# What is your favourite tool for building slingshots?



## Hrawk (Oct 25, 2010)

As the title says, what is your FAVOURITE tool you use when making slingshots?

For me, its easy, the router table. Does 90% of the work and leaves a crisp clean finish that requires almost no sanding.


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

Since I am not really a slingshot maker (only make naturals) my knife!


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## slingshotvibe (Sep 26, 2010)

Dremmel


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

I would have to say Nathan (Flippinout). Bill Hayes has a sniper I am eyeballing.

Oh you mean a tool I use. Wow, *favorite* is tough as each has it's niche.

The router table is a major player for time saving.

One thing I think has been the greatest help in the hand sanding is making strips of belt sander belts in slightly different widths for sanding the edges.


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

rasp


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

PayPal.


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## lightgeoduck (Apr 3, 2011)

M_J said:


> PayPal.


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## Hrawk (Oct 25, 2010)

M_J said:


> PayPal.


Brilliant!

Rayshot, good call on the sanding belts, have you seen this thread ?

http://slingshotforu...39-wasp-sander/


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## bullseyeben! (Apr 24, 2011)

Dremmel.......is favorite


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## gamekeeper john (Apr 11, 2011)

i would have to say my dremmel, because if my router broke i could still use the dremmel to round the edges, i use the dremmel for elastic grooves and my one off patterns, aswell as shaping forks, so i would have to say my dremmel with my bandsaw and router a close second


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## atom (Jun 24, 2011)

rasp


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## marcus sr (Jun 5, 2011)

rasp files


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## e~shot (Jun 3, 2010)




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## Hrawk (Oct 25, 2010)

In that case, here is my second favourite:


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## Rayshot (Feb 1, 2010)

Hrawk said:


> PayPal.


Brilliant!

Rayshot, good call on the sanding belts, have you seen this thread ?

http://slingshotforu...39-wasp-sander/





[/quote]

I did see that and would try it. But I don't have a drill press or the room for one presently.


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## flippinout (Jul 16, 2010)

Hrawk said:


> In that case, here is my second favourite:


Toohey's Old is preferred but New will do in a pinch.

Hands down BANDSAW. With a properly tuned bandsaw, I can shape, bevel, trim, and resaw. It is invaluable for any sort of work in the shop and is used often.

Second would be my drill press


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## strikewzen (Jun 18, 2010)

knives only, no sanding


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

strikewzen said:


> knives only, no sanding


you dont even sand? do you use special knives that cut and sand or something?


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## Ry-shot (Jul 22, 2011)

i would have to say my dremel too


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## mckee (Oct 28, 2010)

my knife if you count that as a tool


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

a knife is a tool.


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## Melchior (Dec 27, 2009)

My favourite is aCoping Saw. Not so much because I like using it (frankly, I suck at precise sawing), but it gives everybody the ability to make board-cut slingshots without having to invest in power tools.


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## The Gopher (Aug 25, 2010)

when making naturals i would say a rasp hands down.

for boardcuts it is a tie between bandsaw and router table.


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## MikeyC (Dec 24, 2010)

Oscilating spindle sander


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## jskeen (Feb 7, 2011)

2x48 belt sander. I can freehand shape, grind 90 degree outlines on the table, flatten, bevel, and just about anything else I want with it. I use a bandsaw with a 1/2 inch 4tpi blade to hack out rough shapes from boards or a natural that I've jointed flat on one side and run through the planer to get the other side parallel, but I don't even try to get on the line. I can shape much more easily, and with far better control on the grinder than with the bandsaw. If I'm just working to a picture in my head, rather than a printout of a design that I'm trying to follow precisely, I sometimes don't even use the bandsaw at all. With a 36 grit belt I can grind away anything that don't look like a slingshot faster than I can cut it away, for the most part. The grinder gives me more freedom to work without having to have a flat surface to put on the table, and can round over an edge faster than a router table, without that annoying habit of knocking chunks off the end where the grain gets short.

Don't get me wrong, I use all the above, and more all the time, but the grinder is definitely my favorite.

James


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## Blue Danube (Sep 24, 2011)

Scrollsaw board cuts
Router. Edges
Belt sander finishing

Some flap wheels are next...


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## tubeman (Mar 7, 2011)

My hands


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)

My imagination


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## Northerner (Nov 9, 2010)

Drum sanders. I use small drums on my Dremel and large drums with my electric drill (held in a Black & Decker Workmate).

