Thread: Should a Crank Neck Chisel Also Be Bent?

Looks bent to me... I can't recall seeing crank neck chisels like this which are bent on purpose... It could be pretty handy like this for quite a few tasks...

So... Dumb question - did you know it was bent before you bought it?

Originally Posted by truckjohn

Looks bent to me... I can't recall seeing crank neck chisels like this which are bent on purpose... It could be pretty handy like this for quite a few tasks...

So... Dumb question - did you know it was bent before you bought it?

No, I didn't, and there's no way to have known it from either the photos or the description on the listing.

Luke

This thread from IanW might be of use.

Narex cranked chisels

Regards
Paul

Luke, I can see that having a convex back would occasionally be useful, but I'd suggest the majority of paring situations are better done with a dead-flat back, at least flat for a couple of inches or more back from the edge.

You can have 'bent' chisels or cranked chisels, but I've not seen both combined on the one chisel. Not to say such a thing hasn't sprung from some febrile mind, but I'd make a small wager that your chisel started out with a flat back & someone either accidentally or deliberately bent it. It's your choice, but I'd have a crack at straightening it, if it had fallen into my hands. The fact it's bent suggests it isn't too brittle, however, there is a chance that it could snap, but if you went at it carefully, I think that risk is slight.

I would suggest using your vise, but you'll have to jury-rig some spacers, because there'll be somel spring-back from straight if you just squeeze it flat between the jaws. Go carefully and sneak up on it over several squeezes, & you should be able to get it close enough that it will take only a mild case of RSI to get the business end flattened enough to be useful...


Cheers,

......or just send it back now for a legitimate refund while it is only damaged by the seller (the window for that will only be short)..........it might depend on how much you paid and how much the return post is....

If the tool is new, then I'd possibly send it back

if used ...
given that a cranked chisel is most often used in the centre of a piece or to work in a groove, the slightly bent blade is probably still highly functional.

Flat is really only important where the resulting surface will be seen

Luke, that's a beautiful chisel. I have a couple from Hildick. Good steel.

However it is not intended to be bent along the back (only cranked at the handle). The use of a cranked chisel is especially to clear our dados and rebates, and similar joinery. The chisel back needs to use the floor for a reference surface. Otherwise you may as well use any chisel. This one may have been used as a lever. That's my guess.

Send it back, or get a big discount and straighten it yourself. This would involve heating it red hot and beating it flat. Then you would need to reharden the blade. Not hard, but some work.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek, I will have to gently disagree with you on this one - I'd keep heating out of the equation until I'd tried cold-working it back to straight, preferably using a 'proper' press if available, or if not, something cobbled up for a large metal-working vise. Most older chisels are not terribly brittle in their tempered, usable state (it probably didn't take a huge force to bend it in he first place). The bend appears to be fairly small from the pics, and should respond to being pressed back to flat enough that you'd be able to lap at least a fair length of toe & heel flat, which is all you really need for it to serve its function.

It just seems to me to be a less-risky initial approach than having an inexperienced smith getting stuck into it - the likelihood of their getting the back any flatter through forging is less than by gently pressing it out, imo....

Cheers,

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

I'm not going to request a refund because, frankly, having to drive to the post office and deal with all that crap just isn't worth it for this. I won it pretty cheap.

I've messaged the seller and told him what's wrong with it. If he chooses to refund the purchase out of the goodness of his heart without the whole return rigmarole then so be it.

I may try flattening the first couple of inches and just see how it works. I'm not going to try heating it and bending it. That's just doesnt' sound like it would end well...

Cheers everyone,
Luke

The reason I recommend heating the steel is that it could crack if you attempt to bend it cold - it may not withstand a second bending. It is a tricky situation since the iron is also likely to be laminated.

Regards from Perth

Derek