Chisels for all woodworkers

 Yes, in this case that you works mainly with or without power tools, you still need a few chisels.

How many and what kind??

Surprise!  

They also comes in a bewildering arrays of chisels types available :-)

A small selection shown.

Mortise chisels (3 different types), Goose neck chisel (to clean bottom of mortise), Paring chisel, Bevel Edge chisels, Firmer chisels, Hollow mortise chisel used as a corner clean up chisel, pair of Skew chisels.  And yes there are more types available.

But since we are talking about a small kit, 3 is probably all you will ever used, maybe even 2...

So lets pare out our "pile".  As for  which kind, the Bevel Edge (BE) chisels are by far the most versatile.

Firmers?  They look similar but have straight edges, versus a beveled edge on our BE.  It is fine for most operations except... when you need to get into tight or angled corners like between the pins of dovetails.  Being straight edges, they will bruised the shoulders of our pieces.  Bevel edges chisels are not all created equal, some have larger bevels, some have a thick or thin landing.

Thin landings are nice but they can also be easily "done" with some judicious grinding.

Caution too thin and you will cut your hands often on them.

From L-R

(Top) Remove Mortise chisels, Skew chisels, Firmer chisels. 

 (Bot) Left with Bevel edge chisels, 2 small piles, pick three chisels.

A quarter inch (1/4), Half inch (1/2) and a large one.  

This one is one inch and a half (1-1/2). 

Why these three?  Of these the 1/2 inch would probably be your most used.  You will need smaller and bigger at times.  The 1/4 in is small enough to go most everywhere, but if you need it, they make a 1/8 inch chisel.  The large one (1-1/2) is very handy to clean up large surfaces, think tenons, the walls of mortise etc.  The first time you used it, you will be wondering where it has been all your life :-)

OK, so now you got your three chisels and you are all set...?

 Not so fast, let's talk safety for a minute.

A dull chisel is a dangerous chisel.  If you don't already know, you have to learn how to sharpen. 

Think your chisel is sharp?  Test it on a piece of end grain pine. 

Not on a piece of paper or shavings hairs off your arm.  That's nice, but how does it cut soft end grain woods like pine??  Tearing or leaving a shiny, burnished face with no scratches?

Always keep both hands away from the cutting edge in use.  That mean in most chiseling operation, we used both hands on the chisel.  Hint, it afford more control and keep your hands away from danger :-)

Sometimes when you have small landings or practically none (Dovetail chisels) or after you initially flatten the back, the edges can becomes somewhat sharp and cut your hands in use (two hands on the chisel remember?) A quick pass with sand paper will fix that, but be aware of it, before you need Band-Aids :-)

Now a word for the chisel safety... 

Not all chisels are designed to be hit with a hammer, others are fine with a mallet, others should only be used by hands, no banging on them.  Examples Paring chisels, distinguished from the regular BE chisels by their longer blade and thin profile.  Often they used a socket to hold the removable handle.

To Bang or not to Bang...on your chisels

They way the chisel is attached to its handle is one big clue, the other is the end of the chisel handle. 

All of these have differences in construction that reflect their intended usage

These two have a plain turned or slightly relieved end.

These details are intended for hand uses mostly but can be used with a proper mallet.

Your typical every day chisel construction.

Tang extend inside handle for rigidity, a small bolster on the lower end of the tang is stopping the blade to get pushed in. There is a ferrule to re-enforce the fragile connection where most of the stress is.

Socket construction are considered one of the strongest.

The handle is push in tighter when hit.  These normally indicate a Heavy Duty chisel, but there are of course exceptions.  Delicate Paring chisel often are fitted with  socket.  Why? Because they have a longer blade, takes more room, take off the handle for storage.

NOTE because the handles can get loose, careful how you handle and store them.

Don't want to drop that sharp blade on the floor...

This truly HD beast of a Pigstick mortiser has a large bolster

NO protection on the top of the handle except for small chamfer.

Very important to make handle last longer,  And yes, the handle get damaged in use 

and is often replaced 

Sometimes they put a leather washer, either at the ferrule end as shown on left

Or on top.  The Stanley 750 has such a feature.  In both cases,

 the use of leather washers is to absorb some of the shock when hit.

