All Replies on Can we talk chisels?

I still drool over the LN Chisels.

Has anyone here filed the bevels of their irwin chisels to make them cut better dovetails? I was curoius about how long it takes and if you had any tips to make the job look good.

-- Make furniture that lasts as long as the tree - Ryan

Good question, Ryan. I have a set of permaloid 60s that need bevel work to be great users…

-- Don't anthropomorphize your handplanes. They hate it when you do that. -- OldTools Archive

got a set of sorby parring chisels

they never leave the shop
15” long (9” blades)
no banging

thin enough to bend slightly
for that flat bottom

-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle

Bollocks- how come I’ve missed this topic? I must have been asleep! I would like to post a table I copied from my notes whilst with David Charlesworth. It’s a reference chart for Grinding & Honing Angles for chopping & paring chisels, using waterstones. The last column should say 12,000grit (superfine) NOT 1200grit.
I hope it might be of use.

I had hoped to post this as a PDF but was unable to.
Cheers.
John

-- Gossamer shavings just floating around the back yard….-Bandit

Smitty – The beveled chisels are thinner than that of the older chisels but none have broken. These are buffed, smoothed and nice to hold – but – this being said, I had to flatten the backs. As for being real hard – these are harder than the Marples/Irwins that I have but have not chipped either. With every 3-4 drawers, I have to clean the edges up but not a resharpen. The ring at the top is pointless.

The mortise chisels are not something I would easily part with – heavy, hard, they stay put (don’t bounce around), clean, easy to hold, and make clean mortises.

-- David in Damascus, MD

I have that same bevel edge set dbray45 and love them. I did not have a lot to compare them to as they replaced random ones from the big box stores, but that have made me happy. I might need to invest in those mortise chisels too.

-- Kay - Just a girl who loves wood.

They are imperial sizes, not metric conversions.

-- David in Damascus, MD

Ryan, I saw somebody posted a chisel refurb not too long ago, and in that he did grind the side bevels to make it a solid user… It was just a two-word post title. I’ll have to look…

-- Don't anthropomorphize your handplanes. They hate it when you do that. -- OldTools Archive

David, those chisels are really nice looking, especially the mortise. Now that this thread is alive, I’ll have to take some new pictures! I haven’t stopped buying these little devils.

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

I am looking at finding a nice set of paring and cranked-necked paring chisels without loosing the farm. These things can get expensive.

-- David in Damascus, MD

David, didn’t that guy a while back tell us that we don’t need cranked necks, lol? I REALLY want some cranked necks but you’re right, they’re not giving them away. My paring chisels tend to be really wide sockets. I make this fat teardrop-shaped handle that really feels right in the hand. If you get those cranked, I want to see them!

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

I am looking at these from Lee Valley for some time, but at $182 for all four, not this week.

-- David in Damascus, MD

I recently talked my wife into the Lee Valley router plane not long ago and all of the imperial sized blades. I was using it to reccess hinge plates over the weekend. Hinges have always been one of my problems but this thing fixes most of my problems in a hurry. Now if I can just get the hang of using a ruler, all those little tiny lines are supposed to mean something – I would be in good shape.

-- David in Damascus, MD

Ruler? That’s that thing I use to figure out what went wrong…right?

-- Make furniture that lasts as long as the tree - Ryan

oops – is that what that thing was for????

-- David in Damascus, MD

Rulers are for back-beveling plane irons and controlling civilizations. I’ve never been called upon for either, lol. I did watch the season finale of the Bachelorette last night, which clearly undermines my clout:)

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

^Say it ain’t so! The fiance must have gotten you to do that, right Al? I mean, you didn’t set aside time to watch at the expense of shop adventures…. Say it ain’t so! (Serious manpoints at stake…)

-- Don't anthropomorphize your handplanes. They hate it when you do that. -- OldTools Archive

Al, have you no pride. C’mon man! Jeff was the right pick for Emily.

