Troublesome socket chisel mushrooms ??

[Jerry Olexa]

Getting ready to turn some new handles for these old socket chisels...First, have to deal with the "mushrooming" of several...There are severall good ones in the batch: Witherby, Buck, Sargent etc. and think they are all potentially good working chisels..Any suggestions on how to correct this spillover effect..I'm thinking a trip to the grinder and maybe, a file too. Let me know your ideas. Thanks,
Also, how do you guys remove wooden portion of the old broken handle still lodged in the socket? also thanks

[steven c newman]

On the really bad mushrooms, I'd hacksaw the "shroom" off. Then use the grinder LIGHTLY to dress it up. You can also get a cone shaped stone for the drill, to dress up the inside a bit.

Remove the wood? Drill a hole right in the center of the wood plug, then tip the drill a bit and "buzz" the rest out. Or, just drive a screw into the wood enough that a claw hammer will pull the plug out..

[Mike Henderson]

If the mushroom is not too bad, I just grind it off. The problem when there's too much mushroom is that the socket is then too short to support the handle properly.

I dress the inside with a round file.

Never had much trouble getting the wood out. You can drill it out, do what Steven suggested and put a screw in it and pull it out, or heat the socket a bit and burn the wood out (you just have to burn it enough to get it loose).

Mike

[bridger berdel]

I have a cone shaped carbide burr meant for a die grinder. Chucked up in a drill it makes quick clean work of the inside. The outside I do on the bench grinder.

[steven c newman]

The reason I said hacksaw, was for heat issues. trying to grind that much off at the grinder produces a lot of heat.

[Mike Henderson]

Maybe someone who is more knowledgeable can comment, but I was under the impression that the socket of a socket chisel was not hardened. If so, heat from grinding would not have a negative effect on the socket. Even if it was hardened, it should not affect the strength and performance of the chisel if the socket lost the hardening.

Mike

[Jerry Olexa]

Good ideas and I'm learning about heat issues..Thanks..I'll continue to read this thread.

[Gene Davis]

Watch this YouTube video for a how-to. The chisel's socket is quite heavily mushroomed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49k7d8SfphI

[Jim Koepke]

Jerry, here is my mushroomed chisel rehab:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?245479-Rehabbing-an-Old-Chisel

Of course you may not have a heavy piece of iron to use like an anvil. If there is enough socket left filing it off is a good way to go. If you are going to use a grinder you may want to wrap the chisel in a heavy bit of cloth to protect your hands in case of a slip of catch.

A few of my chisels have only a very short bit of socket left. They still seem able to hold a handle and work well.

If the socket is mushroomed over the wood you may have to grind some away before you can remove the wood. Drill the wood to insert as big of a wood screw as you can. First put the wood through a piece of thick metal bar. Then drive the screw into the wood. This will allow you to use the metal like a slide hammer to pull the wood out. Incase you are not familiar with a slide hammer, find a solid place to support the metal bar, lift the chisel up to the bar and then pull down quickly and with force.

jtk

[John Vernier]

My experience is that the sockets tend to be a lot softer than the pointy end of the chisel. That's why they mushroom instead of chipping and cracking when people abuse them. It's also why it's fairly easy to clean up the mushroomed metal with a file. Still, if you have a lot of grinding to do you might want to have a cup of water on hand to dip the end as it heats up, just for your own comfort.

[John C Cox]

Grind the ones lightly mushroomed.

On the bad ones... I might consult with a blacksmith to see if he could repair the socket. Heat it up and move the steel back into place without cracking, weld up all the cracks, and regrind. Probably more $$$ than they are worth.... But if it's a labor of love - then it is what it is.

This project is just the excuse you need to set up your own forge and welding setup.... ;)

[Jerry Olexa]

Watch this YouTube video for a how-to. The chisel's socket is quite heavily mushroomed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49k7d8SfphI

Gene: Excellent video..Perfect for this endeavor..Thanks

[Jerry Olexa]

Jerry, here is my mushroomed chisel rehab:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?245479-Rehabbing-an-Old-Chisel

Of course you may not have a heavy piece of iron to use like an anvil. If there is enough socket left filing it off is a good way to go. If you are going to use a grinder you may want to wrap the chisel in a heavy bit of cloth to protect your hands in case of a slip of catch.

A few of my chisels have only a very short bit of socket left. They still seem able to hold a handle and work well.

If the socket is mushroomed over the wood you may have to grind some away before you can remove the wood. Drill the wood to insert as big of a wood screw as you can. First put the wood through a piece of thick metal bar. Then drive the screw into the wood. This will allow you to use the metal like a slide hammer to pull the wood out. Incase you are not familiar with a slide hammer, find a solid place to support the metal bar, lift the chisel up to the bar and then pull down quickly and with force.

jtk

Thanks Jim..Good info and tips!!! Looking fwd to diving in...

