Microplane Rasps

[Gershom]

Have any of you tried these Microplane Rasps?

www.microplane.com

I have the two smallest ones for woodworking, and I like the finish they leave, and the amount of briar they take off. Much quicker than any of my other rasps. I just wish they made them smaller.

[AlfaDog]

I've never used them but they look interesting and the price is right. Is the cutting surface similar to a surform tool? How smooth a surface do they leave? You said they cut better than a regular rasp, how and why? Thank you for the link I may want to try one.

That 2 in 1 hack saw blade had possibilities.

[Gershom]

I never used a surform tool. The cutting surface is like a cheese grater except modified for wood. The surface is smooth enough to be easily sanded out by hand with 120 grit.

The reason they cut better than any other rasp I have (and yes I have patternmaker's rasps handmade, etc...) is because they bring a quicker result. They take more material off in a shorter amount of time, and are very easy to use. The benefit of their design is that it is practically impossible for the blades to get clogged. The shavings just fall out of the backside of the blade.

One drawback is that you need to watch the front of the tool, because it can gouge the piece accidently. I mainly have used them for the shank/bowl connection where it is harder to get to.

[Gershom]

I just looked and they have replacement blades for surform products. Check it.

[Blueb3]

Would you recommend one of these as an upgrade to a Dremel sanding drum? I'm always looking for new/interesting/quicker ways to remove skin from my fingers

Just watched the video, looks like it's mounted in a drill press, right? looks really cool.

[Gershom]

I don't really like the Dremel sanding drums, they just don't seem to be quite the right size for the shank/bowl transition. So I am biased. But these sanding drums from Microplane look bad-ass. It looks like it would rip your fingers down bad. The only issue (and this is with their rasps as well) is that they don't make them quite small enough for what I want. But if you are going to use them for something that requires a 1" or 2" diameter, then they would probably kick ass and take names.

I haven't used them though, just the rasps. If they are anything like the rasps, they will kick ass.

[andrew]

I used to use one of those things. It's... ok. It will make.more work for you than a regular sanding drum. It can also remove chunks of your fingernails. Not as bad with skin, it will rip a fingernail off. I would spend your money on some good files or rasps before that. A good direct substitute would be a sanding drum. You can chuck it up and use various grits. Available from Woodcraft.

It will also do horrid things to briar against the grain, like ripping chunks out. Think of it more as a rotating blade than a sanding substitute.

[pipeguy]

I have several they do make light work of some problem areas but are no substitute
for good files or rasps for what its worth.