Rasp needed

[Brock]

I use a #49 but also have a Farriers Rasp for removing a lot of wood fast....

[Blaino]

I picked up the one from Tractor Supply today. What a difference the right tool makes! Thanks a bunch.

[Fritz]

Can't beat a farriers rasp for hogging wood off.

[J.F. Miller]

as far as coarse rasp, the #49 Nicholson or UBR-10 are the best as far as I'm concerned. I would add that I use my #50 more than the #49, but both are indispensable when you need them. along with my #50 I've come to appreciate the UBR-10 more and more. the coarse side will hog off wood with more control than I could ever manage with a Farriers rasp, but the fine side is the real gem. cuts a little finer than the #50 Nicholson and serves me as the perfect step between rasp and cabinet scraper or Bowyer's Edge. don't think I have employed my Farriers rasp in building a bow in several years. is good for other stuff, though. like shoeing horses. only use I ever found for a Sureform is for touching up sloppy cuts on sheetrock. does a nice job making those joints that are a little too tight fit just perfect. I've always been curious about the Shinto rasp, but feared it too clumsy for what I might use it for.

[Eric Krewson]

I started with a 4 in 1 and a sureform, bought a #50 and retired the 4 in 1 and sureform, bought a #49 and seldom use the #50, bought a horse shoe rasp but seldom use it.

Anyone who can makes a bow with a sureform is is not working with the same type of wood I am. For me they cut OK until they clog, which is just a few strokes, at which point they are pretty much useless.

When I need to really hog off wood I pull the bow limb back wards on my running band saw blade. A word of caution, this is not an activity to undertake if you are not completely focused or you will absentmindedly push your limb into the blade with a mis stroke, been there done that.

[Roy from Pa]

I have the 49 and 50 Nicholson rasps, but since I got 2 Farriers rasp's, I haven't touched the Nicholson's. Personal preference I suppose.

[Bowjunkie]

Roy, make a snakey osage bow with a radiused belly and you'll kick that Farrier's rasp to the curb in a hurry. The snakier the bow, the more useless a big wide rasp is... but the narrow, hungry little #49 with a halfround side?

You're right, personal preference has some to do with it, but so does application.

[Roy from Pa]

Zactly...

[Eric Krewson]

Did some belly thinning on BBO I was working on today so I got my farriers rasp out to give it one more try. I have to say I liked it for hogging off wood. The #49 was a wimp in comparison.

I would rasp with the farrier's rasp rough side, clean up the gouges with the smooth side and clean up the smooth side tool marks with my Nicholson half round wood file, pretty slick.

[Bowjunkie]

I love getting lost in that kind of work. Scraping too, chasing rings, etc... Everything outside of what you're doing falls away and for that time, nothing else matters or even exists.

I still use the smooth side to clean things up, but don't bring the rough side of the farriers rasp to my BBO bows much since I've been grinding stuff on the drum sander... they're usually pretty close to what I need.

[Roy from Pa]

I like the Farriers rasp because of it's width and sharpness. I hold it at a longer angle and it makes the facets so flat and smooth in a hurry. I also never use the rough side on my BBO's, no need to.

[typical2]

I just bought that farriers rasp from TSC and boy is that thing impressive.  I used the finer side and it does a great job removing material.

[Traxx]

if you are impressed by the TSC rasp,wait till you try a Save edge.

[Last Woodbender]

Just got into making self bows and bought a file set at lowes that came with a rasp.  After making a bow with it I realised I need a better rasp lol.  Problem is I want to buy them all.  Just ebayed a #49 and a Shinto can’t wait for them to come in.  Next on my list is a 17” save edge and the Dean Torges ubr10,  what do you guys think about my selection?



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[Bowjunkie]

It sounds like you're off to a great start.

[Zradix]

Well...I'll be the odd man out here...once again.
I don't have a rasp.
I'd like to get some...any kind really just to try em...new tools are cool.

What I do have is a micro plane with a coarse rounded insert and a coarse flat insert.
You kinda have to use the right amount of pressure with it...fairly light touch.
But they sure do shave the wood down in a hurry.

Can't speak much for longevity...just haven't used it much.

[OkKeith]

Yup... Farrier's rasp is the way to go. Get a file card and some chalk. In my experience if you leave Osage in the file it will rust quick. Keep it brushed out and chalked  and it will last. When it finally wears out... make a knife out of it.

OkKeith

[Walt Francis]

I use all three, a farriers rasp, a #50, and a #49, whenever needed.  All three, along with my Torges file, Bowyers Edge, Veritas Scraper, and Boogs Spokeshave, are always within reach whenever working a selbow.  I should restate that, the #50 was always alongside the others until it disappeared at the MT Selfbow Jamboree last spring.  Been looking to replace it but haven’t found a good used one yet.  The reviews on the new Nicholson rasps are not very good, thinking I might end up going with one of the Aurious from Lie-Nielsen.  I love their catalog, my wife once said I need to give her all my credit cards and wear a bib to catch the drool whenever I look at it.

[PEL]

For hogging off wood, I love the shinto saw rasp I have.  but like many others here I like having a variety.

[Bowjunkie]

Walt, the Brazil made 49's and 50's aren't quite what their USA made forefathers were, but close, and they're still dang good tools and fill the niche between junk department store stuff and the $100 plus crowd.

I love that Lie Nielsen catalog too. There's some quality stuff in there. I was drooling over it a couple of weeks ago when it came in the mail. Especially that Boggs brass spokeshave. I said to no one in particular when my eyes crossed its path, "whew, that thing is sexy". My wife was sitting across the room and said, "What is?", and I showed her the picture. To my surprise and delight she said, "Hmm, yeah, that IS kinda sexy".

I gotta get me one of them.