-- I hate being bipolar. It's awesome! :^ ) ^:

Scott, it’s ‘One-F-Jef’ as my kids and wife like to say…

-- Don't anthropomorphize your handplanes. They hate it when you do that. -- OldTools Archive

I am not ashamed to say that I don’t know how to spell his name.

-- I hate being bipolar. It's awesome! :^ ) ^:

Lol. I’m pretty sure that I like women and lysdexic, so I can watch the Bachelorette with relative impunity. I gravitate toward these shows to illustrate to myself how NOT to act. I need direction, that’s for sure. I must admit that I really like that Jef with one F. A bit too tree hugging for me to marry him, though;). Al with one L.

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

thanks Al, I was totaly lost up until your last post. I was about to ask if I was to old to understand.

Although I’m not sure how to take the I’m pretty sure that I like women and lysdexic

-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)

sounds like a bromance to me ….

-- "there aren’t many hand tools as awe-inspiring as the #8 jointer. I mean, it just reeks of cast iron heft and hubris" - Smitty

Cmon Guys Really!!!

At least if she is going to Introduce her kids to someone off a TV SHow, she chose good, Considering the other guy flew to her hometown & didn’t even talk to her ?

What they (networks) won’t do for ratings…....

-- Pat - Worker of Wood, Collector of Tools, Father of one

And now would be a good time to inject these.

-- Make furniture that lasts as long as the tree - Ryan

Lol, DaddyZ. I know we’re off on a tangent here but having watched that show and others like it, where are we going to draw the line about witnessing tragedy? If you sign up for one of these shows, you better expect to get your a$$ handed to you, but it’s hard to watch. “I’m getting engaged tomorrow”....oops, surprise!!!! It’s just friggin brutal.
.
In terms of bromances, it’s true; me and lysdexic have been locked in an uncomfortable embrace before. He’s a bit “handy” but the guy does good work.

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

Back to the subject at hand…..

Ok, back to the TV Shows…...

-- A Planer? I'M the planer, this is what I use

I have 3 of the old Buck bros. crank necked chisels. They aren’t
tools that get used a whole lot and only for paring so the
edges hold up well.

Check auctions for them. They are good old chisels from when
Buck bros. was a quality brand.

Picture fail I hate Internet Explorer.

-- Make furniture that lasts as long as the tree - Ryan

I’ve only got one set of chisels, and they’re new Stanley Bailey chisels from a big box store. They work fine, I think. No major complaints, I guess. I’d like a better set, but again the money requirements don’t seem to line up with the budget

-- Mos - Twin Cities, MN -- Stanley #45 Evangelist - www.youtube.com/MosquitoMods

That’s not a chisel, this is a chisel

-- www.newageneanderthal.blogspot.com . @NANeanderthal on twitter

Going to take a while to lap that back

-- www.newageneanderthal.blogspot.com . @NANeanderthal on twitter

That is pretty slick.

-- Make furniture that lasts as long as the tree - Ryan

NAN – you building a barn?

-- David in Damascus, MD

Nah, I’m going to pair my dovetails with it. Actually I use big guys the way some use block planes or shoulder planes. My 2” guy is used all the time for breaking edges, truing a tenon shoulder, etc. Not sure what will come of the beast, even though its wide, its also long, so maybe better control for a sweeping action

Of course, a big ass handle may make it good for bring rough stuff a little more square, a middle between hewing and jack plane.

My wife hates this picture BTW, she thinks people are going to think I really look like this, vs just my stupid grin face. After I took it, she told me if I ever look as fat in the face as this pic makes me look, i’m getting a treadmill instead of woodworking tools for my b-day.

-- www.newageneanderthal.blogspot.com . @NANeanderthal on twitter

NAN is my new hero:)

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

That aint nothing check this out.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/D-R-Barton-Chisel-Slick-Vintage-Gouge-Wood-Ice-Harvesting-Antique-Nice-/140807507310?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c8c80d6e

-- Mauricio - Woodstock, GA - "Confusion is the Womb of Learning, with utter conviction being it's Tomb" Prof. T.O. Nitsch

Yes! YES!

