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Old December 11th, 2008, 07:04 PM   #11 (permalink)
old goat
TDPRI Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: sacramento
Posts: 40
May I make a plea for using spokeshaves and rasps for the shaping, then files for the smoothing, before going to the sandpaper. A lot easier on the ears and lungs and a lot less likely to take off too much wood. The crucial tool is a cabinet rasp--I use a Nicholson #50 (I should get a 49 as well)--not cheap but works beautifully and fun to use. I don't make necks--yet- but I make a lot of cabriole legs--similar shape and you can shape them very quickly with hand tools, maybe even faster than with the grinder. I'm not against power tools--I use them a lot--but with the hand tools this kind of job is very calming and satisfying.
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