The top end of the handle is also a good indicator.

The presence of  a ferrule on top indicate it can be expected to take hits

These more modern chisels have different plastic composition and don't have

 the traditional tang, bolster or socket. In fact they often have a combination of all three.

The red acetate handle  (MF Buck Rogers) has a metal cap.

Both will handle most everything, had my old Marples since 1987.

They last me that long ... 

Been hit with 16 oz hammer, 20 Oz framing hammer, rock, brick, wood you name it :-)

That socketed looking Marples is never coming apart.

BTW be weary of Irwin Record chisels, not at all the same as the older Record Marples.

No where near the quality, feel and action.

After you handled " A few" in your hands you will recognized them right away from a distance 

So what is the proper instrument to bang on them? Mallets.  Wood, metal, composition, square, round etc

Here are some types of mallets appropriate. From L-R CW

Two removable heads, one hard plastic (yellow) use that one.

Both round heads are Carvers mallets, works just as well on chisels, that small strange looking metal hammer is from a friend in Namibia and is quickly becoming a favorite. Then lastly the traditional joiner mallet

The safe way to use a chisel, without hurting yourself.

First listen to your Momma and don't run with a sharp chisel... :-)

Chopping.

Chopping is a no brainier, since one hand is driving the mallet, the other holding the chisel.  No where near the cutting edge.  Of course that imply that your work piece is well secured on something that can take the pounding action.  Think thick workbench top, or over a leg. 

When I am doing a series of cuts like for a mortise, 

I would be rotating my chisel 180 to have the bevel left or right of my cutting action.

Bench top is plenty thick and stout as is, but if I was doing heavy duty mortising, 

I would move my work by the vice, over the leg

Chopping by its very nature is rough work, next to clean up and refined our surfaces, we need paring or slicing cuts.

Paring, slicing

A lot of chisel operations are more of a paring action.  Sneaking up to our baseline. Cleaning up the saw fuzz, so the joint will close properly.  Micro adjust the fit of two pieces by judiciously paring away material. Making or cleaning an opening, closed ( Has a bottom) or open (Through cut).

This is where most accidents happened, because if both hands are not on your chisel.  One to guide, the other to push, you are going to invariably slip and cut your other hand who just happen to be in front of it.  Found it!! ( my other hand )   Anyone has a Band-Aid?? :-)

Here I am paring flat the bottom I excavated with the chisel

Slicing the corner to round it over.

Not much differences between paring or slicing.

But note that both my hands are occupied.

I cannot cut myself.

Notice also that during those operation, my hand holding the chisel blade as a guide is either resting on the wood and act as a swing point or I let the chisel slide between my fingers. You can now appreciate what I said about sharp edges on the blade sides.

Notice also that I have a giant head and small arms.  Must be true, I am a Dinosaur. 

Oh and I am wearing safety socks in the shop  :-)

You will be surprise how often it is easy to end up with one hand in front if not paying attention, just look around you in the Wood shop, or wrongly thinking that it is OK, I' ll just be careful...Wrong, get the Band-Aids I'll wait for you :-)

Want to learn to use your chisel?  Try the Gottshall  block chisel exercise.  

It's an exercise in layout and chisels operations.  Yes, even the round cuts are made with the chisel.  

Here is a video on how the exercise is done ( a bit long, about 1 hour)

Here is another version broken down into smaller parts easier to digest, with another woodworker, Chuck Bender.  The whole idea is to practice your types of cuts.

Pay attention to his hands position while using the chisels throughout 

Bench chisel exercise Part 1 Chopping

Bench chisel exercise Part 2 Paring cuts

Bench chisel exercise Part 3 Slicing cuts

Bench chisel exercise Part 4 Simple diamond inlay

Lastly, you worked hard to get them sharp, protect their edges in storage to keep them like that ready to work.  And NO they are not can openers and you cannot borrow mine, sorry

Next up, Plane and simple...

Bob, the old Dinosaur tool guy