Registered vs Mortise chisels

[Joshua Layne]

So I own a 3/4" registered chisel because it looked like it was fairly stout and it was a lot cheaper than the mortise chisel was (sorby @ woodcraft).

But, while I have seen some information on what a mortise chisel is, (and why it is so stout...) I have not seen any corresponding information on what a 'registered' chisel is. I am therefore left thinking it is marketing only, but maybe there is a historical pedigree that I am missing...

any fellow monkey (neander...) care to educate me?

TIA

[Pat Zabrocki]

Here's a link that might help

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=NEXT&StoreCode=toolstore&nextpage=/extra/chiselguide.html

the Tools For Working Wood site has an explanation of sorts. In short a registered chisel refers to a square chisel where the sides are "registered" at 90 degrees to back.

I'm curious why you were looking at a 3/4 mortise chisel. Good rule of thumb is to double the donominator of the wood to get the mortise size for example: 1/2" wood wood be a 1/4 inch mortise and therefore 1/4 inch mortise chisel. You sound like you're just starting out so a 3/4 mortise chisel would be used to work 3/2 stock. Just wondering what you might be making if you're starting out with a 3/4 chisel, workbench maybe.

cheers
Pat

[Joshua Layne]

Thanks for the link - i'll check that out. In answer to your question, I bought that chisel for some wedged through half-dovetailed mortises that I was going to use on making a bed (Sage-Kama: http://www.davidfay.com/full.php?image=95.fall.hf.detail.jpg&title=NarraBedWithExposedJoinery.gif) I have not cut those joints yet, but they are going to be 3/4" wide when I do... eventually :) (that bed got put on hold when we were expecting our first child - he turns 4 in january.... OUCH!)

-josh

[Chris Friesen]

Doesn't David Fay do awesome beds? I really like the Bodden bed with the varying thicknesses. Very cool.

Anyways, you *can* cut a mortise with your registered chisel...you just need to be more careful about not twisting it in the cut and not prying too hard. Also make sure that your bevel angle is suitable for mortises...a microbevel at 35 degrees works well.

Unless you're seriously wedded to neander-ness, you might consider wasting out the mortise with a forstner in a drill press, or using a router. Either way you'd still need to shape the ends and maybe do a little paring on the sides. I used this technique when doing my own bed frame, and actually used a regular bench chisel.

[James Carmichael]

You can chop a mortise with that chisel, you just can't pound it as deep before levering out waste. You can always drill first.

Mortise chisels resemble Napoleonic-era bayonets to me. The blade is usually thicker than it is wide, and, on American/English styles, tapered.

When I came home from a tool swap a 1/2" English pigsticker, LOML thought I was up to something really sinister.

3/4" is pretty wide for a mortise, unless you're making it in the face of the board.

[Joshua Layne]

yeah - the bed posts are going to be pretty massive - I think 10/4 walnut is what I have roughed out in my shop.

If I snap that chisel hogging out a mortise, as long as it doesn't hurt me (again) it would be only fair and I wouldn't miss the d@mn thing - I dropped it on my foot a couple years ago and severed two tendons in my left middle toe.

Taught me to avoid sandals in the shop...:eek:

[Mark Rios]

Actually, a registered chisel is a chisel that has been fingerprinted because it has committed some type of crime, usually something like scraping grout or other such crimes.

[harry strasil]

I have used the wedged half dovetailed tenons in several things, it makes dissasembly really easy, where the joint was load bearing I also haunched them to gain full support of the member.

[James Carmichael]

yeah - the bed posts are going to be pretty massive - I think 10/4 walnut is what I have roughed out in my shop.

If I snap that chisel hogging out a mortise, as long as it doesn't hurt me (again) it would be only fair and I wouldn't miss the d@mn thing - I dropped it on my foot a couple years ago and severed two tendons in my left middle toe.

Taught me to avoid sandals in the shop...:eek:

LOL with you, had the same experience a few years ago and a nice zipper on the second toe of my right foot as a reminder.

I've learned to be much more careful since, not so much because of the wound (it was clean and painless), but the avalanche of paperwork from my insurance carrier following an ER trip, that was long and painful.