Looking for Floats
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Welcome! / Forums / General Woodworking Discussions / Tools and Tool Maintenance/Restoration / Looking for Floats
I recently came across a You Tube video of a very talented woodworker from Japan and He had a set of rasps I’m very interested in but I am not sure where to look. He called them Floats and I have only found them on one site so far and the prices are ridiculous (well at least for me anyway<===conservative “aka” cheap) Lee Nielsen’s site was pricing them around 70 US a piece and I know that something has got to be out there that is comparable without all the overhead. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. Thanks and may the planes keep whispering.
Hey John
I was looking for them also, best I could find…………http://www.hand-stitched-rasp-riffler.com/tradition/woodworking/floats/rapes-fraisees.html
Lee Valley also has them:
Lee Valley: Japanese floats
The Lie-Nielsen ones are made by Old Street (formerly Clark & Williams).
You can also make your own floats from O1 steel. For light duty use, there is no need to temper the O1 after filing in the teeth. Shape the teeth like it is a giant rip saw.
You can see Larry Williams sharpen a float (and I think make one but I’m not entirely certain now) on his DVD lesson in making side escapement planes. Likewise for Tod Herli’s DVD.