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Thread: They're baaack

  1. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Brady View Post
    Hey, they're ok.....just not quite as fabulous as everyone would have you believe. Paul Sellers should get a dollar for every set of these he has sold.
    Remember that Paul was basically looking for something cheap-but-good-enough to hand out to all of the students who show up to his classes with crappily prepared chisels. That's a fairly low bar and not misleading IMO, though I think that some of his readers have subsequently "over interpreted" his writings.

  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by David Ragan View Post
    I have often wondered, is there a way to improve the performance of more economical steel? Maybe heat treat and temper?

    The things that matter are:
    1) 'grain size'
    2) hardness
    3) edge retention
    4) this terminology is likely not correct
    Grain size and hardness are low-level physical attributes, to which you can add several more, starting with composition (both initial and post-heat-treatment).

    Edge retention is a high-level performance attribute, that depends on all of the physical attributes as well as the specific workload and edge geometry to be evaluated.

    Quote Originally Posted by David Ragan View Post
    However, it would be cool to have a small forge, etc and get a swan from an ugly duckling.
    At that point it would be better to start from raw steel of your choice rather than trying to "enhance" existing tools like the Aldis, as there's only so far you can go with cheap Cr-V alloys etc. That's particularly true if you want to benefit from modern tricks like PM.

  3. #18
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    Apparently I was way behind on my browsing and in catching up, I notice Pop Wood posted this:

    Quote Originally Posted by David Bassett View Post
    Don Weber describes a simple one-burner propane forge....
    on their blog last week:

    Backyard Propane Forge

    (I notice the estimated cost has gone up a little though! )

  4. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Chase View Post
    Remember that Paul was basically looking for something cheap-but-good-enough to hand out to all of the students who show up to his classes with crappily prepared chisels. That's a fairly low bar and not misleading IMO, though I think that some of his readers have subsequently "over interpreted" his writings.
    You're probably right Pat. But still, I'm quite happy with mine. They hold an edge well for the woods that I work and they were easy to tune and sharpen.

    They aren't LV or LN or other high end brand. But honestly? I have tried and tried and tried to talk myself into a set of high end chisels and just cant get there. I know I'd like them - how could I not? But I just dont feel the need. What I have is well tuned and does everything I need. ("What I have" also includes a set of Marples blue handles (with the white ring) and Narex paring chisels.)

    [But that $1000 Chili Habenero Gas Forge - ooooooh baby! ]
    Fred
    Last edited by Frederick Skelly; 09-17-2017 at 2:55 PM.

  5. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frederick Skelly View Post
    You're probably right Pat. But still, I'm quite happy with mine. They hold an edge well for the woods that I work and they were easy to tune and sharpen.

    They aren't LV or LN or other high end brand. But honestly? I have tried and tried and tried to talk myself into a set of high end chisels and just cant get there. I know I'd like them - how could I not? But I just dont feel the need. What I have is well tuned and does everything I need. ("What I have" also includes a set of Marples blue handles (with the white ring) and Narex paring chisels.)

    [But that $1000 Chili Habenero Gas Forge - ooooooh baby! ]
    Fred
    I actually agree with you (though I do have some expensive chisels). With almost everything in life there is diminishing practical benefit for common usage (as opposed to Derek's freakish Oz woods) once you get beyond a certain point. For chisels that point is probably lower than a lot of us who do own expensive chisels would care to admit.

    For gas forges on the other hand...

  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Simon MacGowen View Post
    Thanks to Paul Sellers, people are selling them, say, on ebay, for $24 plus shipping.
    As phineas and ferb would say "I know what we are going to do today"

    I intended to buy a set, not that I need another set of chisels. I currently have a set or two of cheap stanleys that I keep around for the same reason that Paul Sellers did. Why sure neighbor, I do have a chisel that you can borrow.

  7. #22
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    This is the set I have had since they first came out...2 years or so
    IMG_1927 (640x480).jpg
    has a few nicks, needs worked on....last 4 projects were a bit hard on them...
    IMG_1928 (640x480).jpg
    Might spend a little time next week. Between these and the new ones, might take an afternoon....something to do while the glue dries...

