Roughing out?

[Bevan R.]

Traxx,
You use the 14 or 17 incher? Found them both on Amazon.

Bevan R

[Badger]

   I find not all wood works the same with the same tools. My favorite tools are draw knife, spokeshave, rasp and cabinet scraper. Osgae I usually use the draw knife, hardwoods like ipe about 90% cabinet scraper, spokeshave on most white woods. I like my rasps on nearly all the different woods for tough spots. Steve

[DiGi]

"The rasp doesn't work well on flat surfaces though."

No it doesn't. It can take hours and hours trying to rasp something flat even with a good fairiers rasp. A good way to speed things up is to go at an angle on one side, and then at an angle on other side, so you end up with a pyramid sticking up, which you then rasp away and repeat. This can speed things up a little. So your never really rasping a flat surface cause you keep rasping the corners down. But it can be hard to do this and try to rasp down to a thickness line of a board bow. Also the board is usually kiln dried and brittle, making it easy for pieces of wood to break off. Really makes the bandsaw look real nice when you walk by it at lowes, don't it?  

Yeah I ended up bringing my problem to my neighbor who is real hands on. He let me borrow his handheld belt sander. That worked in 15 minutes! I have one of my own but its stationary so kinda awkward. My band saw makes these cuts in the wood making it look like a bar code along the part it cuts, so i only go so far so i can make it smooth. Thanks for everyone's input!

[Sidewinder]

I bought one of the Dean Torges bowyers rasps and its a dandy. You do not have to bare down on it jsut smooth strokes and let the tool do the work. He helped design it with a tool maker and it gets it done. I consider it a lifetime tool. I usally use either the ax and draw knife to get it to rough out and then rasp and scraper. . I recently bought a bandsaw and will learn how to maximize it soon enough. I'm waiting for a new Timberwolf blade and then I'm gonna rough out a few bows and speed up my process a little.  Danny

[Lee Slikkers]

If ya can,next time,try n find a place,that carries ,higher end Farrier supplies.Getcha a Save edge rasp.You will see a huge difference in them.I have Givein some of my Used ones to folks,such as Ed Scott and John Strunk and they couldnt believe how sharp they were,after being "Used".For the Profession,im extremely picky bout my rasps.Save edge,go for about 25 bucks,but for wood hoggin,i doubt you will need another one,anytime soon.

Which length / model do you use or prefer?

[Traxx]

Either would work,but for Bow work,id go with the 14".The other is a draft rasp and a bit overkill id think.Another tidbit,that ill throw out there.When brand new,caution should be used,while handleing.The tangs on a new Save edge are extremely sharp and will cut you if handled improperly.In fact,you wont know your cut,till you see blood on yourself and your project.You shoulda seen the fast talkin and convinceing i had to do to a panicked woman,when she saw MY blood all over her horses lower leg.It took a bit to convince her,it was my blood,not her horses.LOL

[Bevan R.]

When brand new,caution should be used,while handling.The tangs on a new Save edge are extremely sharp and will cut you if handled improperly.In fact,you wont know your cut,till you see blood on yourself and your project.

Michael & Lee, you bleeders paying attention??

Bevan R

[Lee Slikkers]

LOL, yup I am...was trying to recall the name of an old Ferrier I know on the east side of the state so I could beg/borrow/steal a "slightly dulled" version