Thread: Bevel edge chisels

Done.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Stewie

I am with you on all that and I would add that the larger the object, the more difficult hardening becomes. Consequently the bigger chisels are even harder to maintain the heat front than the narrow versions. You may have to restrict the heat treating to just the first 50mm or so. I don't see that as an issue as it will last very many sharpenings. As well as a shorter distance the steel is thinner at that point so it will assist you. Tempering will not be an issue.

Good luck as it is an ambitious project.

Regards
Paul

Not sure if can forges are available cheap there, but I went the lazy route and paid $65 for a paint can forge here. I have a set of Marples chisels of the style stewie's making - tang, but the bolster is round, so they're later. Beautiful otherwise, except that you can tell they're on the modern side.

Some of them are not properly hardened at all, a couple are OK and some are in the middle (undesirable to use). A pity for modern steel chisels (probably 60s or 70s) that could otherwise be really nice.

One mapp torch, a wet towel on the handle and any that I've heated in the can forge have come out just fine quenching in oil. They're a step off of the very hardest of chisels, but plenty hard for regular use (I'd guess 59-60 based on how the washita handles them).

Without the can forge, probably 2" of a 1" wide chisel or blade was the most I could get to critical temperature. Anything that fits in a paint can now can be brought above critical in about a minute.

The igniter in a torch is toast - and getting a reasonably high output torch is important (of course).

The last plane I made has a 1/4" blade about 2 5/8-2 3/4" wide (it's 2.5 inches of cutting width 20 degrees askew). Single torch and coffee can and I was able to heat about two inches of it (O1), temper relatively minimally (with plans for a little more if it's too hard and brittle). So far, it's ultra hard (I would guess 64 - untouchable by a washita stone and slow grinding), and holds up extremely well. Total setup cost is about $100 US and the only thing it can't practically do for a hobbyist is long knives.

(the set of 8 marples chisels were unusable, and I don't have the lack of ethics to resell them to someone like that - they were $160 US, so I suppose the cost of the setup was recovered right away).

The task of modifying the firmer chisels to bevel edge chisels has been completed. After the initial annealing process, the steel maintained more than adequate hardness not to proceed further with later heat treatment. (Thanks to John C. for that advise.) Likewise to Vincent Tai. on his advise to stick to flat surface sanding when flattening the full length of backs. ( 120, 220, and finished on 400g). The front bevels were honed up to 13000g.

Stewie;