  8. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Pitonyak View Post
    As phineas and ferb would say "I know what we are going to do today"

    I intended to buy a set, not that I need another set of chisels. I currently have a set or two of cheap stanleys that I keep around for the same reason that Paul Sellers did. Why sure neighbor, I do have a chisel that you can borrow.
    I have some Borg Bucks and Stanleys for that (though the Aldis are cheaper and I'd grab a set if they were near me).

    The last person to whom I lent a "throwaway set" came back a couple days later and asked something along the lines of "what are you doing with these things, surgery?". Most people just do not know what a sharp tool is, or what they're missing. In my experience that includes some people who've bought nicer chisels than Aldi/Buck/plastic-Stanley.
    Last edited by Patrick Chase; 09-17-2017 at 4:01 PM.

  9. #24
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    To try and contribute to the original topic, (not that forges aren't cool! ), I book marked this blog post by Jim McConnell about tuning up the Aldi chisels:

    https://thedailyskep.com/2016/06/07/...-for-a-reason/

    It seems like a reasonable amount of work for a reasonably nice set of chisels on the cheap. (If only we had Aldi's locally....)

  10. #25
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    Steven, Thanks a million for the notice on the Aldi's chisels. I have been trying for the last 4 years to get a set at the Aldis in town, but they were always sold out.
    Ran into town and finally got a set.
    I have a set of the Stanley Fat Max chisels and they really seem to hold an edge. The Aldi chisels will make nice paring chisels if they're as good as everyone says.

  11. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by michael langman View Post
    I have a set of the Stanley Fat Max chisels and they really seem to hold an edge. The Aldi chisels will make nice paring chisels if they're as good as everyone says.
    The steel on the Fat Max chisels is OK. Not great, but OK.

    Those mile-high side flats and monstrous handles, though... Any work for which you need a tang that runs all the way through the handle to a strike plate is more or less the opposite of fine woodworking.

  12. #27
    I picked up two sets a couple of days ago. I've been waiting for them at my local Aldi's for at least 18 months. Have not had a chance to hone them up yet, but one in the package that I opened has quite a jagged edge. Will take some work to get that edge back to solid steel and straight.
    Nothing I can't handle, as I pick up any old useable chisel I find at the flea markets, and do the work to put them back in order.

  13. #28
    I agree Patrick. Hey, I bought these too, several years ago; thinking they must be something special since they were touted by Sellers. A guy just called me to let me know that "those fantastic German (sic) (they're totally Chinese) chisels are available at Aldi in town". I have used them enough to form an opinion; and its not a high one. I guess what bothers me most is ignorance of the attributes of what really good chisels can do in practiced hands. I understand that many woodworkers have little use for a proper chisel since they have an assortment of expensive machinery to perform tasks. If you are desiring to gain hand tool skills, then investing in chisels that take and hold an edge, have decent balance, properly shaped blades, and comfortable handles is essential. If you can't afford a set then get a couple of sizes to start with. You will use those chisels for many years after the Aldis have been given away or lent.
    Last edited by Mike Brady; 09-18-2017 at 12:16 PM.

  14. #29
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    I hear what your saying Patrick. I got the Fat Max chisels as a do all chisel. They were much less in price then a good bench chisel. The handles on the Aldi chisels are quite large also. Not totally elated about buying the Aldi chisels, but for the time being they will fit in nicely with what I have to work with for now.
    I have my eye on a set of the Iles or Pfeil bench chisels in the future.
    I would love to set up, and start producing fine, hammer forged chisels in my shop, but at my age and circumstances physically, see it as being unrealistic.

  15. #30
    One problem with cheap imported tools is their variations in quality. Are you guys buying the latest Aldi's chisels sure they are the same ones in terms of quality that Sellers had when he tested his?

    Though they had the same brand name and sold by the same retailer, the tool maker could be a different factory in China or the QC process might have been different, or missing this time even if it was the same factory.

    We might be talking about different chisels with the same name.

    Frankly, a good, economical set of chisels for chopping can be had if you go with the Narex and sharpen them at 30 of 35 degrees.

    Simon

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