Rifflers

[gMike]

I am working on a cutting board with a handle in 7/4 stock and came up against a problem.  I don't own anything that can get into a tight inside curve to round it over.  I tried a file which left a mess of gouges, etc.  I tried 80 grit sandpaper and finally realized I'd be really old before I could get the roundover I want that way.  After way too much time I remembered that I bought a riffler from Tools For Working Wood some time ago.  A long search ensued but I finally found it living among my chisels.

That thing, (12 grain ,#2 riffler) is perfect for this little chore.  It is curved just enough to get into the gap and the tooth pattern leaves a rough but not jagged surface.  It took me 10 minutes to do what I needed to do and 2 hours of screwing around before I remembered I'd bought it.  Obviously, this is the first time I used it but it won't be the last.  I highly recommend this little tool for those of you who do any carving or cutting of inside curves that need to be rounded over.  I'm sure I'll find a ton of other uses for this thing now that I remembered that I own it!

[Joe Tilson]

Just to let you know you're not in the wrong room.

Thanks for posting this, it will be a great help to me in the future.
Joe

P.S. How about some pictures?

[gMike]

I was beginning to wonder if I posted to the wrong forum...

Here's the page from the TFWW site.

https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/stor...AU-RR02.XX

They aren't cheap but they certainly do the job for which they were intended.

[ac445ab]

Hi,
I agree, they are very useful tools for fast rounding.


I have a couple of these hand made rifflers I bought here in Italy, but they are on USA web sites, too:
https://www.sculpturehouse.com/s-315-b-a...rasps.aspx

I am using them for rounding the plane handles I make.
I ordered the rifflers from the producer directly, by mail (info@bbartigiana.it); these have a smaller curvature ray than the standard one (same shape but one is coarser).

[Phil S.]

Another handy tool for working inside curves is TFWW's saw handle rasp -



I've used it for shaping totes and such and found it to work well.  More comfortable in the hand and a bit cheaper than the Auriou rifflers.

Phil

[gMike]

Now that rasp looks really useful.  I just ordered one.  It should work well for the oddball things I do.