Replies

1. 
   DonC | Jan 21, 2005 10:55pm | #1

   Got mine from Garret/Wade. Made in Italy, I believe. They are high quality and sharp.

1. 
   jazzdogg | Jan 21, 2005 10:58pm | #2

   Thanks, Don.I'll check them out.Anyone else have recommendations?-Jazzdogg-

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

2. 
   LeeGrindinger | Jan 21, 2005 11:11pm | #3

   I can't give you a source but as your carving improves you'll be needing them less. I bought riffler files and rasps when I started carving and frankly, they have not been out of their cases for well over a decade. On paper the idea of rifflers looks good but they really don't work all that well, they clog at the point of contact quite quickly.

   I'm not saying you shouldn't have them but don't tie up a bunch of dough in them because you'll probably look back in ten years and realize just how little you use them.

   Lee

1. 
   jazzdogg | Jan 22, 2005 06:20am | #5

   Hi Lee,Thanks for the feedback. My carving instructor hinted very strongly that a good set of rifflers would help us maintain crisp surface details completely devoid of tool marks for the ball & claw feet we're carving, and adminished against sandpaper because it's so easy to lose crispness and cause unwanted rounding.He encouraged us to leave subtle tool marks on the shells, acanthus leaves, and so forth, because a surface devoid of tool marks somehow looks artifical or machine-made. Nevertheless, he stipulated that the pair of cabriole legs with ball & claw feet we are now carving must have a surface appearance consistent with the remainder of the chair's surface.I think if I can buy a limited number of high-quality riffler profiles at a "reasonable" price, I won't regret the purchase nearly as much as I would if I ended up with inferior tools that will definitely be of little future value.I guess the trick is to decide whether to buy a bundle of used rifflers through e-bay or a used tool swapmeet and accept what I end up with (after discarding obvious duds), OR trying to figure out which profiles and sizes I need in rasps and files, and shopping for new ones like Auriou or Die Sinker.I appreciate your expertise and guidance,-Jazzdogg-Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

   Edited 1/21/2005 10:31 pm ET by jazzdogg

1. 
   LeeGrindinger | Jan 22, 2005 07:15am | #7

   Those are points well made, Jazzdog. There are many ways to skin cats and I'd never suppose to have the only method. You're wise and lucky to be taking lessons. Here you go, enter "rifflers" into the search and choose what's best. Do not get rasps, they are too rough and will not leave a surface ready for finish. The 220 grits are probably the best ones but asking your instructor might be a good idea. http://www.woodcarverssupply.com/store/Lee

1. 
   jazzdogg | Jan 22, 2005 07:27am | #8

   Thanks, Lee.
   -Jazzdogg-

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

2. 
   JohnWW | Jan 23, 2005 01:05am | #11

   I would caution you against buying used rifflers, if they haven't been cared for and stored so that they don't strike one another, they will be uselessly dull and chipped. 

   Most people selling on e-bay wouldn't know a sharp tool from a dull one and probably wouldn't know how to protect them from damage.  I regularly see dealers throw handfuls of files into a boxes where they quickly get trashed as people rummage though the boxes.  Files are one area where it usually pays to by new.

   John W. 

1. 
   jazzdogg | Jan 23, 2005 01:33am | #12

   Good advice, John; why would I buy tools from someone who doesn't exercise the same care I will when they're mine!-Jazzdogg-

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

3. 
   mvac | Jan 22, 2005 02:13am | #4

   Just bought a 8-piece riffler set - identical rifflers on both ends of each - from Woodcraft for $21.99. I'm not a carver. But these things can get into my dovetails and other tight places and remove a lot (or a little) of material quickly, and given the variety of shapes I probably have just the right one for any joint or curve.

   Hey, eight pieces, in a red velvet satchel, for 22 bucks? I can't get a router bit for that. Just a thought.

   Mitch

1. 
   jazzdogg | Jan 22, 2005 06:25am | #6

   Mitch.A few questions, if you don't mind: Do your rifflers have a brand name? did you buy rasps, files, or a combination of the two? Are they coarse or fine?; have they stayed sharp?Thanks,-Jazzdogg-

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

1. 
   mvac | Jan 22, 2005 09:25am | #9

   Jazzdog,

   To your questions:

   No brand name

   Rasps ("Riffler Rasps")

   Course

   Just got 'em yesterday fer Pete's sake...

   They're made in China "of the finest steel," according to Woodcraft. I wanted something specifically to take aggressive bites in hard-to-get-at-areas. So far so good, as I'm still learning which shape is best for a particular application.

   Woodcraft also sells a "Smooth Cut Riffler File Set" for $19.99, as well as an Italian-made set of hand-cut rifflers (files & rasps) for a whopping $140. I know you can probably find sets even more expensive than that, but since I'm not a carver it just seems very expensive to me.

   Hope that helps,

   Mitch

1. 
   dukeone | Jan 22, 2005 05:39pm | #10

   Hello: I've seen a set of rifflers in a metalworking catalog (J&L Supply) that were identified as "cut 2 or cut 0", does anyone know how these numbers relate to coarse or fine? Also J&L has quite an assortment of rifflers and riffler sets and lots of squares and rulers and the like.
   KDM