Tillering Tools

[Badger]

  I use my draw knife to rough it out and get it bending. Once that is done I switch to a Nicholson 49 rasp. I clean everything up real good and slight round over the belly, just slightly. Then I switch to a scraper and do all the remaining tillering with a scraper, I keep the rasp handy if I get some chatter going.

[Pappy]

Chain saw to splitting wedges to band saw to farriers rasp to 49/50 rasp to scraper then maybe a little sand paper, this is what I mainly use from tree to Bow. Sometimes a draw knife but not normally any more since I have a band saw.
 Pappy

[leonwood]

Drawknife for roughing out. Then Farriers rasp to get the basic shape and floor tiller. Then scrapers to final tiller. No power tools and I like it that way, keeps me fit

[gfugal]

Thanks for all the responses guys! It's always good to here how other people do things. So I went and bought a cabinate scraper from a local woodworking store. It said it was mad in Germany so I thought it's probably good steel. However, when I tried to use it, it was as dull as heck. It didn't produce any shavings just really fine dust. But only if I put muscle into it. I don't have a burnishing tool, file, or a wet stone. I tried sharpening it with some sand paper then used a screwdriver as a burnishing rod. Well... Needless to say it still isn't sharp. Maybe it's me and some of you could do it with sand paper and a screwdriver. Any tips on what must happen to sharpen one?

As far as what I'm going to use in the floor tiller stage, I think I'm going to try to get better at the draw knife then also utilize that technique mentioned with the rasp. If you keep your strokes very tiny in a bouncing motion with the draw knife I found you can use it almost in a scrapping like manner. If you turn it upside-down it even increases the control and takes even less wood.

I appreciated all the replies. Thanks again.

[osage outlaw]

This is where I learned to sharpen a scraper.  I follow it step by step and get great results.  The pictures are gone thanks to stupid photobucket.

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,1237.0.html

[CrazyHorse1969]

Thanks for all the responses guys! It's always good to here how other people do things. So I went and bought a cabinate scraper from a local woodworking store. It said it was mad in Germany so I thought it's probably good steel. However, when I tried to use it, it was as dull as heck. It didn't produce any shavings just really fine dust. But only if I put muscle into it. I don't have a burnishing tool, file, or a wet stone. I tried sharpening it with some sand paper then used a screwdriver as a burnishing rod. Well... Needless to say it still isn't sharp. Maybe it's me and some of you could do it with sand paper and a screwdriver. Any tips on what must happen to sharpen one?

As far as what I'm going to use in the floor tiller stage, I think I'm going to try to get better at the draw knife then also utilize that technique mentioned with the rasp. If you keep your strokes very tiny in a bouncing motion with the draw knife I found you can use it almost in a scrapping like manner. If you turn it upside-down it even increases the control and takes even less wood.

I appreciated all the replies. Thanks again.

I found a nifty tool called a "Scraper Burnisher" on a guitar-making Web site. Boy, it works like a charm sharpening my scrapers. It allows you to burnish and put a "hook" on your scrapers all in one tool. So far, so good.

[willie]

I have found cabinet scrapers in varying hardness. you should be able to dress or square up a scraper with a file.
try a bevel angle with the file before burnishing. not all screwdrivers work well. I use a honing steel found in the cutlery section of a thrift store. Do you have a way to clamp or hold it in a vice so you can lean on the steel fairly hard?

[gfugal]

Willie I have a honing steel, But I thought the ridges would interfere with creating the burr. Have you had issues with it? If not I suppose I could use that then.

[PatM]

 A file is not expensive and works fine with no additional burnishing necessary. The act of just running the file across the scraper or vice versa will flare the edges out in a burr.

[willie]

Greg, the one I use doesn't have much for grooves, but I have seen some with much more aggressive grooving. I suppose that you could see how raggy the burr is by dragging it across your fingernail. I gotta think that if Pat gets by with a file for making a burr, then a raggy edge still works, I guess it becomes a matter of what one prefers. I have a tri cornered file I use for a burnisher also, but ground off all the teeth with a fine grit flap disk on an angle grinder. If you got a file that still has some life in it, you might skate-test a few different screwdriver shanks. Some are only hardened at the tip

[Eric Krewson]

Rolling a hook takes some pressure and perseverance. I may make 20 passes with a screwdriver shank before I get the hook I want, it won't start  to roll at first but will if you keep after it. I put my scraper in my vise so I can put both hands on my screwdriver.

I use a craftsman screwdriver, they have a hard shank.

[vinemaplebows]

Band saw to farriers rasp to Shinto to scraper. I never, ever, ever use a draw knife on the belly. Sure it takes me longer and its probably more arm work, but guess how many times I've ripped a belly out with my draw knife? Not to say it doesn't work, I've seen it first hand, it works very good. But its just not my style.

Patience builds a better bow.

Pearl drums, are you using your draw knife upside down? I ask because there is a better chance (at least for me) if you right side up I get way more tear out.

[stuckinthemud]

I've stopped using a draw knife as I get tear out whichever way up I use it, but, my Shinto rasp is indispensable. For me, its saw, then splitting wedges, then hatchet, then planes, rasp then scraper. Light sand (400 grit) to finish.

[stuckinthemud]

Scrapers, I can use them and I can sharpen them properly but I find a sharp blade (knife, chisel, whatever) held vertically works really well as a scraper and is much easier to keep sharp.

[KS51]

I have had a lot of luck using a microplane 8" snap in plane.  I use the coarse and fine flats for my rough in and also use a cabinet scraper to smooth out the surface and the final tillering.  The round planes are also great for shaping handles.  The full set is a bit spendy at around $50 + shipping, but I've been using mine for about 6 years now and it hasn't gone dull yet.

https://www.amazon.com/MICROPLANE-SNAP-BLADE-RASP-SET/dp/B000H6BPKG

Ken