# Rehabbing an old timber chisel. Need help from you experts.



## steviep (Feb 25, 2011)

Got this chisel end at an estate sale for a quarter. It had a huge 3/8" corner missing and no handle (you can see where they beat the metal end with a hammer and mushroomed it out. Wasn't going to do much but I did soak it evaporust and tried to flatten the back and I noticed a strange pattern. The steel seems to be much different consistancy than the chisels and plane irons I have used. Is this pattern from the forging or is this just age?


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

a picture would help. nothing comes up at this point in time


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## steviep (Feb 25, 2011)

uhg, sorry haven't got the iCloud photostream figured out quite yet. should be there now.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

looks like inconsistency of the material when it was made. also has a lot of pitting which might make it useless as a cutting tool at it's current state. what is it's cutting width? looks like a framing chisel


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## steviep (Feb 25, 2011)

cutting width is about 2" I will lap it smooth and grind an edge and try to re-handle it. Do you know what degree I should grind the bevel? I dont have any chisels of this size.

PS Thanks for the input.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Framing slicks often have a curved back so flattening will be a real
chore - a slick isn't supposed to have a flat back. Work on grinding
a bevel on the top first - the back will probably be less of a problem
than you imagine. If you get serious about timber framing you'll 
buy something else with less pitting anyway.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

This is not the type of chisel that is supposed to be lapped and be razor sharp. it's for framing (think log cabins) and for pounding on with a mallet/hammer as you can see from it's condition. lapping it and treating it like a bevel/bench chisel would be a waste of energy.

you state you don't have any chisels of this size (obviously) - what are you planning on using it for?

As for the degree - I would just follow the degree that is on it right now - just match it up.


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## steviep (Feb 25, 2011)

Man, I'm glad you guys are around! That saved me some time. I really don't have a specific use for it, just hate seeing old tools get thrown away. After seeing Brit take that brace back from the dead I have been intrigued by rehabbing some tools. Funny thing, I built Log Cabins for a few years back it the day- I was a laborer so I was much more familiar with a draw-knife than the chisel!

Thanks for your input, a guy can learn so much here.


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## dkirtley (Mar 11, 2010)

I say get it back in service. It won't take as much work as you think to get it serviceable. The only thing I can't see is if the blade is laminiated. If it is and you have to grind the tool steel all away to get past the pitting, it is just decorator's paint lid opener piece unless you want to get a new piece of steel forge welded to it. The mushrooming on the socket is pretty easy. Just grind it off and re-handle it.

This is still in the category of a bench chisel. Best Mik Dundee imitation: "That's not a framing chisel, *this* is a framing chisel" The base of the socket is too fragile for the beating that a frameing chisel takes. I have some that the neck of the socket is almost as big of diameter as the large radius of that socket.










Look on my bench here. The small one on the left is bigger than that one (but a bit narrower at 1-1/2)


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## DaddyZ (Jan 28, 2010)

Give her a good sharpening, Add a handle & Enjoy, a good chisel for whatever you want it to be used for.


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## steviep (Feb 25, 2011)

^^ Dang, Now *that's* a chisel!


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