Bowyer's rasp

[Larry Luck]

I came across this interesting tool.  It is a hand cut rasp with coarse and fine sides and handle on each end.

Anyone have experience with it?

http://www.bowyersedge.com/stock.html

Larry Luck

[Jim Kibler]

I'm sure you could use it many places on a gun, but the half round surface of a cabinet maker's rasp adds a lot of versatility.  I really like how some half-round cabinet maker's rasps, such as the auriou, come to nearly a point on the end.  They can be used in most any location.  This Bowyer's rasp might be worth a try, though.  Might find you like it.

[whetrock]

Larry, I’m curious to hear how this bowyer’s rasp works out. If you buy one, let us know.

I have a few hand-made rasps (purchased, not self-made) with hand-raised teeth. I find that they load badly if used on soft wood, but they absolutely fly through hard maple and other really hard woods. They are similar in shape to the auriou rasps that Jim mentions, but the ones I have are just a shallow half round with a straight triangle taper to a fine point. Very useful.

I joined the forum too recently to have been in on the file/rasp discussion from last June,  
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=22266.0 , but I still want to offer a note to anyone unaccustomed to hand-raised teeth… The teeth on hand-raised rasps can cut deeply and tear the wood, so you may need to be careful and not use them too close to “the line”. That is, switch to a finer cut tool, such as bastard cut or large mill cut file well in advance of your final cut line. Also, with any hand-cut rasp, don’t press too hard, but instead just push the rasp over the wood. If you press hard, the teeth can press in and bruise the wood deeply. Best to just let the rasp cut what it will without bruising.

Like the website in Larry’s link says:

Note: The UBR10 is a quality tool. It has it's own mind and purpose such as all quality tools do. The temptation may be great to hog wood with a two-fisted approach, but let the tool do the work. You should be more spectator than straw boss. Sawdust will fall to the floor and the work will speed along. Please also do not use a regular metal file card to clean this or any rasp. Purchase a cheap, stubby nylon bristle brush for the purpose such as furniture refinishers use to clean paint-stripped molding, available from any paint store.

I find that if the teeth get badly loaded, the best option is to carefully pick the waste out of the teeth, one tooth at a time, with a big 3 inch sewing needle. But if I only use these rasps on hard pieces of wood and I don’t press hard, the teeth don’t load badly.



Here’s a link describing some interesting history of Nicholson file company, including dates for when his machine-made files eventually overtook and replaced the bulk of the hand-cut file industry. http://swingleydev.com/archive/get.php?message_id=122976

Maybe others have tips to share?

[Larry Luck]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm looking to make a simple bow with my son and maybe some more with Scouts in his troop and stumbled on this file as I was looking around the Net.

Larry Luck