What is a rasp tool? A rasp is a tool for abrasion, friction, and polishing that is used very often in carpentry work. It is used to profile the wood by reducing it more coarsely if it is in comparison with the file. The latter is the one that gives the final finish to the wood.
The rasp eliminates the protruding wood of the curved surfaces, providing the first form to the piece worked with greater rapidity.
Parts of a Rasp tool
The rasp is divided into four parts:
Types of Rasp tools
Among its manufacturers, there are small differences, but in general, there are three kinds of rasp:
The rasps can be flat or round, but the most versatile is the semi-circular or also called half-round rasp. All these models are manufactured in two hundred, two hundred fifty and three hundred millimeters in length, being the two hundred fifty millimeters an excellent tool for universal use. Another great toolset to have at home is the ratchet set, check our best ratchet set article to find out which ratchet wrench set suits you.
The purpose of the rasp is to carve or profile the wood in a fast and efficient way giving the desired shape to the piece because it can be used to thread and counter thread, leaving a surface ready to start the finish that, in this case, the files do.
How to Use a Rasp tool?
To begin with, you must adopt a proper body posture during the polishing process, holding the rasp by the handle with one hand and the tip of the rasp with the other. The wood should be fixed with a walrus or a vise.
Also, as you can see, the rasps only polish on the forward stroke, i.e., one way. Of course, you should not use the rasps for hitting, nor as a lever.
Recommendations for using Rasp tools
Here are some suggestions for the proper and safe use of the rasp:
