Sad News for Rasp Maker & Woodworkers

[Robert Rozaieski]

Sad news for Auriou. I never got a chance to use one of Auriou's rasps but they've been highly praised by just about everyone who has. If you've been planning on getting one, better act fast. Hope everything works out for them.

http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/Auriou+French+Rasp+Maker+Since+1856+Closes+Its+Doo rs.aspx

[Don C Peterson]

Such a sad, pathetic, and in many ways infuriating story...

[Bob Smalser]

Here's a post from a guy who uses rasps every day who offers better and less expensive alternatives to Auriou:


....here's a few alternatives to Auriou, many which are as good if not better, and all far less costly. Rasps are probably (along with burnishers) my favorite tools and I have a lot of both. While I've owned and used Auriou rasps in several shapes and grains (I love the modeler's rasps), they're okay on hard microcrystalline waxes (for cire perdue, etc.) and wood, but they don't hold up well to stone, plaster, investment or even woods species with high silica content. They're also not good candidates for resharpening due to their case hardening and lower carbon metallurgy, allowing for easier production; stitching and heat treating, at the expense of longevity.

Milani handcut rasps and rifflers are a worthy option. Unlike the inferior Austrian or Hungarian attempts, these are high carbon, nicely cut, well heat treated and tempered for stone, plaster, investment and wood species with high silica content. They last and last, cut beautifully, quickly and smoothly, cost 1/3 to 1/2 the price of an Auriou, and last two to three times as long. They come in a broad range of sizes and styles and can go from wood to stone to wood again, esp. in their first half-life. I usually dedicate them to stone in their second half-life, and not on soft material (soapstones or alabasters). I only carve harder marbles and limestones. As the teeth are bidirectional in most styles, they'll cut on both the push and pull strokes when it's useful to do so, although I learned to lift on the backstroke and still tend to do so. The can usually be sharpened a couple cycles. The Aurious do not take well to this with their soft core and thin case hardened shell.

While the Milani rasps are mostly based on sculpting tradition (they do make fine cut half-rounds and cabinet rasps) , F. Dick rasps excel at cabinetmaking and patternmaking tasks. I use on them on wood only, where they last and last. I also love their files, which you can purchase from www.riogrande.com, a large jeweler supply. These are cut to a more acute angle than so-called 'Swiss pattern' files, which allow for facile and smooth cutting of not only non-ferrous metals (silver, gold, brass, copper, et al), but also ivory, lapis, coral, dense woods (LV, rosewoods, ebonies, et al) and tough resin laminates such as micarta. I mention the F. Dick files as they are my go-to followups to rasps on wood.

Then there are the Kutzalls. I think these are the most versatile of all rasps. They cut rapidly in any direction, almost never were out as they're made with structured carbide teeth, and can be unclogged quickly and safely with a torch. These are the modern workhorses of the rasp family and pay for themselves in no time flat.

Finally, you could try making a rasp or two on your own. It's far easier (and kinda fun) to make a fine cut rasp than you might imagine, esp. with all the hyperbole and high prices from rasp manufacturers. You can do this with a firebrick, a MAPP torch (even a cheap propane plumber's torch for smaller to medium sized rasps), and a hammer. You can stitch with a simple homemade punch (just a rod of tool steel/drill rod, a worn file, screwdriver shank, center punch, etc.). Over the years I've made needle rasps, small to medium sized straight and curved rasps, and I'm totally satisfied. They're far better than the cheaper Euro or Chinese rasps I've tried and cost next to nothing. Helps if you use a Magnivisor and vise, but you can manage without either. You can practice on brass or mild steel, if you feel the need. I promised someone in chat recently that I'd email some tips reasonably soon. Maybe I'll post them, too, if anyone's really interested.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that although I'm sad to see a toolmaker bite the dust, even if they were a bit pricey, there are alternatives every bit as serviceable and for less spondulix.

