My New Chisels

[Tom LaRussa]

The Man from Brown brought me a whole bunch of new chisels yesterday.

Ain't they purdy? :D

[Rich Konopka]

Outstanding symmetry and that polished finish generates such a radiance.:D

[John Miliunas]

Tom, you got ripped off! :eek: Rich, I'm starting to think you're blind! :rolleyes: OK, seriously guys: What's up with the stock blanks? Tom, you mean to tell me you make your own chisels from SCRATCH???!!! :rolleyes: This whole Neander thing is really getting me confuzzzzzed! :confused: :cool:

[Tyler Howell]

This whole Neander thing is really getting me confuzzzzzed! :confused: :cool:[/QUOTE]You think I'm sliding fast! Our Neander buddy Tom has gone double deep on this stuff.
I'm waiting for the day he posts pix of digging iron ore for smelting up the stuff himself:eek:.
Nice haul Tom, We're taking notes. Keep us posted.

[Lloyd Robins]

Tom, you really have slid! Even Bob finds older chisels. At first I thought that they might be really long firmer chisels that you had polished. What kind of steel? Remember Tyler now frequents the Neander side, so please keep us up to date with lots of pics on your progress. Good luck!

John, some of us take it more seriously than others. You don't have to make your own to be part of the group. (At least I hope not.)

[John Miliunas]

John, some of us take it more seriously than others. You don't have to make your own to be part of the group. (At least I hope not.)

Whew! That's GOOD news, Lloyd! You guys were really starting to scare me for a bit there! :eek:

Hey, as long as we're on the subject of chisels, I can see myself getting into trying handcut DT's. I've been considering picking up one of these for the cutting part of the DT: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=2&page=41718&category=1,42884

But, what about the chisel part of this equation? Yes, I know LN has that set of 5 out there now, but $250.00 is just a touch high, I'd say. Any decent sets around where I wouldn't have to get a second or third mortgage on my property?! :cool:

[Steve Wargo]

The Two Cherries chisels. Aside from the initial work to get them ready to use they hold an edge nicely. Old chisels are a good bet. They're often quite cheap.

[Peter Gavin]

Tom, where did you get the steel and what kind is it? Do you plan on annealing it and then shaping it? How about a tutorial on what you do with them?

THanks
Peter

[Tom Scott]

Hey, as long as we're on the subject of chisels, I can see myself getting into trying handcut DT's. I've been considering picking up one of these for the cutting part of the DT: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page....ategory=1,42884

John,
Personally, I would recommend staying away from cutting jigs if you plan to be doing hand cut DT's. Since it's LV I'm sure it works fine. But at some point you're gonna need/want to do it without the jig, so why not learn now? A few nights of practicing and you will be cutting to line like a pro. Take a scrap board, lay out a bunch of angled lines across it, and practice cutting. Then cut off the end and do it again. After several nights of this, try cutting and assembling some actual joints. Same thing as before...cut, chop, assemble, then do it again. Caution, Though. Within a week you will probably be back here showing off your tight DT's and joining Tyler in discussions on various hand tool techniques.

And regarding chisels, do a search and you will find more than you ever wanted to read about them. There are many options that depend on your budget and inended use.

Best of luck,
Tom

[Lloyd Robins]

John, I am not as experienced as lot of guy here, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but here goes. I personally have Nishiki's (you probably don't want to go there right now. Let's just say that Joel gets a lot of my disposable cash) and a couple of Ashley Iles. I have tried Two Cherries and Marples also. Of the non-Japanese chisels the Ashley Iles fit me best. (I have both handle styles) The Ashley Iles are sold by a couple of your old friends (did you get the ECE smoother?). With beech handles http://www.thebestthings.com/newtools/ashley_iles_bench.htm , with bubinga handles http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=toolshop&Category_Code=TBBC . I would get a size that is not in the sets to see if the handle fits you before you order a set. (I know the Joel would work with you on this.)

Bob S. would probably suggest finding old, great chisels on ebay or at flea markets. You have a spinney thing and could make your own handles.

