What is your favorite rasp?

[willie]

I have been trying to work on bows without the dust that most power tools create. I doubt that I will unplug my band saw, but the sanders are going to be put up on the shelf.

I have used a number of rasps in the past, and have not found one I really like for the finer work required after floor tiller stage is reached.


what is your favorite for tillering?

[Eric Garza]

I use a Nicholson Farriers Rasp. The coarse side is great for removing wood quickly, the fine side is great for removing wood after I get a bow to brace. I shape grips with this file too, though use other files for nocks.

[stuckinthemud]

Shinto rasp is a web of saw blades riveted together. I've used all sorts of files and rasps, Shinto is in a different universe, totally brilliant

[bubby]

My favorite is my bellotta farriers rasp, hogs off the wood

[Wooden Spring]

Craftsman, 4x36. Usually 60 grit.

[Dances with squirrels]

Nicholson #49 all day long... tillering, leveling, straightening, shaping handles, establishing facets, radiusing limbs, etc. on bows of any type or shape, straight, snakey, whoopdy do's, it gets in there. I love it. I stocked up. I should have enough to last me my life and then some.

[JW_Halverson]

Change the angle of the rasp against the wood.  Try to get as close to parallel as possible.  What can happen is that you finally get the teeth lined up so that what one rank misses, the next rank catches.  I have a Nicholson (not 49 or 50, not sure what) that I think may be a patternmaker's rasp.  It will leave a nice finish when I line it up.

[BowEd]

Farriers.....the real hogger and some other half moon finer rasp.

[Drewster]

Per your question, a Nicholson #50 is my "go to" rasp after floor tillering......then to the scrapers for final tillering.

[PatM]

If you want to make your own rasps just get some of the coarse floor sander sheets with the sticky side and stick  strips of them on various pieces of wood of appropriate shape,

[Marc St Louis]

I have a 10" half round hand cut rasp that I'm quite fond of, it's starting to get a bit dull now but still works quite well

[osage outlaw]

All of them.  I have 4 or 5 that I use on every bow.  I am pretty fond of my super thick Nicholson farriers rasp. 

[willie]

I appreciate the responses from those that have taken the time to read this topic.

the nicholsen 50 seems about like what I am looking for, but I heard that it is not what it used to be since they started making them in brazil. a nice hand cut rasp is a tool that has no equal, and the one I have taken a liking to got ruined and does not seem to be sold anymore

perhaps the shinto offers something worth buying, as a reasonable production tool alternative to the handmade priced models

[BowEd]

I don't use a scraper to remove file marks from the belly.I use a 6" chunk of 2"X 4" with 36 grit paper on it.Old drum sander paper.Use long strokes to remove file marks.

[wizardgoat]

I have a Auriou #6 rasp and I absolutely love it. Pretty expensive, but I can see why.
I use my Bellota farriers rasp a lot too