Cheers,
Northerner


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## slingshotvibe (Sep 26, 2010)

My fave tool is this forum hehe


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## Formidonis Noctu (May 1, 2011)

My coping saw and a ragtag collection of files, Until i get myself a Dremel,


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## strikewzen (Jun 18, 2010)

bj000 said:


> knives only, no sanding


you dont even sand? do you use special knives that cut and sand or something?
[/quote]

i make very few on my own, in fact just 1 natural and 1 multiplex so far

in my opinion they are never finished because i shoot one for a few days and give them a few more cuts (personalizing)

with knives you can still get a smooth finish just scrape the wood with your blade, sand paper doesn't give me as much control for micro adjustments, and some japanese craftsmen never used sandpaper, still their work is smooth as skin

from gaining knowledge on forums, shooting more, and shooting slingshots made by other members all have great influence on the ever evolving shape of my forks


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## bj000 (Jul 21, 2011)

i am totally interested in the asian carpentry . for example, their microplane-like rasps. they shave the wood instead mangling it. I will be looking to invest in a bunch of japanese handtools in the near future. they are fascinating to me.


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## Ry-shot (Jul 22, 2011)

my slingshot actually lol


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## Daniel J (Dec 15, 2010)

dremel and jigsaw so far since i don't have any other tools to make slingshots with.


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## Snipez1978 (Jun 7, 2011)

The tools I use are my bandsaw to cut wood for laminates and also to cut out some of my frames

Router to roundover the edges and forks

Dremel with sanding drums and tungsten burrs

Knives & rasps

Bench belt sander

And finally multiple grades of sandpaper

Atb rob


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## HopefulHunter (Oct 15, 2011)

'Nuff said methinks,


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

I use a scroll saw.


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## AJW (Apr 24, 2011)

I started this hobby/sport with virtually no tools and have been adding steadily. I now know where the best tool stores in Panama are. There are employees in those stores who know me.

Has anyone else noticed that there is a correlation between the amount of time and sweat you have into a frame, and the amount of appreciation and caring you have for that frame? I don't want to get too fast, as a matter of fact, I want to slow down. I would like to get back to wanting to carry the half finished frame around in my pocket, for a while, with my hand on it.

That's all I want, and maybe a band saw .... and a thickness planer.

Al


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## Rapier (May 28, 2011)

Dremmel for sure. Coz I do a fair amount fiddly stuff plus its got so many uses. I have 150 different bits for it!


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

My brain is my best tool, by far!

Cheers ...... Charles


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## fishjunkie (Sep 10, 2011)

drill jigsaw sandpaper dremmel thats all the tools i have at this time


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## HopefulHunter (Oct 15, 2011)

On an honest note, I don't tend to use my Paraffin blow lamp for much, never mind for woodwork.

The tools I used for my Natural were as follows: Victorinox Huntsman knife. (both blades, and saw blade for cutting tree) and then 150 and 240 grit paper for the finish.

My boardcut I made using a gents saw, a coping saw and 150 and 240 grit.

Of all of them, my favourite too has to be the Victorinox (although it's a multitool so I'm not sure that counts! If it doesn't, sandpaper)


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## Rapier (May 28, 2011)

Charles said:


> My brain is my best tool, by far!
> 
> Cheers ...... Charles


Thats alright for you china but some of us poor saps got the raw end of that deal. I hafta rely on my excedingly handsom, Johnny Depp features and woo my way through life! Ahh never mind tho... Chin up and all that...







Oh and heres a head shot of me I sent in to the producers of 'Pirates of the carribbean'







Didnt get the part for some reason... Hmmmmm.....


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## SilentRobo (Nov 8, 2011)

Jigsaw, files/rasps, sandpaper and a dremel. wood varnish i find it a necessity when building a slingshot allthough it isnt a tool


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## Martin (Jan 17, 2010)

If making a natural it would be a knife and a Japanese rasp. For boardcuts my scroll saw, or at least it was until I blew it up.
Martin


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

My knife and my 4-in-hand file.


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## alfshooter (May 11, 2011)

_Dremmel_


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## Aras (Apr 2, 2011)

knife on naturals, sander on boardcuts


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## Sean (Nov 17, 2011)

I'm sure most of us have them, the tool that gets used often, doesn't get cleaned before
getting shoved away in a toolbox, tackle box, garage, etc.

I have such a tool, and it goes out with me twice a week at least, into the forest where I
harvest quite a bit of wood for walking sticks, canes, slingshots.

The Coughlan's Sierra folding saw is amazing! This wood lot you see here, 90 percent of
it was taken with this saw. The only other saw I've had was a Gerber, and it cut through
green wood slightly faster than the Coughlan's but unfortunately I broke the
blade on two different occasions and had to return it (lifetime warranty).

I highly recommend this saw if you need one to stow away in your vehicle or bushcraft
etc. Here I have included a few photo's of it


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## Vekta (Sep 5, 2011)

Sounds like the Coghlans is serving you better than the saw with the lifetime warranty. I'd take slightly slower speed and superior durability over lifetime warranty any day. Doesn't do you any good if you have to send it in for repair all the time.


