Shaping w/rasps

[Tinker]

Back in September or October, I was asked to make a trestle table by my cousin's wife.  I had made one a few years ago for our own terrace out of #2pine with "X" type legs.  I think I threw it together in an afternoon as I had my RAS for all of he cross cutting and hogging out the half laps at center of the "X"s.  For this one, it will be used mostly in the living/dining room and the house is open only thru the summers. We do have a couple of outdoor get-togethers each year so they want the table to be somewhat formal for inside purposes, but collapsible for out side parties.

I am making the legs with curved feet and the top of the pedestals will also have "S" type curves.  I am making the top and bottom pieces about 3"s wide out of Walnut.  In the past, any curved cuts  have made have been on wood no thicker than 1" and it has been an easy job to sand the curves after cutting with jigsaw or bandsaw.  This project has larger radius outside curves that i can sand to dimension with my RO 150 ok.  The inside curves are at bottom pieces about 1" radius and for the top pedestal pieces about 1/2" radius.  I only have a 1/2" band for my BS so I nibbled with the saw teeth at the inside of the curves. 

I only just got to do the inside curves this week.  I knew I would not be able to do the tight curves with my sander, so back in October, I bought a #50 Nicolson rasp to do the feet part with.  I have never used a rasp for any kind of shaping before and I am so happy with how the feet came out that i decided to get a few more course and fine rasps.  I got a very coarse, I already had one from my father that is finer that the course but rougher than the 49, a #49, one slightly finer than the #50 (no number on it.  also a coarse 3/8" round rasp.

All of the files except the one from my father are 10" cutting surfaces.  What a difference the collection makes.  I go thru "grits" just like with sand paper.  What was taking me over an hour to fine tune a curve with just the #50 i found i could do all four of the pieces (feet and pedestals) in just about 1/2 hour and by time I finished with the fine file, I needed almost no sanding.

I will be routing the edges of all the pieces but some of the outside curves will have to be tapered cuts.  I have been worried about how to do the tapered reliefs edges, but with what i learned in just half an hour this morning, i am thinking it will actually be much easier than any of my expectations. 

I don't have time to mess with pictures right now as i am doing what I hate most for today.  I am putting a pile of rubbish together to deliver to my accountant.  TAX TIME.  UGH! I am no bookkeeper and do not have a great love towards such work. 

I will get back into the shop later today when I am tired (more than tired) of the bookwork. i will take some pics then.
Tinker

 

[waho6o9]

Shaping with rasps is a kick, looking forward to your efforts.

I like shaping with a Shinto as well.

Here's a piece of maple shaped with a Shinto.
[attachimg=1]

 

[Tinker]

I'm not into anything near that intricate.  That is more like something my dad would have done.  All I will be doing is some surface shaping over wide surfaces hat I have cut close to dimension with my BS.  I went down to my dungeon a few minutes ago to take some pics, but my camera batteries are close to rest period.  So i cut the center beam for the table instead. 

As I have been looking at the piece on top of my lumber rack, I thought it was a piece of ash.  Instead, as I lifted over my head, I realized it was kinda heavy, even for a full 8/4 X10" x 7'.  It about drove my shoulders to my kneecaps.  I cut the knotty end of of one end and then ripped down the middle, all with my trusty TS 55R.(the beam was just a hair over full 8/4 with a cup running the full length.  Not good for use on anything requiring full 8 to 10 inch width.  My TS 55 left about 3/16 inch at bottom of the cut at one end and I made the first run at 30mm and was able to finish with full depth of the saw using 24 tooth blade.  A little burning where I had to slow down to mess around with the DC hose and power cord.)

I will be using the rasps to shape the tongues that go thru the legs and receives the securing pegs. I will run the beam thru my planer just thin enough for my saw to go all the way thru  and then hand plane the edges before shaping the tungues with TS 55, bandsaw and my old Stanley #71 (I think that's the number. Got that fro my dad also) rabbeting plane. Maybe a chisel for that part. Then i will do the mortices for the end pegs with drill press and hand chisels.  I'm not so great at the chiseling part so I will finish off the mortices with the set of rasps.  I will find out how great that part is as that beam has been sitting in my rack for over ten years.  It is dry and HARD. I thought at first it was white oak, but once I opened up with the saw, I realized it is red oak.  not much so, but a little softer than white. I like working with white oak better tho.  A session with the DMT's and Arkansaw stones will be in order before I start the chiseling part.
Tinker