Thread: How many chisels is too many?

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Ian

I think your namesake has previously disassociated himself from large projects like houses. The slicks are, I think, primarily for the log cabin and boat builders.

Regards
Paul

they're also, in skilled hands, a very useful plane for partly assembled projects.

We could tease my namesake that he has no sash mortice chisels, no lock mortice ...

Originally Posted by ian

they're also, in skilled hands, a very useful plane for partly assembled projects.

We could tease my namesake that he has no sash mortice chisels, no lock mortice ...

....no pig stickers either. Don't hold back on my account.

Knowing what beautiful handles Ian makes on the his tennon saws as well as the chisels, I'm sure he would come up with a sensational improvement in handle design for the pigsticker, which I have only ever seen as the boring, ubiquitous, oval bolster.

Ummm.. actually I could loan him one to practise with.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

.....The tactile and aesthetic qualities of the handles particularly endear us to this type of tool. As most of those handles were made by you they have special significance.

Well, thery were certainly made to suit me, Paul. I've mucked about with numerous handle designs over the years, and these are the shapes I've decided suit me best for the various tasks they are expected to do...

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

....Incidentally I particularly like socket chisels and I couldn't help noticing that the majority were made in this style.

Yup, as I said, I have a fondeness for the socket design too. Apart from the neatness of it, it's a mechanically sound way to add a handle. And it doesn't hurt that it's really easy to fit - tanged handles can be a right PITA, at times, particularly the modern types made for plastic handles, which have a short, blunt tang that likes to split a nice new handle if youy don't get the receiving hole right!

And you are dead right - I have officially given up the dream of building my own house. It was something I was keen to do for a very long time, but age & common-sense have finally intervened.

And Ch!ppy, thanks, you have given me a couple more 'justification' reasons....!


Cheers,

Originally Posted by derekcohen

... and where are the Bergs? I know you also have Bergs

Derek, you've sprung me.

It's true, I have a set of (mainly) Bergs that were my father's. But they are not part of my 'user' kit - they sit totally negelected for the moment, in a small toolbox where I have stored some good-quality, but 'extra' tools in the hope that one of my offspring will develop signs of a woodworking passion. I may be storing them for some time, on present indications. However, I also have a goodly number of nieces & nephews, so surely one of that generation will have inherited the necessary genes...

I would probably be using the Bergs as my daily BE chisels, but as it happened, I got fed-up with the very motley set of BEs I'd put together over 25 plus years, about 12 months before the old pot moved on, & bought my set of Lie-Nielsens. However, I do use several of his old tools a lot, including a Disston crosscut saw and an old Stanley 5 1/2, so I'm maintaaining the continuity.....

Cheers,

Originally Posted by behai

Good evening IanW and Ian,

Thank you for the info. I am guessing that experienced people squaring two lines more accurately than beginners. I have the short, no handle Veritas with the magnetic attachment, I use it to punch the four corners first. It is short, so very easy to control. I found the mortices that I make look much better.

In a far future, I plan to get a Lie-Nielsen normal square corner chisel with handle.

Best regards,

...behai.

g'day behai, i was kinda curious what chisel you were talking about, my search skills are terrible but is it this one?


if your happy using it by all means dont let any of my comments dissuade you, honestly, but it is a curious 'chisel'. i have done more door hinges than i could count and though i wouldnt go out and buy it i can imagine using it in cottage work where i have a dozen units or homes in row to complete and i am using my jigs to route the hinges, i wouldnt use it at all in period restorations or renovations or a bunch of other circumstances (furniture etc) where i dont bother setting up a router anyway, chisels are quicker and more suited to the job. but even with a routed hinge i just use a wide chisel to register (actually i use whatever is nearest, even if its thin, the task isnt that hard) off the other edges, it doesnt take but a second or two...but do you use this for mortises? seems kinda limiting and only being 3/8th too ....as i said above if your happy then continue, thats the important thing but i would encourage using regular mortise chisels, or other chisels, preferably at least a firmer chisel, thats how you get the hang of it, remember no one can see (most of) the mortise anyway so a bit of a stuff up is no big deal



cheers
chippy

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

....no pig stickers either. Don't hold back on my account.

Knowing what beautiful handles Ian makes on the his tennon saws as well as the chisels, I'm sure he would come up with a sensational improvement in handle design for the pigsticker, which I have only ever seen as the boring, ubiquitous, oval bolster.

Ummm.. actually I could loan him one to practise with.