Oh... and don't forget variously shaped sanding sticks. They're extremely versatile, cheaply made of scrap wood and scrap sandpaper, and can produce excellent results. I use coarse through ultrafine papers and some with leather or hard felt with polishing compounds. I doubt there's a jeweler, goldsmith, silversmith, gunsmith who doesn't depend on them, but they're equally useful for woodworkers and machinists. (My favorites are 3M polishing papers and films that range from 220 to 8000 grit, are accurately graded and can even be washed and used over and over (get them from www.ottofrei.com or www.riogrande.com).

dF. DICK in cooperation with the Swiss filemaker VALLORBE/GROBET
http://www.fine-tools.com/feile1.htm

L’Antica Ferraria di Villamagina
http://www.ferrariavillamagina.com/default_ENG.html

Milani rasps & rifflers
http://www.fine-tools.com/feile8.htm
http://2sculpt.com/hand_rasps.html
http://www.sculpt.com/catalog_98/files-rasps/milanirifflers.htm
http://www.sculpt.com/catalog_98/files-rasps/milanirifflers.htm
http://www.bradsculpture.com/supply/tools08.asp?pg=1

Kutzall carbide rasps & rifflers
http://www.sculpt.com/catalog_98/files-rasps/rebit.htm

Sculpture House Italian Rifflers
http://www.sculpt.com/catalog_98/files-rasps/SHRIFFLERS183.htm

[Pam Niedermayer]

Bob, I think it's a good idea to precisely attribute that text: Dave Barnett on Woodcentral Hand Tools.

Pam

[Bob Smalser]

Bob, I think it's a good idea to precisely attribute that text: Dave Barnett on Woodcentral Hand Tools.

Pam

Agree, but I didn't want to wait for the formalities or permission, as this is the first positive alternative I've heard to all the wailing over Auriou. Thanks, David.

The Milani Family - makers of hand-cut rasps:

http://www.montoyasculpture.com/images/milani/mountain_side.jpg

http://www.montoyasculpture.com/milani_tool_factory.php

http://www.montoyasculpture.com/images/milani/inside_worker3.jpg

There are 17 cabinet and stairmaker rasp offerings there:

http://www.fine-tools.com/F307455a.jpg

http://www.fine-tools.com/F307440a.jpg

http://www.fine-tools.com/F307450a.jpg

http://www.fine-tools.com/F307460a.jpg

I never heard of a Kutzall carbide rasp. For 25 bucks it's well worth looking into.

[Ken Werner]

Sad to hear the demise of Aurio, but I've not been able to justify to myself the price on one of their rasps.

Thanks to Bob for posting what looks like a really good alternative.

Ken

[Andrew Homan]

Thanks to Bob for posting this information about Milani rasps. It is good to know that there is an alternative available during this period (?) when Auriou rasps are unavailable. I'm looking forward to trying these, and the price is more in the range where I feel comfortable experimenting with different rasps. Has anyone here used them? Bob?

-Andy

[Brian Kent]

I was actually about a day away from buying Nicholson #49 and #50 as my first rasps. SHould I go ahead or try an alternative?

[Mike Henderson]

I was actually about a day away from buying Nicholson #49 and #50 as my first rasps. SHould I go ahead or try an alternative?
The Nicholson #49 and 50 are very useful rasps and an excellent foundation, even if you plan to purchase a wider variety later. I would certainly recommend purchasing them.

Mike

[Brian Kent]

Thanks, Mike. I'll go ahead.

[Maurice Metzger]

I have been using a F. Dick rasp and sets of small and needle size Italian "Corradi" brand rasps that Lee Valley sells. They all seem to work well. I can't compare them to Auriou rasps since I've never tried one. I used to use the Italian rasps for shaping knife handles, now I use the rasps for trimming mortises (edit: oops, tenons) and enlarging screw holes.

74255

(I put a handle on the F Dick rasp).

Closeups from the Lee Valley website:

74256 74257

And a closeup of the F Dick rasp:

74258

FWIW,
Maurice

[Phillip Pattee]

Bob, Thanks for the info! I ordered some of the Milani rasps from Dieter Schmid. But while I was searching around for who still had Auriou in stock, I found another French maker. Gaignard Millon makes hand cut, hand forged rasps -- and a pretty extensive variety. I have not used these, don't know any one who has, and I don't read French well. But here is the link: http://www.gaignard-millon.com/categories.asp?categorie=Râpes%20et%20limes&souscategorie=Râpes%20piquées%20main