rasp and then the $50 rasp is wasted and in my case useless.
    I ended up with an Ariou rasp. I could have saved $50.
    The thing with nice rasps is that you don't want to use them on any old questionable bit of wood, so having a decent-but-cheap[er] option at hand is nice. For example there's no reason to dull an Auriou putting recesses in doors for "shop" furniture. I used to use the Nicholsons for stuff like that, but finally gave up on them and upgraded to the LVs discussed in this thread (which are actually cheaper than the Nicholsons IIRC). I'm sure that the StewMac "Dragon" rasps that Prashun referenced would serve nicely as well, though they're a bit pricier.

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Dublin, CA
    Posts
    4,119
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Dowell View Post
    What's the rasp with the black plastic handle? $35ish range? My Father In Law got that, and loves it. He says it's every bit as nice as the Nicholson 49.
    Sounds like Ajax rasps that LV sells that a bunch of people have referenced in this thread: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/pag...33&cat=1,42524. They're made in Czech Republic (not Pakistan as somebody else hypothesized).

    This review compares them to a bunch of others including Auriou, Corradi, TFWW, and Liogier: https://www.canadianwoodworking.com/...-cabinet-rasps (the Ajax is pictured about 60% of the way down). Though the comparison isn't exactly apples-to-apples in terms of cut-# etc, the verdict is consistent with my experience: The Ajax rasps are fast and good for the money, but not as good as the expensive ones.

    The machine-shaped Corradi rasps did pretty well in that review FWIW. As others have noted they're not so cost-effective when bought one at a time due to shipping, but they're a pretty decent bargain if you buy several.
    Last edited by Patrick Chase; 12-26-2016 at 11:39 PM.

  5. #35
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Nashville, TN
    Posts
    52
    Adrian,

    As mentioned above, the rasp is not used much in Joinery I. When I took the class, about 2012, we used a file for fine tuning tenons. As I recall, the rasp was used only for the hip joint, or maybe that was in Joinery II. It is possible that new joints have been added to the class since 2012. Others who have taken the class more recently will be able to give you more info.

    Marc told us about Boggs Tools. They sharpen files and rasps, and it is hard to believe what a difference it makes. I bought a couple of Nicholson rasps from them. As noted, the teeth may not be as consistent as in the past, and may not extend all the way to the edge as in the past, but after sharpening by Boggs, they really cut well. There are probably other companies that offer a similar sharpening service.

    I own several Auriou rasps and they are wonderful, but if you just want a rasp for rapid removal of waste, it is hard to beat a Boggs sharpened Nicholson. If you want a smoother finish, something more expensive might be better.

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Nashville, TN
    Posts
    52
    Adrian

    Another thought. For the Joinery I class, you could borrow a rasp from the school (they have extra hand tools available), try out the rasps of other students, then decide what you would like to own.

    Spend your time sharpening your chisels.

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    W Michigan
    Posts
    35
    Thanks for all the feedback everybody. I wound up ordering one of the Lee Valley hand cut/Ajax rasps tonight. I figure for $35 I might as well give it a shot, and hopefully it works well for my needs. I really was tempted by the Iwasaki files too, but I figure I might save that one for a later time. Thanks again for all your input and ideas.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •