Tom Stenzel
12-08-2014, 11:52 AM
When I go to rust hunting instead of trying to bargain the price down, I try to get other things added. I wanted (and got) a ID caliper that I needed plus two rasps thrown in. One of the rasps was a large flat Continental. The tips of the teeth were flat, it looked like someone had tried to rasp down a steel plate.
I got the idea to sharpen it from someone who (sorry, don't remember who) wrote in about sharpening a bandsaw blade by nicking the backside of the tooth with a Dremel. So, armed with a Dremal I had at it.
There were a few mishaps testing different wheels, obliterating a few teeth by accident, sometime destroying teeth that were adjacent to the one I was working on. Found the best approach was to use a fiber type cut-off wheel, I could reach in and grind down the back of the stitch until the flat spot was gone and there was a sharp edge. Plus without obliterating the other teeth. Once I got the hang of it a tooth took a few seconds. After practicing on one side the second side took about 20 minutes.
The result? Tested it on a scrap piece of apple and it really took the material off!
The finish it left behind? Well it... er, ... um, .. it sure slaws the material off fast! :eek: The teeth are now no longer rounded on the tip, they’re flat across so it doesn’t cut like a rasp normally does. If you want a nice finish forget about it. Still, having all of three rasps including this one it’s a welcome addition to my arsenal.
If anyone else wants to have at an otherwise ruined rasp the one recommendation I have is to use a magnifier between you and the Dremel. It both protects the eyes and allows you to see what you’re doing.
-Tom
I got the idea to sharpen it from someone who (sorry, don't remember who) wrote in about sharpening a bandsaw blade by nicking the backside of the tooth with a Dremel. So, armed with a Dremal I had at it.
There were a few mishaps testing different wheels, obliterating a few teeth by accident, sometime destroying teeth that were adjacent to the one I was working on. Found the best approach was to use a fiber type cut-off wheel, I could reach in and grind down the back of the stitch until the flat spot was gone and there was a sharp edge. Plus without obliterating the other teeth. Once I got the hang of it a tooth took a few seconds. After practicing on one side the second side took about 20 minutes.
The result? Tested it on a scrap piece of apple and it really took the material off!
The finish it left behind? Well it... er, ... um, .. it sure slaws the material off fast! :eek: The teeth are now no longer rounded on the tip, they’re flat across so it doesn’t cut like a rasp normally does. If you want a nice finish forget about it. Still, having all of three rasps including this one it’s a welcome addition to my arsenal.
If anyone else wants to have at an otherwise ruined rasp the one recommendation I have is to use a magnifier between you and the Dremel. It both protects the eyes and allows you to see what you’re doing.
-Tom