Auriou, the renowned rasp maker

[Brian Holcombe]

I have three of their rasps, they’re pretty nice. If you’re careful it takes a long time to use up a rasp.

For really fine work I prefer to use a file.

[Simon MacGowen]

If you’re careful it takes a long time to use up a rasp.

For really fine work I prefer to use a file.

Brian,

Truth be told, I have not had success with finishing a curve piece with rasps alone. The finest rasps still leave marks that I want to remove with a card scraper, a shave or sand paper, depending on the curvature. I use rasps mostly for stock removal than as a surface-finishing tool. I wonder if a rasped surface and a planed surface might look different after a stain finish is applied. Any experience with that?

Simon

[Brian Holcombe]

I don’t finish anything curved with a rasp, I use a super fine precision file (00), followed with steel wool. The rasp just gets me a profile in tight spots where I can’t reasonably get a shave. I have small shaves but they’re sometimes more effort than they’re worth by comparison to rasp or file.