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## Sean (Nov 17, 2011)

Hi Vekta,
the biggest problem I've had with folding saws is missing the kerf on the backstroke and the blade hitting the wood and bending the
saw. I just lightly bend them back and on this saw it's very forgiving. The Gerber steel snapped both times when i went to do
the same. Nice thing with this saw is it's less than $20 up here in Canuck land.


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## Sean (Nov 17, 2011)

I should have combined this with the post below under favorite tools. Newbie mistake.








Feel free to post pic's of your saws. The amount of naturals I see around here I'm
sure there are some good saws and stories out there?


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## mckee (Oct 28, 2010)

im jealous wish i could get that many!


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## Bob Fionda (Apr 6, 2011)

FIRST Knifes: Fallkniven, Mcusta, Puma.
SECOND Sand paper
THIRD Rasp


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## Sean (Nov 17, 2011)

It's a really enjoyable hobby scouting the trails and roadways for forks and walking sticks. The painful part is
waiting for them to dry out. They say with the stick a good rule of thumb is one year for every inch of thickness.
Of course that is somewhat variable depending on where you live and if the barks left on or not.


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## NightKnight (Dec 16, 2009)

I would have to say my favorite too is my cordless sawzall. Great general too for all kinds of cutting tasks. It is basically a power version of the one you showed.


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## Btoon84 (Nov 22, 2011)

Sean said:


> It's a really enjoyable hobby scouting the trails and roadways for forks and walking sticks. The painful part is
> waiting for them to dry out. They say with the stick a good rule of thumb is one year for every inch of thickness.
> Of course that is somewhat variable depending on where you live and if the barks left on or not.


i wish i had the patience to do that. i'm wanting to make my first one soon. i had planned on the microwave or the oven bake drying method. is this something you have had bad results with?


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## cowboij (Nov 2, 2011)

i like my trusty pocket knife


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## Hrawk (Oct 25, 2010)

I have a new favourite tool. A bottle of trichloromethane


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## Rapier (May 28, 2011)

Hrawk said:


> I have a new favourite tool. A bottle of trichloromethane


Righto. And what do with that then.


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## Hrawk (Oct 25, 2010)

That's what I'm using to laminate up the acrylics, Chloroform.


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## Rapier (May 28, 2011)

Uh huh. And how many times have you put yourself out cold so far?


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## Hrawk (Oct 25, 2010)

Intentionally or accidentally ?


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## Rapier (May 28, 2011)

Agh errrrr umm. I got nothin


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## pop shot (Sep 29, 2011)

New favorite tools. Scraper, pocketknife, rasp. And beer n sandpaper and coping saw.

---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=21.390999,-157.734015


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## combowslingguy 1 (May 28, 2011)

It use to be a tig welder until I had a 1 piece aluminum extrusion made. L O L , Robert Blair combowslingguy


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## Flatband (Dec 18, 2009)

DREMEL!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Pro-Shot (UK) Catapults (Apr 21, 2010)

My HANDS cos nothing work without them


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## Sean (Nov 17, 2011)

pop shot said:


> New favorite tools. Scraper, pocketknife, rasp. And beer n sandpaper and coping saw.
> 
> ---
> I am here: http://maps.google.c...999,-157.734015


gee, that wood has a bit of a Canadian look to it.


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## Sean (Nov 17, 2011)

Btoon84 said:


> It's a really enjoyable hobby scouting the trails and roadways for forks and walking sticks. The painful part is
> waiting for them to dry out. They say with the stick a good rule of thumb is one year for every inch of thickness.
> Of course that is somewhat variable depending on where you live and if the barks left on or not.


i wish i had the patience to do that. i'm wanting to make my first one soon. i had planned on the microwave or the oven bake drying method. is this something you have had bad results with?
[/quote]

To be honest I haven't tried this method yet. And to be even more honest I'd never heard of it before I joined this forum. I belong to a stick and cane
carving forum and of course those chaps are hooped if they want to use a microwave for drying a 4 foot stick.








I'll give it a whirl sometime and see how it works. The amount of chaps using the method speaks to it's effectiveness, I'm just not all that convinced it
actually dries wood thouroughly/properly as opposed to a slower method and time/patience.

sean


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## philly (Jun 13, 2010)

Drum sander attachment on my drill press and my band saw. Small rotary Dremel type tool at slow RPM for finish detail work. Sand paper to 600 grit. Tons of elbow grease.
Philly


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## pop shot (Sep 29, 2011)

Sean said:


> New favorite tools. Scraper, pocketknife, rasp. And beer n sandpaper and coping saw.
> 
> ---
> I am here: http://maps.google.c...999,-157.734015


gee, that wood has a bit of a Canadian look to it.








