Store chisels with magnets?

[Dengue]

Currently designing a storage box for chisels.
Should I use strong rare earth magnets to hold the blade of each chisel?
Open to all ideas and suggestions on this

[Bushmiller]

Dengue

Magnets are fine. I know some people are wary that the blades become magnetised, but I don't really see an issue unless you plan to chisel some steel! I know of one famous Australian chisel maker who said it was no problem at all and he did not even trouble to de-magnetise after the grinding and polishing steps in production, which leave a slightly magnetised steel.

Regards
Paul

[Dengue]

Thanks for. this reply , BM.
How would you go about de-magnetising a chisel if it becomes a problem?

[Chesand]

I have mine on a magnetised bar on the wall above a small bench and screwdrivers on another bar. They have been that way for about 4 years and it does not seem to be a problem.

[IanW]

Well I'll take the dissenting view, I loathe & detest magnetised woodworking tools & would never use magnets on any storage rack for chisels in my shed! Soft steels have low retentivity, meaning although a magnet sticks to them readily, once you separate them from the magnet, the object retains no magnetism itself. The hard steels of chisels, screwdrivers & plane blades etc. magnetise have high retentivity, so once they are magnetised, they'll stay that way until you either heat them to beyond what is safe for hardened steels, or use a de-magnetiser. Because I do metal work in my shed, and use steel wool quite a lot, there are always plenty of iron filings around, no matter how assiduously I sweep the bench-top, and they get picked up by any tool that has a hint of magnetism. A fur of iron filings along the edge of my best paring chisels is not a pretty sight to me... :~

Demagnetisers come in various guises, I don't know how well this one (https://www.jaycar.com.au/tool-magnetizer-demagnetizer/p/TD2042) works, I know you can reduce the magnetism of a piece by stroking in the 'opposite' direction, I vaguely remember doing something along those lines in physiscs class in junior high-school, but the most effective way is with a gadget like one I had access to at work that ran on 'lectrickery. It was a potent electromagnet activated by an alternating current and the way it worked was to start at a high current & reduce to zero, which sort of fades the magnetism out of the tool (that's the simplest way to explain it). The ones for sale above & here (https://www.toolmart.com.au/kincrome-k5450.html)don't cost much, so might be worth a try on spec...

Cheers,

[BobL]

I'm with Ian on this and don't like magnetised things either although I will use magnets from time to time.


. . . . .How would you go about de-magnetising a chisel if it becomes a problem?

I posted about this in the MW forum including a link to a vid on how to make your own demagnetiser from a 3P motor coil.
Magnetic ? (https://metalworkforums.com/f65/t206623-magnetic#post1984473)

[derekcohen]

I chose to use small rare earth magnets on the chisel trays below. These exert enough magnetic force to prevent the chisels moving. Whatever magnetism is induced does not bother me. I rather doubt that the blades will become magnets for filings. So far so good ... but it has just been a few weeks so far.

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/UnderbenchCabinetVisionRevisited_html_4da3793e.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Robson Valley]

In this day and time, most of my wood carving is done with the crooked knives of the Pacific Northwest First Nations designs.
Not only do they have sweeps but I have both single and double bevel tools.
Awkward enough to sharpen, moreso if they clanged together.
You get the idea from this box which holds my first dozen or so. Elbow adze, sharpening stuff and planer knife in the lid.
The curved cuts in a slab of western red cedar shroud the knife blades well enough for travel.

Could you do the same with chisels? Store them on edge with the blades in cutouts?


Since then, I've got some little leather sleeves and blocks of stiff foam.
They all ride in a jumble in a carved bowl that I don't like.

[IanW]

....... I rather doubt that the blades will become magnets for filings. So far so good ... but it has just been a few weeks so far.....

Derek, I rather suspect your chisels will retain some magnetism even from 'weak' magnets. The softer steel used for backing probably has low retentivity, and low reluctance so it acts as a "keeper" concentrating the field within the chisel body so they won't develop as strong an external field as a solid, all-hard chisel can. (Just theory, I'll leave you to do the empirical tests...)

I also suspect the fact you haven't noticed any effect so far is testament to the fact you keep a much cleaner shop than I do! :U

Cheers,

[raffo]

I also suspect the fact you haven't noticed any effect so far is testament to the fact you keep a much cleaner shop than I do! :U

I also don't keep a super clean shop and detest the fur clinging to magnetized tools.