As to the saw, I think that current wisdom says put the money into the saw and learn to do it freehand. (Practice, Practice, Practice) There are a lot of nice saws out there. You could also try getting an old Disston (ebay) and get it resharpened. For not a lot more Lee Valley has a rip dozuki (Japanese saw), Mr. Spehar has a western type saw http://www.spehar-toolworks.com/ , or Joel has Adrias (expensive) or a very interesting little dozuki http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=MS-JS300.XX&Category_Code=TSJ for about the same price as the guided Lee Valley set (Yes, I know - I do not work for Joel, but he has been very helpful. He really works with his customers, even a pain like me.) Anyway, good luck and let us know. Again, welcome to the slope.

[Mike Swindell]

This is quite an ironic post as I was/am contemplating making some mortise chisels. Are you using O-1 steel or some other flavor. I had posted on the knife forums about heattreating steel of this size, and it sounds like you might be able to do this in the BBQ with sufficient airflow. What are your plans for hardening ?

Looking at steel prices, both McMaster Carr and MSC are within pennies of each other for typical sizes of O-1. The steel companies recommended in the knife forums were at least 100% higher, the web a great place for shoppping, EH ?

I don't have a lathe and was planning on buying handles, so the cost isn't going to be that much cheaper than store bought, but they will be cheaper and you'll have the satisfaction of making them yourself.

Good luck
Mike

[Tom LaRussa]

Tom, you mean to tell me you make your own chisels from SCRATCH???!!!
Actually John, I've only made three from scratch so far, all long, very thin paring jobbers -- two of which don't have handles yet. I've also made a plane blade and a small carving knife. (The plane for the one is not finished and the handle for the other is not even started yet.)

Anyhoo, the one paring chisel cuts so nicely that I simply can't resist trying to make some bench and dovetail numbers. Of course I also have to build one of those spinny things so I can make the handles -- but that's another topic. :D

Oh BTW, you aren't required to make your own tools to hang out over here on the enlightened side. All you have to do is recognized that burning electrons is not the best solution to each and every WW problem. :)

[Tom LaRussa]

I'm waiting for the day he posts pix of digging iron ore for smelting up the stuff himself:eek:.
Tyler, that'd be tough down here in Florida. You did more than about 18" and you run into water. :( Otherwise I'd probably give it a go. ;)

[Tom LaRussa]

Tom, you really have slid! Even Bob finds older chisels.
That's part of the problem. I think he's bought up all the decent ones out there! ;)



What kind of steel? Remember Tyler now frequents the Neander side, so please keep us up to date with lots of pics on your progress.
I'm using plain vanilla O-1, because it's easy to harden at home, plus it's the cheapest of the real tool steels.

Don't worry about Tyler, I'll keep him well supplied with pics as I go along.

[Tom LaRussa]

Hey, as long as we're on the subject of chisels, I can see myself getting into trying handcut DT's. I've been considering picking up one of these for the cutting part of the DT: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=2&page=41718&category=1,42884
John, I would have scoffed at buying one of those little guides until last week when I tried hand-cut DTs in some hard maple. (The only DT's I've ever hand cut were in Honduran Mahogany, which is easier to cut and which has a nice dark color to cover up one's mistakes at least a bit.) Now I say go for it.



But, what about the chisel part of this equation? Yes, I know LN has that set of 5 out there now, but $250.00 is just a touch high, I'd say. Any decent sets around where I wouldn't have to get a second or third mortgage on my property?! :cool:
Heck, LN's prices don't seem that bad. Check these out: http://japanwoodworker.com/product.asp?s=JapanWoodworker&pf_id=05.307.1&dept_id=11585 :eek:

[Tom LaRussa]

Tom, where did you get the steel and what kind is it? Do you plan on annealing it and then shaping it? How about a tutorial on what you do with them?
It's Uddeholm brand O-1 from a little outfit called Flatground.com. http://www.flatground.com/catalog/main.asp They are cheaper than any of the industrial supply places.

It comes already annealed. I'll shape it then heat treat it and temper it myself. I may send it out for cryogenic treatment as well, but I'm not sure yet.

I'll be happy to do a tutorial, but be forewarned that it may become more a tale of woe than what we have come to expect from the likes of Bob S, Leif, and Dave A. :o

[Tom LaRussa]

This is quite an ironic post as I was/am contemplating making some mortise chisels. Are you using O-1 steel or some other flavor. I had posted on the knife forums about heattreating steel of this size, and it sounds like you might be able to do this in the BBQ with sufficient airflow. What are your plans for hardening ?

Looking at steel prices, both McMaster Carr and MSC are within pennies of each other for typical sizes of O-1. The steel companies recommended in the knife forums were at least 100% higher, the web a great place for shoppping, EH ?

I don't have a lathe and was planning on buying handles, so the cost isn't going to be that much cheaper than store bought, but they will be cheaper and you'll have the satisfaction of making them yourself.

Good luck
Mike
Hi Mike,

I'm heat treating at home. I've done it successfully in the BBQ before, but I also have plans to build a small propane furnace. If you've searched online about this stuff, you've probably come across Ron Reil? I'm using that type of idea, except I don't need it to get nearly as hot. (He's into casting iron and such -- I just want to get it nice and red.)

As far as price goes, take a look at Flatground.com. I have found them to be cheaper than any online steel supplier or industrial supply house.
http://www.flatground.com/catalog/main.asp

Where are you buying your handles? I've looked around and there don't seem to be many suppliers of such things, so I've been thinking along the lines of building a small lathe.

[Louis Bois]

John, you really are in trouble...hand cut dovetails?!? The horror!!!

If it's chisels you're after, I understand that there's a new line in development by LaRussa Enterprises that promise to be the "bee's knees"!!!:D:D

I'd save my hard-earned cash for a set of those!!!!

[Dave Anderson NH]

I look forward to seeing your progress and results. As for my results in my toolmaking, I cheat and don't publish here about my failures and you better bet there are more than a few of them.

On the subject of heat treating furnaces, there's a cheapo method on the Old Tools list somewhere if you search the archives. Basically you can use a simple propane or MAPP gas torch and make a small furnace with a few strategically placed fire bricks available from Home Depot or some such place. Galoots have successfully heat treated plane irons with this simple setup. Low tech is the way to go for the home maker. Everything else costs a bunch of the green stuff.
Keep up the good work. Making your own stuff is a very satisfying bit of fun.

[Mike Swindell]

Tom,

Here's 2 links for handles, perish the thought that Mr Smalser will see this as we really should be making our own ! I admire Bob's posts and I plan on making his coping saw over Christmas, we'll see how that goes.



http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/default.php?cPath=39_351
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=30020&category=1,41504&ccurrency=2&SID=

You're right as far as pricing goes, flatground is less expensive than Mc Master or MSC, not by much though. About $2 less per 3 ft.

As far as forges go I'm thinking of going this route,
http://www.anvilfire.com/21centbs/forges/microfrg.htm

very simple design and cheap, which is right along the neanderthal/galoot thinking.

I was planning on making some skew chisels for dovetails also using perhaps 1/4" flat stock, should be easy as far as I can see. What thickness did you use for paring chisels ? I have some Witherby paring chisels but darned if I'm going to regrind these babies into skews !

Good luck and keep the creek informed of your progress

Mike

[Mark Stutz]

John,
Short of old chisels off e-bay, fleamarkests, etc. for the money, Marples is readily available and very reasonable. As you'll find in an Archives search they don't hold an edge very long, but can be sharpened as well as anything else. You just have to rehone more often. :(
Having said that, I'm finding myself looking on e=bay, and trying to decide whether to go that route or go with AI or something like that.
I got mine long before I ever heard of a woodworking forum, and really knew almost nothing about tools. If I had known then what I know now about what I hope to be increasing use of hand tools, I probably would have gone for a little better to begin with, but at least I will have something to use to scrape glue or lend out ;)

Mark

[Ed Hardin]

Well, I had looked at Hartville tool chisels, Lee Valley chisels and then bought the Pfiel chisels from woodcraft. Those things are shaving sharp out of the box and do one heck of a job. I cut some mortises with the chisels the other night and they went through the oak like butter. What can I say? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder or in this case in the hand of the person who has a very very sharp chisel doing a great job.