[/quote]
i watched hockey with it the other night. we were both wearing denim. Thanks for the beautiful forks, Sean!


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## Sean (Nov 17, 2011)

Hey buddy your welcome.


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## pop shot (Sep 29, 2011)

yesterday i ordered a 150mm iwasaki half round medium cut rasp and a flat of the same type. being impatient, i went to woodcraft today and bought the same half round, but 200mm! i went home to test it, and it's official. these rasps aer AMAZING. they cut wood like a few hundred mini planes. they cut fast and the surface is incredibly smooth after they're done with it. and i'm pretty sure i can sharpen them. a few of these and a set of scrapers, you'll be the zen master of naturals.


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## Performance Catapults (Feb 3, 2010)

pencil and paper


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## manitoba (Feb 13, 2012)

For wood my sweden made mora knifes.The carbon ones.Good quality and stays sharp.For aluminum my bridgeport milling machine.


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## Rockape66 (Dec 18, 2011)

I'm wondering when this will made a poll thread.


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## akmslingshots (Mar 2, 2012)

i have found in my short slingshot time that the bestest tools in the world are my "carroll" drum sanders mounted in a pillar drill!!
http://www.axminster.co.uk/carroll-carroll-drum-sanders-prod21816/

both the full size and the mini's, absolutely cracking tools! worth double the price


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## slingshooterman (Mar 21, 2011)

my trusty Case Trapper


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## HopefulHunter (Oct 15, 2011)

Sean said:


> To be honest I haven't tried this method yet. And to be even more honest I'd never heard of it before I joined this forum. I belong to a stick and cane
> carving forum and of course those chaps are hooped if they want to use a microwave for drying a 4 foot stick.
> 
> 
> ...


They use gigantic industrial microwaves for drying timber. It's not as good as seasoned timber, but if I remember correctly it is better than kiln dried timber, If your microwave has an auto defrost setting i'd recommend using that, as it allows the water to cool slightly before zapping it again, causing less damage to the timber's natural structure.

Eddie.


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## akmslingshots (Mar 2, 2012)

Iv changed my mind. it has to be my piece of 12mm glass, thank you Nathan


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## theolithic71 (Jan 2, 2012)

My favorite time save is my foredom rotary too. Basically a dremmel on steroids, 1/8 hp motor, flexible shaft, handpiece accepts up to 1/4 inch shank attachments. It RULES!!


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## Tex-Shooter (Dec 17, 2009)

My favorite tool for building slingshots is my brain. Sometimes it won't even let me sleep nights. -- Tex


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## harson (Oct 21, 2011)

Coping saw ,no6 opinel ,a small rasp and some sandpaper is all i have just work with what you have


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## newconvert (Dec 12, 2011)

pop shot said:


> yesterday i ordered a 150mm iwasaki half round medium cut rasp and a flat of the same type. being impatient, i went to woodcraft today and bought the same half round, but 200mm! i went home to test it, and it's official. these rasps aer AMAZING. they cut wood like a few hundred mini planes. they cut fast and the surface is incredibly smooth after they're done with it. and i'm pretty sure i can sharpen them. a few of these and a set of scrapers, you'll be the zen master of naturals.


this look efective, whats it cost?


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## pop shot (Sep 29, 2011)

newconvert said:


> yesterday i ordered a 150mm iwasaki half round medium cut rasp and a flat of the same type. being impatient, i went to woodcraft today and bought the same half round, but 200mm! i went home to test it, and it's official. these rasps aer AMAZING. they cut wood like a few hundred mini planes. they cut fast and the surface is incredibly smooth after they're done with it. and i'm pretty sure i can sharpen them. a few of these and a set of scrapers, you'll be the zen master of naturals.


this look efective, whats it cost?
[/quote]
for a 200 mm file - $25.00 or so. no handle.


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## newconvert (Dec 12, 2011)

pop shot said:


> yesterday i ordered a 150mm iwasaki half round medium cut rasp and a flat of the same type. being impatient, i went to woodcraft today and bought the same half round, but 200mm! i went home to test it, and it's official. these rasps aer AMAZING. they cut wood like a few hundred mini planes. they cut fast and the surface is incredibly smooth after they're done with it. and i'm pretty sure i can sharpen them. a few of these and a set of scrapers, you'll be the zen master of naturals.


this look efective, whats it cost?
[/quote]
for a 200 mm file - $25.00 or so. no handle.
[/quote]
im gonna have to check them out, thanks PS


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## Imperial (Feb 9, 2011)




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## newconvert (Dec 12, 2011)

Imperial said:


>


ohhhhh that "tool"?


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