joel Thompson
10-26-2009, 4:04 AM
hi guys,
i recently got a set of MHG but chisels from a company in the uk.
i needed a bog standard set of chisels that would work for general fine work on my musical instrument degree course.
the chisels arrived presented very nicely and first impresions were very good.
they got put a away until i had time to set them up and hone them.
when i got round to sorting them out the first thing to be changed was the handles.
they come from the factory over size and unfinished i presume so you can shape them to your own preferance which i did and throughly enjoyed doing it.
when i cam to hone the back i statred with smallest cisel.
all the chisels came looking nice with backs ground and and he primaray beval at 25%.
i started to hone the back on my norton 1000 grit water stone and imeadiatly noticed it was far from flat in fack there was a considerable back bow along the leangth.
i proceeded to try and hone this out on my 220 grit stone and after 2 hours was still knowwhere near the front edge.
so i moved on to the next chisel.guese what simalar problem this time there was a huge mis grind on the back and again it was not flat.
now i dont expect my chisels to be perfect from the factory and i expect to spend some time honing to get them in working order but this was silly.
anyway i managed to get this reasonably flat after abou 1 hour but i had to rock the over (as it rocked back on forth on a high spot) to get the tip honed.
i decided to go for the biggest chisel for the next one and as soon i stated honing i noticed something rather strange.
after only two strokes on the 1000 grit the very tip was honed perfectly but knowhere else.
great i thought this will make life easy for honing this one.
however i could understand why this was happaning.
i checked the back with starret square and there was a huge negative curve along the leangth of the chisel (something i could never hone out) i thought was strange and decided to leave the chisel and move on to the next in the set.
long story short(ish) the next two had the same problem.
i imeadiatly emailed the store i purchased them from and asked if this was a a fault or if they deliberatly honed the backs with a negative bow (I.E. the tip and the botton of the back contact the stone first) to facilitate honing.
they said they did not know but would contact the manufaturere.
the manufacterer i have to say were very good and awnsered back imeadiatly and said that no they should be perfectly flat and seemed pretty much mortified that this had happaned.
they said they would a new set to the seller and that they wanted my set back for quality control.
however another rpoblem i had with these chisels is that i just could not get them sharp however fine i polished the tip (and i like to think i am pretty good at honing blades and i can get my other chisels horrably sharp whith a system i have developed over the last 10 years of wood working).
i am wary as to weather i want another set of these chisels but at the same time feel i should give the benefit of the doubt.
i have also emailed the manufacturer direct with my problems and i am waiting to see if they offer a suitable outcome (so far i am out of pocket a set of chisels and shipping to and from the seller)
i am a university student and A, i really need a set of chisels i can use and B, i cant afford the added expence of returning chisels.
Advice please what should i do.
also has anyone else had problems like this with these chisels.
the reason i got them is becouse they had good reviews especialy from dieter shmit who,s reviews i really trust usualy.
http://www.fine-tools.com/stemmeisen.html
and even the review on this forum which is posative.
advice would great.
i am hoping the manufacturer will get a chance to see this (most will kepp up to date with the big forums) so it will be chance to get any problems you have had with these off your chest.
i am looking forward to feedback on this as i dont weather to say to the seller i just want my money back (as they have a replacment set now) or to give them another go.
i am tempted to just check out the new ones first but this has cost alot of vauable workshp time (i dont have my own shop at present so all honing and shaping has to be during my uni time) and i am tempetd to just cut my losses and get a set robert sorby,s which i know i like.
Thanks for reading let me know what you think,
Joel.
i recently got a set of MHG but chisels from a company in the uk.
i needed a bog standard set of chisels that would work for general fine work on my musical instrument degree course.
the chisels arrived presented very nicely and first impresions were very good.
they got put a away until i had time to set them up and hone them.
when i got round to sorting them out the first thing to be changed was the handles.
they come from the factory over size and unfinished i presume so you can shape them to your own preferance which i did and throughly enjoyed doing it.
when i cam to hone the back i statred with smallest cisel.
all the chisels came looking nice with backs ground and and he primaray beval at 25%.
i started to hone the back on my norton 1000 grit water stone and imeadiatly noticed it was far from flat in fack there was a considerable back bow along the leangth.
i proceeded to try and hone this out on my 220 grit stone and after 2 hours was still knowwhere near the front edge.
so i moved on to the next chisel.guese what simalar problem this time there was a huge mis grind on the back and again it was not flat.
now i dont expect my chisels to be perfect from the factory and i expect to spend some time honing to get them in working order but this was silly.
anyway i managed to get this reasonably flat after abou 1 hour but i had to rock the over (as it rocked back on forth on a high spot) to get the tip honed.
i decided to go for the biggest chisel for the next one and as soon i stated honing i noticed something rather strange.
after only two strokes on the 1000 grit the very tip was honed perfectly but knowhere else.
great i thought this will make life easy for honing this one.
however i could understand why this was happaning.
i checked the back with starret square and there was a huge negative curve along the leangth of the chisel (something i could never hone out) i thought was strange and decided to leave the chisel and move on to the next in the set.
long story short(ish) the next two had the same problem.
i imeadiatly emailed the store i purchased them from and asked if this was a a fault or if they deliberatly honed the backs with a negative bow (I.E. the tip and the botton of the back contact the stone first) to facilitate honing.
they said they did not know but would contact the manufaturere.
the manufacterer i have to say were very good and awnsered back imeadiatly and said that no they should be perfectly flat and seemed pretty much mortified that this had happaned.
they said they would a new set to the seller and that they wanted my set back for quality control.
however another rpoblem i had with these chisels is that i just could not get them sharp however fine i polished the tip (and i like to think i am pretty good at honing blades and i can get my other chisels horrably sharp whith a system i have developed over the last 10 years of wood working).
i am wary as to weather i want another set of these chisels but at the same time feel i should give the benefit of the doubt.
i have also emailed the manufacturer direct with my problems and i am waiting to see if they offer a suitable outcome (so far i am out of pocket a set of chisels and shipping to and from the seller)
i am a university student and A, i really need a set of chisels i can use and B, i cant afford the added expence of returning chisels.
Advice please what should i do.
also has anyone else had problems like this with these chisels.
the reason i got them is becouse they had good reviews especialy from dieter shmit who,s reviews i really trust usualy.
http://www.fine-tools.com/stemmeisen.html
and even the review on this forum which is posative.
advice would great.
i am hoping the manufacturer will get a chance to see this (most will kepp up to date with the big forums) so it will be chance to get any problems you have had with these off your chest.
i am looking forward to feedback on this as i dont weather to say to the seller i just want my money back (as they have a replacment set now) or to give them another go.
i am tempted to just check out the new ones first but this has cost alot of vauable workshp time (i dont have my own shop at present so all honing and shaping has to be during my uni time) and i am tempetd to just cut my losses and get a set robert sorby,s which i know i like.
Thanks for reading let me know what you think,
Joel.