Fitting rasp blade

[MikeH]

Hi all,
My two new Auriou rasps arrived last week, what joy. Also ordered a spare handle as the original Auriou I got at last years West Dean came with a pretty simple handle and I haven't got around to turning a new one yet.

My problem is what is the best wayto fit a handle toa rasp, I searched the forum but couldn't find anything and a quick trawl on-line and in my library didn't show much other than push fit and then bash it on the bench which doesn't have quite the desired result.

So any clues as to the orrect method. Thoughts are:
1. Make a small mould to fit the end of the handle and then cramp it on using the bench vice
2. Drill it bigger and then ease it on with a mallet.
3. Get a much bigger mallet (not sure about this one).

Anyone been down this road recently and got some words of wisdom please?

TIA

 

[DaveL]

Mike,

The way I was taught to fit file handles during my apprenticeship was with a blow lamp. There should be an undersized hole in the handle that the end of the tang will fit into. Heat the tang with the blow lamp, the tang should be soft so you are not changing the hardness by doing this. Then push the handle on, there will probably lots of smoke, but you are burning the tang into the wood. I normally do this by fitting the tang into the hole, placing the handle against the side of the bench and leaning on the file, held with leather gloves.

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Mine all seem sufficiently well seated by just flinging them down onto a hard surface handle end first. When the note changes, they're home.

 

[Harbo]

The handles on my Aurious fitted without any problems - just as dunbarhamlin said.

I just wrapped the file in some bubble wrap to protect my fingers and a few taps on the bench did the trick.

Rod

 

[Harbo]

Just a thought if yours will not fit easily - Alf's web blog has a feature on handle fitting using different drill sizes to match the tang taper.

Rod

 

[superunknown]

Mike,

The way I was taught to fit file handles during my apprenticeship was with a blow lamp. There should be an undersized hole in the handle that the end of the tang will fit into. Heat the tang with the blow lamp, the tang should be soft so you are not changing the hardness by doing this. Then push the handle on, there will probably lots of smoke, but you are burning the tang into the wood. I normally do this by fitting the tang into the hole, placing the handle against the side of the bench and leaning on the file, held with leather gloves.

I was taught this way too and has always worked fine for me.

 

[MikeH]

Thanks to all for the advice. Still plucking up the courage to take a blow torch to my Auriou rasp! Plus the other fact that I don't actually own a blow torch....and before anyone suggests the stove, mines electric and I would probably get shot, then hung drawn and quartred, and after that she'd get really mad with me.

 

[Racers]

Hi, MikeH


Try the stepped hole and malet way if you haven't got a blow torch. I did all my file handles this way amd they are still in. Use aseries of drill dits to create a stepped hole that nearly matches the profile of the tang then hammer it home.
Pete