Auriou Rasps

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H

HSteier

Well-known member
Does any one have any experience with Auriou rasps? Are they worth the premium price over Nicholson rasps for routine tasks such as shaping a cabriole leg?

Auriou also makes fine rasps for smoothing. Are these any better or smoothing fthan ordinary files?

Howard Steier
 
Hello Howard,

I can share a little bit on this.  The Nicholson #49 and #50 cabinetmaker rasps cut similar to Auriou grain 11-13 cabinetmaker rasps.  The Nicholson is an excellent tool, and in my opinion hard to beat on benefit/cost.  The Auriou has a little different feel--it feels sharper to me than a Nicholson.  If you want a coarser rasp than a 49 or 50, Auriou makes them.

Now the shapes are different.  The Aurious all come to a point, which means you can get into tight places.  The other thing is that there are no safe edges on the Aurious--the Auriou cabinetmakers rasps, and the modellers rasps like the grain 14 and 15, come to a line edge on each side, and are toothed everywhere.  You can cut laterally with it like a saw.  So in a situation where you want a safe edge, the Auriou is risky. 

The grain 14 and 15 Aurious are finer than the Nicholsons.  But a fine file is finer yet.  Like for example, in the Euro grading system, the cuts 0, 2, 4, etc. are all finer than a grain 15 Auriou.  So the question may be whether you have a need for something in between your Nicholsons and the files.

Hope this helps.

Wiley





 
From the standpoint of finishing, I'd much rather use an Auriou fine-cut rasp than a file, simply because the work goes much faster with a rasp than a file.  IMHO, neither a rasp nor a file is appropriate as the last tool on a show surface, these need to be scraped with a cabinet  or carver's scraper.

However, if you want to leave an authentic 18th-century finish on a secondary surface (like the back of a chair leg), nothing beats a hand-cut, random-teeth fine rasp such as Auriou;  the surface is much different than a machine-cut rasp or file that has regular teeth.

As Wiley noted, the Aurious come in a bewildering variety of shapes and grains.  In particular, they make a really useful form called an "ironing rasp" that was indispensable when I made a dished tea table top.
 
David,

I've been considering the ironing rasps for a while because they look like they would be useful. My question is what size(s), etc. do you find useful? I know they have at least 8 sizes/styles. I'd appreciate your input. Thanks.

Craig
 
I have a couple and I like them.  They seem to cut faster and smoother.  I am going to try the Gramercy brand, however.  The Auriou sure are expensive.
 
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