Regards
Paul

Paul - I have owned a couple of 'pigsitckers', and I have to confess that I didn't get on with them at all. Don't know why, but I couldn't chop a decent mortise with one, no matter how I held my mouth, or which way the wind blew! Maybe you're right - I need to investigate the handle design - p'raps that was the problem.......

Nah, I think it's a question of what you grow up with, like 'pull' vs 'push' saws. I get along very comfortably with the style of mortise chisels I have, partly because they are used more often to clean up mortises cut by the hollow-chisel machine than to chop a mortise from scratch, though they are called on to do that often enough that they earn their keep.

So, until I deside to dabble in house-wrighting, or boat-building, or some other branch of woodworking I've not been exposed to up til now, I think I will limp along with my limited assortment...

Cheers,

Originally Posted by ch!ppy

.....remember no one can see (most of) the mortise anyway so a bit of a stuff up is no big deal

I second that. As long as the mortise is straight, & square to the surface, a slightly ragged end is neither here nor there, IMO, as long as it registers the ends of the tenons. Getting the hole square, & ensuring that you have at least 85% or better contact between the sides of the tenon & the mortise walls was the big challenge for me, and it took me a few years of practice before I could feel confident of producing a nice, firm joint every time (well, almost!).

Joint strength comes from the side-grain glueing surfaces, and that is what really counts, but it's good to get the ends well-fitted too, as it makes assembly a lot easier.

Cheers,

Originally Posted by behai

... I am guessing that experienced people squaring two lines more accurately than beginners. I have the short, no handle Veritas with the magnetic attachment, I use it to punch the four corners first. It is short, so very easy to control. I found the mortices that I make look much better.

In a far future, I plan to get a Lie-Nielsen normal square corner chisel with handle.

Best regards,

...behai.

Hi behai

I suspect that the magnetic item is mainly used for inlay work, although I have seen it also used for hinge mortices. Personally, I have not used a tool like this, instead relying on a scored line to guide a chisel.

Can I dissuade you from purchasing a corner chisel, even it is well made by LN. It is not that these are unhelpful in squaring corners of mortices; however they are a royal pain in the watsit to sharpen. Once dull you will want to throw it away!

If you are seeking a specific tool to square off ends of grooves or routed mortices, then a mortice chisel with parallel sides can help. Note that the "pigsticker" type (oval bolstered mortice chisels) have trapezoid sides, and these do not suit as well. The LN-made mortice chisels are square sided.

What I did was simply to grind a bevel on HSS bar ...



An edit to agree with chippy and Ian that mostly the ends of mortices are hidden from view. Take note that a deeply scored square line will guide a bevel edged chisel to a square end when the groove is visible.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Hi behai
What I did was simply to grind a bevel on HSS bar ...
Derek

HSS blanks are so cheap these days and practically impossible to draw the temper when grinding that this makes good sense.
Cheers,
Jim

Good evening Ian, Ch!ppy and Derek,

I do have a full set of Lie-Nielsen normal mortice chisels. I use the appropriate size to chop mortices. But I have not used the biggest one (12.5 mm or 1/2") yet.

Ch!ppy, that is exactly the one that I was referring to. I did not write very clear, when I mark the area using pencil, I use it to punch only the four corners, and usually one punch for each corner, then I use the normal mortice chisel to do the rest. I still find it hard to square initially using a normal mortice chisel on two pencil lines.

In my entire life, I have done about 30 mortices so far. I still have much do learn. Getting them straight and square bring me great joy

Thank you for the advice Derek, I could see that sharpening a square corner chisel is not easy. So that it why I have not bought one yet. Hopefully with times and pratices, I will not find the need for one anymore.

I like the two chisels you show Derek Am I correct in thinking that the two handles are of different timbers?

Thank you and best regards,

...behai.

behai

have a look at this article by Derek Cohen where he shows how to mark out mortices
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu...ndMortice.html

Good evening Ian,

Thank you the link. I have read it. I have all the tools for such work. But I have not done such joints yet.

Thank Derek too for such clear and detailed tutorial. I like the idea of using the clamp as the reference point for setting the chisel straight, and also leaving a bit of the ends of the mortice then cut them of last make a lot of sense for me -- this is the most valuable point for me.

(Last but not least, gluing a piece of thin wood onto the tenon for correction is of a lot comfort )

Best regards,

...behai.

Originally Posted by ian

behai

have a look at this article by Derek Cohen where he shows how to mark out mortices
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furnitu...ndMortice.html