Rasps

  A recent comment drew my mind back to 2014 when I wrote a blog about shop maintenance. Little did I know that a time would come when there was plenty of extra time for maintenance.  This current self quarantine/ social distancing time is keeping everyone in Ontario home and giving us lots of time to enjoy and respect our homes and yards.

  I have spent hours in my shop this last two weeks.  I haven't built much but...I have added many square feet of floor and wall space.  By re stacking, culling and organizing my wood I have freed up floor space previously taken up with piles of project supplies, awaiting a projects. Also by organizing, consolidating and labelling bins, drawers and shelves I have taken three shelves down.  That means less area for dust to gather and a more open, brighter and less oppressive work space.  

  While doing this inspired clean up some of my regularly used tools came into focus, last week it was draw knives.  This week wood rasps:

  Rasps come in many sizes for many tasks.  A rasp is not a file.  A rasp is produced to be covered with wee hooks that gouge the wood aggressively rather sheer is smoothly like a fine.  When carving or shaping a project I use a rasp to remove lots of material, then switch to a file, scraper or sand paper.  

  The smallest rasps I have are needle rasps. They've been at hand for so long I don't remember when or where I bought them.

                   

3 inch cutting surface, 6 inches over al

           

As you can see over time I have added handles.  The rasps are flat,  half round spear point, flat tapered, tapered square, and round spear.  These punch well above their weight and will  clear away wood at a furious  rate. 

  The next rasp is a combination tool.  It is also a file.

4 inch cutting surface, 9 inch overall

  This little tool has been mentioned in blogs before, 'cause I love it.  Again, this Four In Hand (four different surfaces, flat file, flat rasp, concave rasp, concave file) has been a go to tool since I build my first shop in my parents back yard forty plus years ago. Some place I have my grand father's four in hand, reduced to being a paper weight from years and years of use.

  The next rasp on the list is new to my shop.  I bought it because it is very aggressive and when making spoons its cutting power really speeds things up.

5 3/4 cutting surface, 10 3/4 overall

  This tool is flat on one side and slightly convex of the other.  I bought is from the national distributor at a wood show last fall.  It cuts fast and deep but is a bit a bit of a pain to clean. Sometimes a wire brush isn't enough, I have to actually pick away at the build up with a dental pick.

  I found a long ignored rough rasp, with my own oak handle while organizing.

    I had forgotten about this rasp.  It was in a drawer with two ancient tools that are mostly kept for sentimental reasons.

short 9 1/4-15 1/2 overall
long 11 inches - 18 inches overall

        



  These two rasps are from my Grandfather's shop. Both these tools are old, old and smooth, I can't imagine how many hours of work they did to wear them down.  I know that my Grandfather made many axe handles, cant hook handles and related farm and forestry tools.  He also made skis and wooden boats, there were hours of hand shaping in his wood shop for many years. I think I will look into whether there is a way to sharpen these tools.  If not, maybe I will make them into blades of some sort.

  I am gathering materials and plans together to begin making things again in my newly clean and organized shop.  Sometimes,  success is rooted in preparation.

cheers, ianw