Thread: How much use is an out-of-square mortise chisel?

Originally Posted by Wood Borer

If on the other hand you have heaps of good mortise chisels then don't waste your time with it as a mortise chisel - use it as a paint tin opener and stirrer.

:eek: Rob.!! :eek:
Are you feeling OK mate.

Al

I still don't know if everyone is talking about the same thing! From what I can pickup, Green 'Chips has a chisel that may be beyond repair...but why not grind it down to make a smaller mortice chisel? Even a 1/4" chisel is useable!
I have done a quick sketch to identify what's wrong. I have exagerated the scale, but basically looking at the chisel end on, from the cutting edge. The extreme height probably relates more to the "pigsticker" shape, far deeper than wider, but not crucial to the argument! The first one is a simple rectangle, what I believe most of the replies consider to be the ideal shape. The second is out of square, which I think is the problem at hand. The third drawing is a tapered profile, which I think is what Derek meant, and is how I deem the pigstickers at least to be. That is how I make mine anyway...the back or spine is narrower than the face. This allows some 'ease' to remove the chisel from a deep cut, and also a bit of movement to realign the cut to markout lines if you wander.

Cheers,

Andy -

Quick reply before I shoot out the door.

Yes, second drawing is it. That's the prob.

Regards,
GW

Surely pic #2 can be simply machined to pic #3 without losing any width at the cutting edge? :confused:

Originally Posted by Wood Borer

...a mortise chisel - use it as a paint tin opener and stirrer.

Rob:confused: :eek: :eek: Been eating bad curry :eek: ?

Here is a picture of some of my mortice chisels, these ones are my current favourites, vintage Oval Bolstered Mortice Chisels from the UK.

<div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Chisels/OvalBolsteadMorticeChiselsWC.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br />

You can see just how deep the chisels are. Now here is a close-up of a blade. It is not easy to see, but the upper side is fractionally narrower than the back.

<div><img src="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Chisels/morticeshape.jpg" border="0" alt="" /> <br />

That is what a good mortice chisel should look like.

Regards from Perth

Derek

More tool !!

Nice chisels Derek! I take it you made the handles for them. Which timbers do you prefer?
Green 'chips, is the angle so badly out that it can't be corrected?

Regards,

Andy --

The angle is a bit all over the place.

I already have other mortise chisels slightly larger and smaller than this one, and if I machined it down, I would only end up duplicating what I already have. I will take it back to the guy I bought it from and negotiate a trade for something else, I think. I took some pics of it last night, but they don't make it easy to show the error.

Unless one of you wants to pay me $13 for it plus postage (it's in nice condition, just not square!) I will take it back to my friend.

Regards,
GW

Originally Posted by Green Woodchips

Andy --


Unless one of you wants to pay me $13 for it plus postage (it's in nice condition, just not square!) I will take it back to my friend.

Regards,
GW

Given the increadable interest shown here, why not put it on e-bay. golden pallace casino might give you a couple grand for a morticer that melted out of shape in the searing heat of the aussie sun. a truley original product

Redwood -

On closer inspection I believe the chisel also bears a striking resemblance to the Virgin Mary. Hmmm ... if that cheese sandwich could attract such high bids on eBay, the sky would have to be the limit for a chisel bearing the likeness of the Holy Mother.

Just a pity I'm a Protestant.

GW

Originally Posted by gregoryq

That's all well and good, but then how do you cut the non-square tenons?

Tilt your head to the right and stand on your left foot while cutting them.....basic stuff!!

The Virgin Mary has gone to a better place, and has been replaced with a 1" Titan bevel-edge chisel (I had too many mortise chisels anyway), and a couple more Swedish blades. Cheap, and underneath it all, a couple of nice chisels.

Cheers - and appreciated everyone's interest.
GW

Wow this thread is now very old but its aided my sanity check after wondering about a recent chisel I brought at a market tool trader. Beautiful old Ward mortice chisel with no signs of usage, however on closer inspection once home I found the profile to be very skewed. That is, all opposing sides are parallel but very out of square. What a waste! Now to find another use for this tool...can't bring myself to demote it to a life of paint tin opening and glue scraping.