[Dengue]

Thanks for these replies everyone, sharing your thoughts and experiences.

I think I will steer clear of magnets on chisels and work out some other way of holding my rag tag collection of old Stanley chisels of varying lengths in position in a box that can be carried. Same style of black and yellow handle as shown in a pic below of a new chisel taken off the Internet , but of varying sizes handle widths and thicknesses

Derek's chisels and the way he stores them is very impressive, thanks for the photo, I could drool over that :)

Any suggestions on how to hold chisels firmly in place in a box that will be carried like a briefcase?

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[Dengue]

Perhaps something along the lines of this pic I found. Only trouble is, with the type of 10 yellow /black handles side by side, I would need the box to be 450 long, and 300 deep. Big box to fit on the bench.

[Dengue]

Perhaps a combination of this chisel layout of the box on the left with the neat location of each of the chisels, and the collars in the lid of the other which will drop down over the tangs neatly and hold the chisels securely in position for travel. My 10 chisels would be orientated at right angles to the ones shown, with the handle ends at the hinged edge of the box.
The box on the left appears to have a foam block in the lid to hold the chisels in place, might be simpler.

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[IanW]

Dengy, does the whole boxful have to be sat on the bench? Could you have a couple of trays in the box & take whichever trayful you need to the bench while the rest sit comfortably out of the way?

I generally find I'm working with only a few chisels around a given size at one time. My original idea was that the drawers in my tool cupboard would serve as trays & I could take the whole drawer to the bench. That lasted about a day until I realised it was more of a pest than a help! The drawer always ended up in my way no matter where I put it, it got full of chips & shavings & had to be cleaned before putting it away, and because I didn't replace each chisel immediately after use, there were still 3 or 4 chisels lying somewhere on the bench & I still had to search for the one I wanted next.

Until we can train tools to come out of the toolbox when you call their name and go back home when told to do so, I doubt there will ever be a perfect solution to the perennial problem of bench clutter. I'm moderately tidy normally, but there are times when it gets out of hand, usually because I'm working on several projects at once. I would be deeply embarrassed if any of you walked into my shed atm, there are two projects worth of "stuff" pushed to one end in a great pile, and a half-stripped chainsaw sitting (on a metal tray!) on the other. It looks like a very wild person has gone berserk in there!
:o
Cheers,

[LanceC]

Any suggestions on how to hold chisels firmly in place in a box that will be carried like a briefcase?

Have you considered a leather or canvas roll?

[Dengue]

Good thinking, Ian, thanks for those comments and your futuristic vision with razor sharp chisels flying around the workshop.

You would not come within a bulls roar of mine in the untidy workshop competition, so embarrassed every time I open the door of the shed. So glad no such competition exists :)

The chisels and box are a gift for a tradie son, a plumber who is very good at renovation and cabinet making around home. He certainly knows the difference between' bashers /bangers' and good quality cabinet making chisels, having bought a full set of Lie-Nielsen chisels 15 years ago when he was single and earning good money, and has never used them to my knowledge, still in their original boxes. Won't even show them to me :) But recently I did get a lend of his Veritas flat and round spokeshaves he bought at the same time, a joy to use. And I have seconded his Tormek Supergrind 2000. he he he

So these Stanleys will be for him doing renovation. I imagine the box will be in a cupboard, and the chisels he wants to use taken out, and hopefully put back.

LanceC, thanks for this comment, but rust is a big problem up here, so they really need an airtight box, not a chisel roll. I keep mine in a leather chisel roll and need to constantly oil them. And I find the sharp chisels cut through the bottom of them too. And good quality leather rolls are very difficult to find and very expensive.

[Chris Parks]

Dengy, if you have access to a 3D printer you could print protectors for your chisel blades to prevent them cutting the tool roll.

[Dengue]

Thanks Chris, have never seen or used a 3D printer. But not a bad idea of yours!
What I did read on this Forum was to push some sheep wool down the pockets of the roll, sounded like a good idea. The lanolin helps with the rust too. But I live in a big city and don't know any sheep farmer or shearers :)

[Bushmiller]

Dengue

I pushed one of my chisels through an expensive leather chisel roll. It was after that I worked out that it is actually better to have the bevel down to avoid this. :rolleyes:

Regards
Paul

[LanceC]

I just remembered that when I bought my set of Lubans, they came in a box which supported them very nicely. It's since been broken up and used as kindling, but may be a source of ideas.

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