Woodworking Magazine Weblog

Thanks for the Boggs Tool & File Sharpening reference. It looks like I'll have to be a snapperhead. I can't see tossing a rather pricey rasp.

1) With proper care (never use a steel or brass brush on a rasp) an Auriou rasp can last for 30-40 years. I have seen more than one that old and they still work very very well. So for most people you shouldn't need to have your rasps sharpened in your lifetime.

2) Auriou rasps are casehardened and the acid and abrasives used in cleaning will eat through that hard casing. On small teeth there ain't much to go on. So I think unless a rasp is truly trashed I would not risk it.

Thanks Joel, good to know. Like I said, the one I tried (at a Galootapalooza) was a Nicholson.

I also meant to mention that our Aurious (boy is that hard to say three times), are as sharp as they day we got them three years ago.

Chris

note:
Wonderful picture of the teeth Chris but what about them teeth banging against each other.

I forgot to mention in the last post part of proper care of a rasp is making sure it never bumps against any other rasps or hard steel.

(I know you know all about this but while I was admiring your picture I thought to myself - hey what's wrong here - it's like showing a picture in a magazine of someone using a table saw without a push stick.)

Joel,

No rasps were harmed in the making of this blog entry.

They were laid gingerly – nay lovingly – together. Believe me, I treat these rasps like they were case-hardened solid gold.

Chris

Um....Snapperhead?

So, it sounds like Joel is recommending plan 1) in the sense that he's saying to use 'em and not worry about sharpening them, toss 'em when you need to, but that most people will not use them up. Seems like the type of wood one is working would determine the lifespan.

However, I just wanted to add that Joel sells some other great rasps which are his own Gramercy brand. I have a couple of the Gramercy rasps, as well as the hand cut riffler set, good products, IMO, and I will most likely buy more of the Gramercy brand when I need more. No affiliation, just a satisfied customer with some of Joel's products. I have several Nicholsons also, and they work fine for my needs also, which are probably less than someone rasping day-in and day-out on the hardest woods on the planet.;-)

Regards,

Re: snapperhead

My East Coast friends say this is term meaning "dolt." Though perhaps they have been pulling my keg for many years. Where I'm from (Arkansas), we would use the term "mouth-breather" in its stead.

Chris

I can wear out an Auriou in 9 months or less. That is, if I do not sharpen them. In fact, on African Blackwood that is bone dry, I can strip the teeth right off within a stroke or two. In "milder" hard woods like Bubinga, Ebony and the like, they last very well. Rasps are like other edge tools: one should not take them to complete edge failure before sharpening.

I do a "strong" citric acid bath every 2-3 weeks for about 8-12 hours, depending on the grain of the rasp. Longer period for coarser rasps, less time for finer. And they are case hardened. I have ruined a couple 15 grain rasps by forgetting them in the acid for 24 hours or more. Michel thought I was nuts, but his solution was to simply purchase more rasps. I've got 20-25 in here in use daily. Not a good option.

I cannot help with concentration--don't ask. I start out with a large coffee cup full of citric acid in a narrow tub about 32" long with about 2" of water, and I add to it all the time depending on frequency of use for other purposes. Files get the treatment as well. Nicholsons are hardened throughout and can take the vigorous cleaning Boggs does. The citric acid even at the strength I use is relatively mild in comparison.

While it may sound like the above is negative, it is not. Eventually my Auriou rasps will fail due to eating away the hardened outer layer. I depend on my Aurious. I appreciate and rely on Auriou rasps. Our Nicholson rasps we use seldom in comparision. They are both too large, the sweep too shallow, the finish left behind less controllable and more prone to spelching (ripping fibers out mainly in end grain) in agressive use. I have yet to find the quality of rasp by another maker that can go from coarse to nearly sandable.

If someone chooses to use citric acid for revitalizing their files and rasps, clean them often during the process. Clean them well before placing them in the acid. Clean them during the process as the by product of the acid will be a film of gunk (pretty technical, huh?) that will slow or prevent the acid from etching away the metal equally. This is a very messy residue. I clean by both rinsing in cold water and scrubing with a nylon bristle brush. Cleaning during the process occassionaly will also help one to feel the work being done.

When the acid has brought the tips to a sharper state, you need to very thoroughly clean them off. I use a liquid detergent like Dawn and scrub them well (in the utility room sink) and rinse with hot water and pat them dry with a supply of paper towels.

Take care, Mike

Just for fun... Re: Snapperhead:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=snapperhead

I had no idea rasps and files could be sharpened. That's great.