Thread: Mortice Chisel - Pigsticker - question

Why not, they are simple enough.
Maybe finding the right bit of steel is the biggest problem.

Morticing chisel is simply a flat chisel ground sidewise, sorta. Him be right, finding the steel is the problem. I kow a fellow who makes tools with Leaf Springs from under Automobiles, How about that?

Originally Posted by Hickory

Morticing chisel is simply a flat chisel ground sidewise, sorta. Him be right, finding the steel is the problem. I kow a fellow who makes tools with Leaf Springs from under Automobiles, How about that?

What size do you have in mind? How about a seriously chunky file? I've got one that is about 1/4" thick and was thinking about cutting slices of each side and using it sideways.

I've made a couple, see here: http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ortice+chisels
A lot easier to make than normal chisels!

Cheers,

Deen

After seeing his December post, Andy refers to it above, I made several mortice chisels for myself.

If I can do it, most people with an IQ above room temperature (I'm talking Cetrigrade) and/or at least two functioning limbs, can also.

If you scrape into the either of the above demographics, have a go!

thanks for the great tips. The size I am looking to make is about 3/8-10mm wide. I like Hickory's tip - I will try and get a hold a leaf spring. If successlful I will post here.

Andy Mac, thanks for the link . Quick question. Did you solder a stop at the bottom of your handle ? What keeps it from driving itself further into the handle when you strike it with a mallet ?

Originally Posted by ddeen

What keeps it from driving itself further into the handle when you strike it with a mallet ?

I have several Tang Chisels and the Metal Ferrule is what keeps the tang from going any deeper and prevents the splitting.

Hi ddean,
The chisel has a substantial 'washer' or bolster fitted over the tang. It has a rectangular hole filed into it which settles right down onto the shoulder, and then a thick leather washer is fitted before the handle goes on. I haven't bothered soldering the bolster on, its just a light force fit, and with the leather, spreads the shock so the handle doesn't split etc. BTW the handle, according to what I've read (ie. Bob Wearing), is oval shaped and tapered down towards the blade. A very substantial grip.
The steel I've been using is annealed leaf spring stock from a spring works. Soft enough to hacksaw and file, before heat treating.

Cheers,

I've made a few out of square O1 tool steel, tough as. The steel comes square and dead on

I got these from www.toolsforworkingwood.com. The catalog they are lying on is roughly A4/Quarto. Made by Ray Isles (brother to Ashley?) in the UK - much easier than getting all by smithing gear out & pounding out a pair on my own. HUGE handles too.

Originally Posted by bsrlee

Made by Ray Isles (brother to Ashley?)

Son

Cheers, Alf

No where as nice as some of the samples above but got to start somewhere. I got a hold of a used leaf spring for 5 bucks. It is not quite the thickness I am looking for but it is proving to be good practice. If it turns out good I will do my second one with 01 steel (thanks Toolin Around). What is not shown in the picture is a glass of water that I had to constantly had to dip the steel in to keep it cool. Also including WIP of second fishtail chisel I am making. The first one I made is excellent but I wanted to also have one with a narrower tip. My poor battery powered dremmel tool and 5 inch grinder had to work overtime.

Gday Dennis, a 4" angle grinder & a few thin (1/16") cutoff discs would save you a lot of time and wear & tear on your Dremel. They cut fast & relatively cool.

Pretty cheap over here, should be next to nothing over there.

Good work on the chisels, like the houndstooth d/ts on the grinder rest too


Cheers..............Sean

Dennis

Scoots is spot on re the thin cut-off discs. They cut very quickly and accurately.

I use then for all my steel cuts, if I can't use the cut-off saw, so much better than the standard cut-off wheels.

They wear out a bit quick, but I guess thats to be expected. On reflection tho no quicker than the standard discs.

Another recommendation is you buy a 3M, or clone, polishing disc for the same 4" grinder. These look like a sort of honeycombe, blue in colour (tho that depends on the brand)

They are just the Ducks Guts for polishing away the grind and saw marks. I also use them to clean up old plane soles and cheeks before going to W&D.

For my home made chisels etc, after using the above, I go straight to rouge on a polishing wheel. Mirror finish.