BR Ukuleles
Well-known member
A mate sent me this link to Liogier Hand Stitched Rasps and found it really interesting. Watch the video for some insight as to why those tools cost what they do.
Hand Stitched Rasps
- Thread starter BR Ukuleles
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Pete Howlett
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Want several but will have to stick with my Chinese Swordfish for now 
Great video - amazing how the repetition of a task produces such fascile skill.
Great video - amazing how the repetition of a task produces such fascile skill.
Timbuck
Well-known member
I bought a set of rasps similar to these on E-bay a couple of years ago....you can see them here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8pc-RIFFL...t=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item4aaca11131 I couldnt find a use for them on ukes..so I gave them to a wood carver friend and he said he prefered a chisel for that sort of work.
When I was young lad in Sheffield UK there were still a few places that made hand cut files and rasps..I used to visit a toolmaking place just down the road from where i lived in Ecclesfield..and on sunny days the "file cutters" mostly girl workers ...They would sit astride their tressels out in the sunshine and cut the file teeth just like in the video (only a lot faster) Here is a woodcut print of file cutters in action...the guy with the ladle is moulding lead bed strips that go under the files to take the shock of the chisels when cutting..the minute lead particals that came off these bed strips were breathed in and caused a nasty disease known as "file cutters disease" (Lead Poisoning)
When I was young lad in Sheffield UK there were still a few places that made hand cut files and rasps..I used to visit a toolmaking place just down the road from where i lived in Ecclesfield..and on sunny days the "file cutters" mostly girl workers ...They would sit astride their tressels out in the sunshine and cut the file teeth just like in the video (only a lot faster) Here is a woodcut print of file cutters in action...the guy with the ladle is moulding lead bed strips that go under the files to take the shock of the chisels when cutting..the minute lead particals that came off these bed strips were breathed in and caused a nasty disease known as "file cutters disease" (Lead Poisoning)
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Moore Bettah Ukuleles
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The amazing thing about the Dragon files is that they'll resharpen them for a small fee. Now howzat done?!!!!!!!
ckellogg
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Thanks for sharing the video. I love learning how things are made. Neat.
frankiej
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Probably by immersing it in an acidic chemical of some sort, etching the metal and sharpening the tips of the teeth. That's how files are usually sharpened.
Doc_J
Well-known member
As beautiful as those rasps are, teeth cutting seems a tedious and monotonous process - not an appropriate manual work in the current era. The hand work of making those rasps seems like a job better suited to an automated process for high volume.
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Liam Ryan
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Seems like a bit of a strange comment to make in a forum dedicated to hand built instruments. Some would say that uke building seems tedious and monotonous and is best suited to automated process (no me though
)
Timbuck
Well-known member
All the old Fitters/Engineers/Toolmakers etc: used used to say that the handcut files worked the best..some thing to do with the irregular tooth pitch.
TCK
Well-known member
Totally amazed to see something that I am sure is a bit of a dying art. While I am certain my rasps were mostly made by machines, I would like to thing the ones I have from Grand Dad (1925 or so) were not, and to see what went into them certainly makes me wan to use them. Anyone know the best way to clean them (they sat in a trunk for at least forty years)?
Tarhead
Well-known member
TCK you might want to try Electrolysis to clean the files if a good scrub with a file brush doesn't clear the rust. It's easy to do with an auto battery charger, piece of steel (I use a piece of old lawnmower blade), some Washing Soda and water. Boggs File service in Los Angeles is another option. http://www.boggstool.com/
Doc_J
Well-known member
The video of someone pounding little burrs in a row, it looked to be a tedious/non-ergonomic manufacturing method. This action could certainly cause the worker repetitive montion injury. Processes like that I have automated in my former career.
For a modern rough cutting (rasp) wood working tool, a hand-worked production tool would not seem to have a significant advantage over a production tool, except to the slight randomness of the teeth, which may reduce grooves.
This is quite different than building a custom musical instrument, working with natural wood products for making music.
For a modern rough cutting (rasp) wood working tool, a hand-worked production tool would not seem to have a significant advantage over a production tool, except to the slight randomness of the teeth, which may reduce grooves.
This is quite different than building a custom musical instrument, working with natural wood products for making music.
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Pete Howlett
Well-known member
You are missing the point in a rather Trollish way I may say
Timbuck
Well-known member
Here's an interesting thing..centuries before files and rasps were all handcut...Leonado da Vincci designed the first file cutting machine.
and here it is
and here it is
Rick Turner
Well-known member
How's this for a hijack...
Leonardo wrote backwards; you have to read his stuff in a mirror unless you're practiced at the art of reading backwards...as was my mother...yeah, she could read Italian backwards...
Leonardo wrote backwards; you have to read his stuff in a mirror unless you're practiced at the art of reading backwards...as was my mother...yeah, she could read Italian backwards...
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