Super narrow chisel or what other tool do I need for this?

[Lisa Starr]

I'm getting ready to make several stopped grooves for an upcoming project. I will be making them on the table saw and will need to clean out the "ramps" on the ends after sawing them. The grooves are going to only be .216" wide x .250" deep, so my narrowest chisel (6 mm) is too wide. Should I just buy a cheaper brand of chisel and grind it narrower? Is there another tool more suited to the job? Please don't suggest routing the grooves instead, as I would still need to clean up the rounded corners and I'm very concerned about tool life trying to plunge onto a 1/8" bit.

Thanks for any help you have to offer.

[Derek Cohen]

Chisel to square and router plane/powered router to level the floor.

I have blades for all down to 1/8", and use these frequently.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Allen]

I've used a dental pick with a flat edge for similar jobs.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I have an old 1/8" chisel that I picked up at a flea market years ago and it's surprising how often I end up using it. I would think you could find one on eBay or advertise here in the classifieds.

[glenn bradley]

If there's a lot I would consider routing the whole length. Then I just have to square off the end (or not). A router plane was what jumped to mind at first but, the quantity can drive the solution.

[Mike Henderson]

1/8" chisels are readily available. I have a 4mm (5/32) one and I see that 4mm chisels are also readily available. Another alternative is to purchase a cheap chisel and grind it down to the size you need.

Another alternative is to cut the groove all the way, then fill the part you want filled with a strip from offcuts. Usually it's almost invisible.

Mike

[Andrew Seemann]

1/8 chisels are kind of handy, so picking one up isn't a bad idea. That said in a pinch, grinding an old screwdriver works if you don't burn the temper out, or so I have heard:)

[Lisa Starr]

Thanks everyone. Zachary, I didn't even realize you could purchase an 1/8" wide chisel. I just ordered a Narex 3 mm which should fill the bill. Since these grooves are long, I should be able to square the ends and flatted the bottoms. I'd love to own a router plane, but alas, Santa didn't bring me one.

[Alan Gage]

I have a friend who is a professional cabinetmaker and nearly all his cabinet partitions use stopped dadoes cut on the table saw. He has a simple solution that seems to work well. I'll see if I can do a good job explaining a simple operation.

He does not clean out the ramp but leaves it. The dado stops a few inches behind the front edge of the shelf.

The shelf, now, obviously won't fit, so it goes into the table saw to take about 1/4" off each side extending about 3" back from the front edge. This is one cut with a standard blade rather than a dado. The little tag that's left hanging is just ripped off by hand.

So now you have an ugly ramp in the carcass and an ugly ramp towards the front edge of the shelf but when you put them together it all gets covered up. Essentially the front edge of the shelf is cut to step around the ramp in the case. All the uglies get hidden once assembled. The front couple inches of the shelf are not housed in the dado but are flush against the inside of the cabinet.

He has marks on his tablesaw fence so he knows where to end his stopped dados and the shelf cuts are just done by eye as precision doesn't really matter. He does this all day every day and I was amazed to watch him do something in just a few minutes (including blade changes) that would have taken me tons of setup, measuring, and cleanup time. I've used that technique since and have been very happy with it.

Alan

[Lisa Starr]

Alan, really interesting idea. It won't work for this project, but would on lots of others I would consider. I'll file this away in my "future needs" folder. Thanks for sharing.

[Bill McNiel]

I have a friend who is a professional cabinetmaker and nearly all his cabinet partitions use stopped dadoes cut on the table saw. He has a simple solution that seems to work well. I'll see if I can do a good job explaining a simple operation.

He does not clean out the ramp but leaves it. The dado stops a few inches behind the front edge of the shelf.

The shelf, now, obviously won't fit, so it goes into the table saw to take about 1/4" off each side extending about 3" back from the front edge. This is one cut with a standard blade rather than a dado. The little tag that's left hanging is just ripped off by hand.

So now you have an ugly ramp in the carcass and an ugly ramp towards the front edge of the shelf but when you put them together it all gets covered up. Essentially the front edge of the shelf is cut to step around the ramp in the case. All the uglies get hidden once assembled. The front couple inches of the shelf are not housed in the dado but are flush against the inside of the cabinet.

He has marks on his tablesaw fence so he knows where to end his stopped dados and the shelf cuts are just done by eye as precision doesn't really matter. He does this all day every day and I was amazed to watch him do something in just a few minutes (including blade changes) that would have taken me tons of setup, measuring, and cleanup time. I've used that technique since and have been very happy with it.

Alan

Exactly what I do.

[Tim Nguyen]

If you want to see a video of this process, I recently watched a Norm Abram Old Yankee workshop where he uses this technique. Season 1 Ep 4.
https://www.newyankee.com/ I think this website is a legit website for the episodes.
Regards,
Tim

[Mark Hennebury]

40 odd years ago, I needed one for some job and I didn't have one, so I used an auger bit file like the one in the photo and made a chisel out of it. Ground the teeth off the edge and a point on the end, works great. Still have it and still use it.

https://assets.leevalley.com/Size4/10003/51W0620-auger-bit-file-f-01.jpg