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

that’s it, I’m going on a search for a two man chisel

-- www.newageneanderthal.blogspot.com . @NANeanderthal on twitter

i think we need to find a way to chuck that slick up in a jackhammer. Put 90lbs of hydraulic force behind that bad boy and watch her split right through some trees. Just dont let your little toes get in the way.

-- "there aren’t many hand tools as awe-inspiring as the #8 jointer. I mean, it just reeks of cast iron heft and hubris" - Smitty

Bertha, my chisel I bought: http://lumberjocks.com/topics/39939

-- My terrible signature...

Here is a chisel question for the think tank….recenty bought me a few vintage chisels from ebay. A couple of stanley sockets and a couple james swan sockets. Mind you this is in addition to a set a new japanese and a few ashley isles. The question, one swan chisel is 1 1/2”, been sharpened by questionable methods before I got it. Out of square a bit. Needs bevel angle corrections too. Seems like a lifetime job to bring her back to square and 25°. Lots of grinding, lots of heat. How hot is too hot? The WS 3000 kicks up a fair amount, but I am thinking p80 on a scary sharp method. Is there a time or situation where i could get the chisel too hot? Any suggestions?

Is the swan chisel a framers chisel? If so, what I do with mine is hold the chisel with a vise and move the stone on the edge, it does not take that long to sharpen them this way, but of course I got mine from Barr and already well sharpened and square.

-- Just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly stupid.

Chris – You have the four piece Bailey chisels, with the whackin’ ring at the top? Dark wooden handles? How do you like those? Is the iron holding an edge well? Curious too about the side bevels. Sorry for the questions, saw a set way long ago, no one has referenced them since.

Maur, that’s a chisel.

-- Don't anthropomorphize your handplanes. They hate it when you do that. -- OldTools Archive

I think the swan chisel would be considered a beveled edge. It has the multi angled edge, but I could be using the wrong name for it. It just seems like it will take forever to bring it back to square.

Neanderthal….awesome picture/caption! that IS a chisel.

Smitty, I’m not sure if there is a 4 piece one or not, but mine are a 5 piece, but are as you described…

They’re ok, I had to glue a few of the rings on, since some kept falling off. They seem to hold an edge decently long, but then again I don’t have anything to compare them too. I used the 1/4” to whack out mortises, and it managed ok. They do a good enough job that I wouldn’t toss them once I get better ones, but I don’t think they’ll be my “last set of chisels ever”. I’m not really sure what to say about the side bevels, but the backs were questionably flat. They weren’t horrible, but they weren’t quite flat either. I did (even before flattening the backs) have to round the corners on the back edges (below the side bevels) those suckers were sharp!

-- Mos - Twin Cities, MN -- Stanley #45 Evangelist - www.youtube.com/MosquitoMods

maybe you mean a skew chisel like this if so, you want to keep it this way, they are great for cleaning dovetails, hard to imagine a 1 1/2 inch dovetail though. Maybe for a bench?

-- Just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly stupid.

You know I could have my terms mixed up, but it has the same edge profile as the chisels pictured above by Chris. But it is way wider and probably not as long, the handle is kind of short, relatively speaking.

Ah..maybe a firmer chisel like this if t is skewed then yeah you are in for the long haul. I don’t know anything about metallurgy so I don’t know at what point you loose temper on the steel. Sorry I could not help.

-- Just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly stupid.

Shane – Yes you can get your chisels too hot. If they start to change color, you are too hot, you are tempering the steel. If, when you sharpen the blade, you find that the blade is sharpening quickly, someone prior to you has already drawn the hardness out. It can be fixed but it is a process that takes practice. If you know any blacksmiths, they can do this in a couple of minutes. If not, look on the web for hardening and tempering steel.

-- David in Damascus, MD