[Pete Taran]

What John just said is on the right track, but you don't need to go to a blacksmith. Buy a cheap grizzly anvil (http://www.grizzly.com/products/Anvil-24-lb-/G7065?utm_campaign=zPage&utm_source=grizzly.com) and you could probably cold work that metal back to where it belongs. If not, just use a map torch to heat the socket up cherry red with the working part of the chisel wrapped in a wet towel. Take it to the anvil and tap it back into shape. They are trashed now, you don't have much to lose. Just make sure that the blade doesn't get too hot. I turned a mandrel down out of 1.5" thick round bar which is the same general taper as most chisels. It's not hard to do on even a smaller metal lathe like I own. Just leave the end long enough to grip in a vise so there is something to hold it while you work it. The metal on the socket is 1/8" at best and is easily worked back into shape.

Once it's roughly back into shape you can true it up with a file to make it purdy. Perhaps making a mandrel is outside your scope, but you could easily take it to a machine shop and tell them to make one to match the taper of your chisels. While you are at it, have them mill flats into the side so it's easier to grab in the vise. The horn of an anvil works best as it's joined to a much heaver mass, but for light shaping, the mandrel works.

Just a thought.

[Jerry Olexa]

Good advice John(s)...It'll be fun to actually start the filing etc....Thank you both..

[Jerry Olexa]

Thanks Pete..Good idea....

[Pat Barry]

How did they get to be like that? It seems they must have been misused and abused, correct? How in the world did the wooden handle cause that type of damage. Most of them look like junk to me -- are they really salvageable?

[steven c newman]

Owner had broken off a handle, didn't feel like taking the time to turn a new one out, just kept on a-pounding away on them.

Have salvaged a few like that before......

[Jerry Olexa]

Agree with Steven..Bought them as part of a batch of chisels...These are the ones needing work..Thought it might be fun..Time will tell :)

[Jerry Olexa]

Possibly, I "bit off more than I can chew"..:)

[Jim Koepke]

Possibly, I "bit off more than I can chew"..:)

It should be pretty easy to get most of them back into usable shape.

Pick one that you have another chisel of the same size. If it gets messed up in the process, then you will have a piece of metal that can be used as a plane blade or some other tool build. As you go you will gain experience and find it really isn't all that intimidating.

jtk

[Jerry Olexa]

Good advice, Jim....Will do

[John C Cox]

Or... Put these on The Bay and let them head on down to someone else who wants another project.

[steven c newman]

send them to me, be glad to tune them up. Need handles...though....

[Jerry Olexa]

Attacked the mushrooms today..Your suggestions worked,,,,Used Hacksaw and file plus slow grinder followed by wire wheel..,,,Decent results. Takes time...Also did my first "turning " today to try out the machine and blanks for one of the chisels,,,,I went slowly and enjoyed ..As many have said, PRACTICE will teach you the turning regimen etc..Was fun, have my first handle roughed out and the socket measured and ready to turn tomorrow.. Thanks....Funny the things we mortals enjoy doing!!!

[Jerry Olexa]

possibly also a job for a angle grinder.....another option.

[Jeff Heath]

Jerry

If you get stuck, give me a call. Bring the bad ones over and we'll "have at it."

[Jerry Olexa]

Thanks Jeff....Moving along but the process can be slow....Much of that wood you gave me is now in the form of chisel handles..Thanks again.
The handles are easier to turn than removing the mushrooms.

[Jeff Heath]

If you get stuck, I've got a full metalworking shop of grinders, belt grinders, mill, etc......not Neanderthal, but quite effective.

Keep it in mind

[John C Cox]

Remember that the sockets are usually soft. A good hot torch, a tapered spud and a good peening hammer can bring a lot of these back closer to right. You can tap them back... Not bang but tap.. That makes for a lot less work on the grinder.

one caution though.... You can easily crawl way down the rat hole of rehabbing old rust. Its fun and all - but its not really woodworking to make stuff.. It kinda becomes an end of its own.

Before you spend too many hours on this - verify the chisel blades are good steel and will take and hold a fine edge. If they wont - dont waste the time on them....

[Jerry Olexa]

[QUOTE=John C Cox;2677564]Remember that the sockets are usually soft. A good hot torch, a tapered spud and a good peening hammer can bring a lot of these back closer to right. You can tap them back... Not bang but tap.. That makes for a lot less work on the grinder.

one caution though.... You can easily crawl way down the rat hole of rehabbing old rust. Its fun and all - but its not really woodworking to make stuff.. It kinda becomes an end of its own.

Well Said..I have to remind myself of this often..Thanks