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The Nicholson combinaton rasp/file (the short one with both rasp and file teeth on flat and convex sides) has been my favorite neck shaping tool for decades. It is very available and inexpensive too.

#50s have been a mainstay of my toolkit for years. You can also bring them back to life by using one of the acid sharpening systems.   They won't return to 100% of new, but on the first sharpening, they'll get to a good 80% of new, and that can be nice for a less aggressive carve. I've sharpened them three times and that's about all you'll get, but that's years of use and scores if not hundreds of necks.

I`ve got the 49 ,love it for neck carving,I guess I`m gonna have to pick up the 50.Thanks for the tip Todd.
                       James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

[QUOTE=DP LaPlante] The Nicholson combinaton rasp/file (the short one with both rasp and file teeth on flat and convex sides) has been my favorite neck shaping tool for decades. It is very available and inexpensive too.[/QUOTE]

the four-in-hand is a handy tool, but nothing like the patternmakers rasps. I have a #49. The 49 and 50 are very similar.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Howard,

I usually have developed the shape to a fairly high degree using a drawknife and spokeshave by the time I use the "4-in-hand".

The 49 and 50 look pretty aggressive, are you guys using this in lieu of the spokeshave (or even the drawknife?).

Best 

The 49 cuts both faster and smoother than the rasp on the 4-in-hand. The 50 is a bit finer than the 49.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Thanks for the comparison info!

Best 

If you are careful to work the #50 at kind of a sweeping diagonal motion, you can really control the depth of the cut and the scratch pattern. The main thing is to be very careful about dwelling in one place...that's the classic "oops" move.

In my limited experience (four necks) the #49 has been the sole shaping tool
(outside of sandpaper). I've not used a drawknife or spoke shave. The neck
is sawn and a profile drawn on the side. I then knock it down to about 1/16
of the line with a SafTplaner and then chuck the neck blank into my little
fixture in a vise and start hoggin her down with the rasp. The #49 is
aggressive so it really doesn't take long at all (maybe 30-40 mins with lots
of checking on the measurement) Then I switch to sandpaper and run the
grits to 220. Hint- when you use the #49 wear a leather glove on the hand
that is grasping the business end of the rasp. It doesn't take all that long to
wear off the first few layers of yer dermis! K

PS

What Rick said about the strokes. Longer strokes down the neck make the
work more fluid and continuous with less likelihood of having a lumpy
profile that you will have to deal with later. I have learned that is much
easier to take down the neck as a whole rather than have to "spot" shape
small areas. K

So if you were only to get the #49 or the #50, which would get?

Anthony,

I have both but I primarly use the #50. I have a few other tools to rough the neck out before going to sand paper, but I do most of the shaping with the #50

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Thanks Josh -- the #50 it is! BTW: Jamestown Distributors are back ordered but they will still honour the sales price. Same rasp at Lee Valley is $61.

I have a 49 and a 50. I never use the 49. The 50 is both fast enough, and gives a good finish as you approach the final shape.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Well, because of this thread I now have both the #49 and #50. I also got some Chinese reasps from Dick gmbh recently thanks to the "Ariou rasp" thread, so I should be all set for a while.

Thanks, Todd (but no more tips for a while, please; I'm broke!).

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Me too -- my checkbook overfloweth!   I jumped on the bandwagon last night and Jamestown is still honoring the sale price -- a #50 is on its way.  Really can't pass up the deal though.  Thanks Todd for the heads up.

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC