Mortiser chisel recommendations?

[Chris Kennedy]

I have given up on the stock chisels for my Steel City hollow chisel mortiser. I am trying to cut 1/2" mortises in cedar, and I can remove about a micron at a time.

So, I need recommendations on a good mortise chisel, specifically 1/2". I had planned to get the premium bit from Lee Valley, but they are on back order under Aug.25, and I am really hoping to finish this project next weekend.

Suggestions?

Cheers,

Chris

[Myk Rian]

Maybe you ought to try sharpening them.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11153

[Chris Kennedy]

Maybe you ought to try sharpening them.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11153

Been there, done that (with that precise tool). Only thing missing is a t-shirt.

[Myk Rian]

What procedure did you use? Did you hone the outside surfaces? Use a triangle file on the inside corners?

If nothing else, will a 5/8" shank Delta chisel work?

[Kevin Womer]

Chris,
There is a great video on setting up your mortiser, included is how to sharpen your chisels and bits found on the Woodwhisperer website. It is realatively new so should be on the homepage.
Good Luck,
Kevin

[David Kumm]

If you end up buying, Forest City makes the real deal. Not cheap but I've had good luck. They make stuff that fits old commercial grade mortisers as well. Dave

[Neil Brooks]

I'm confused, too.

If they're well honed and sharpened, then I'd expect to hear that ... while they cut well at first, they seem to degrade in performance quickly ... or something like that.

If yours are simply garbage metal (weird, but not impossible), I remember hearing very good things about Clico chisels/bits.

But ... I WOULD be more inclined to be sure -- dead sure -- that you've done every element of setup correctly before I spent the $$.

Good luck !

[Howard Acheson]

I am trying to cut 1/2" mortises in cedar, and I can remove about a micron at a time.

Chris

Not sure what you mean here. Are you saying that the chisel will only go into the wood a very small amount?

What most instruction don't say is that the outside surfaces of mortising chisels must be honed to the same degree as you would the backs of your hand chisels. In other words they should be hone shiny smooth. This allows the chisels to enter the wood much easier and allows the easier removal of the chisel.

Proper set up is also important. First insert the chisel into the quill holding a quarter between the quill and the chisel so the chisel is not fully seated. Now insert the bit as far as it will go and tighten the chuck. Next, remove the quarter and fully seat the chisel and tighten the chuck. This establishes the proper clearance between the bit and the chisel.

[Larry Edgerton]

I use Clico's and Fische brand chisels. Chinese sets are not worth sharpening in my opinion. I sharpen until the chisel eventually splits because of the hard woods I work with. The chinese bits curl out the points of the chisel when working with a wood like Jatoba.

Larry

[glenn bradley]

As others have mentioned (and innumerable articles will attest), your chisels need to be well sharpened, not just close. I do the inside with a cone first, then the inside with another cone designed to put a micro bevel on. Then I diamond stone the outer faces.

With all that being said, soft woods are much more troublesome than hardwoods. The fibers tend to crush as they cannot resist the pressure like harder materials which pare well. For soft woods the term "sharp" has to be taken to a whole new level for it to apply. I agree with others in that I would really work my sharpening methods a bit before I bought a more expensive chisel. The same methods will apply to the new chisel as well. Even with a lower quality chisel, the first coupld cuts following a good sharpening should be quite good ;-)

[Gary Herrmann]

I bought mine from Lee Valley and they've performed very well.

[Andrew Hughes]

Hi chris, Are you working with red cedar?Sometimes red cedar just seems to full of sand or something.It take a keen edge to cut and wipes it out fast.I make entry gates once or twice a year.I always seems to forget the working properties of red cedar.just a thought.Hope this helps