Why chisels? Primer needed

[Jerry Olexa]

Enjoy WWing immensely and most of my tools are currently powered. A few years ago, I discovered the joy of a well sharpened, properly adjusted hand plane (Wow) and now its part of my everyday tool arsenal. As to chisels, I have 5 or 6 of the "El Cheapo" variety from the Borg or Hdwe store purchased as needed for cleaning out mortises (now I have a mortiser), shaving the tenons, adjusting drawers etc. But I feel I might be missing out on one of the major tools of WWing (like the plane). I do not do any turning at this point ( I can hear the groans:) ) but I'm interested in the "uses" you have for chisels. I can tell from the posts, there is a genuine love, bordering on passion for this tool. Please educate me and perhaps, I will jump in and invest and learn about another neglected tool for my humble shop...Hopefully, it will similiar to my "plane" experience...Thanks. I look forward to your suggestions/guidance in these new waters:) :confused:

[Mark Singer]

Jerry,
They are essential for joinery, mortising, installing hinges and hardware..cleaning corners with glue. Dovetails...the list goes on. I have several older ones and some very fine ones...LN's and Japanese sets and individuals... Save the nice ones for dovetails and joinery. I sharpen about 10 at a time so I always am ready and before I start a project. I am always using my planes , chisels and rasps and knives...it is the key to producing fine cabinetry

[Steve Wargo]

Jerry I use chisels for a bunch of tasks. I use them to chop the waste in DT's, Clean and indent the shoulder of a tenon, clean up mortises and mortise hinges (most always done by hand). I've used a large one for cleaning up cheeks of a tenon (when I'm too lazy to pull out a shoulder or rabbet block), I've used them to put small chamfers on short surfaces, I use them to remove splinters, and slice veneer with a straight edge. I use them to tune miters in small moulding with a 45 degree guide block. I'll not get into the debate about good chisels vs. bad chisels, but FWIW I have Two Cherries and couldn't be happier.

[Jim Becker]

Now that I have some decent ones...I actually use them. And am doing things I never dreamed I'd do by hand, 'cause I can. You don't need the most expensive chisels; but sharp is as sharp does. But you already figured that out!

[Steven Wilson]

Well Jerry, in a powertool shop chisels are great for making things fit. They are much quicker than trying to get the powertool setup for a perfect fit. A small collection of very good chisels makes it fast and easy to shave off enough to make things fit. I bought a powered mortiser before I bought a mortise chisel and thought it was great for making mortises. Well, after using a decent mortise chisel I find that it is quicker and easier to bang out mortises with the chisel than taking the time to set up the mortiser. Of course, if I have a lot of mortises to make then it makes sense to set up the mortiser. As I continue I find that I generally prefer using well setup handtools and leave the power tools for drudgery tasks (thickness planing) and tasks that they are really good at (sizing panels, routing stock, etc). It's much more fun to make chips and hear a bang than throw up clouds of dust and the whine of a universal motor.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Hi Jerry, In addition to the great answers given by Mark Singer and Steve Wargo, chisels make excellant carving tools on any convex surface. Just Monday night I installed the last 3 knee blocks on a cabriole legged table I'm making. The blocks were rough shaped on the bandsaw and then glued in place with hot hide glue. All of the final shaping was done with a very very sharp 1" wide bench chisel. A very slight sanding with 100 and 150 grit sandpaper finished the job and the blocks blended right in. Chisels are one of the most versatile tools in the shop and their uses are only limited by your imagination.

[Ken Bryant]

Jerry,

If the plane is the basic tool for shaping wide flat areas, the chisel is the basic tool for all the fiddly bits that aren't flat. Hard to imagine doing anything without one -- and like any edge tool, good ones take a good edge and cheap ones don't; good ones are the ones that fit your hand and bad ones are the ones that don't; good ones don't bend, or lose handles, or...

[Tom Hamilton]

Hi Jerry: I've found a "scary sharp" 1/2" chisel to be one of the most used tools in my workshop. All of the usual functions and just the perfect size for cleaning up glue squeeze out, paint drips, (yes I do occasionally allow a drop to fall :o ) and fine trimming of parts.

I keep mine in my tool pouch, buckled around my waist, so it is always handy.

Enjoy, Tom, in Houston, enjoying a balmy 78 degree day.

[Jerry Olexa]

I'm learning from your responses that there really are lots of uses for this tool especially for precision fitting etc. You're convincing me I should invest in a good set of chisels. Of course, now I'll wonder which set/brand? But I can do a search here and get your prior opinions.
THANKS for your comments about this interesting new facet of WWing...Here I go:) :D Stay tuned...Hope its at least 1/2 as successful as my Plane experience...thanks

[Ben Grunow]

You guys must really be trying to mislead Jerry or keep him out of our special Chisel Users Club or something (I don't know). But the real uses for a nice sharp chisel, as we all know very well, are:

screwdriver
paint/glue scraper/putty knife
prybar
ice pick
splitting wedge
nut splitter for stuck nuts on old bolts or threaded rod
shim under the workbench to eliminate wobbles
paint can opener
paint stirrer
wire cutter
my favorite-cold chisel for masonry (use smaller ones when joints are narrow)
the list goes on and on....

I will be posting a series of tutorials in the near future. Master these techniques and you are in the Club.

Your welcome.

Ben

[Jim Becker]

Excellent for amputation, too, Ben...:eek:

[Jerry Olexa]

You guys must really be trying to mislead Jerry or keep him out of our special Chisel Users Club or something (I don't know). But the real uses for a nice sharp chisel, as we all know very well, are:

screwdriver
paint/glue scraper/putty knife
prybar
ice pick
splitting wedge
nut splitter for stuck nuts on old bolts or threaded rod
shim under the workbench to eliminate wobbles
paint can opener
paint stirrer
wire cutter
my favorite-cold chisel for masonry (use smaller ones when joints are narrow)
the list goes on and on....

I will be posting a series of tutorials in the near future. Master these techniques and you are in the Club.

Your welcome.

Ben

Gee Ben. I knew there was more to it than those other uses.:D :) Now I really have a reason to go get a set of chisels.:) See, those other boys wuz holding back:)

[Jeff Borges]

I am by trade a finish carpenter (mostly unglamorous work, but occasionally the gem of a house to work on comes along). I sharpen my chisels to a mirror finish and store them lovingly....I recently was given the contract for a job...when a friend of the customer whose house I was working on commented on the sharpness of my chisel. First job I have ever gotten that was influenced by a chisel!!

As for why should you get chisels?? I simply put it this way: They are tools, what more reason do we need!!!! :p

[Gary Herrmann]

Jerry, I've got some nice LV planes, but I haven't sprung for any chisels more expensive than the made in England blue handled Marples. Don't have as good as steel or handles as the really nice ones that have been mentioned, but it might be a good way for you to start.

Some day I'll spring for some Two Cherries or maybe even the LNs... (sigh)

[Tyler Howell]

What Steve said.
I can be done with a few hand tools before I get the power tools hooked up;) .

[Al Willits]

I think I have most of Ben's useage's already mastered......

Gasket scraper was my favorite use...

I'm kinda at the same stage Jerry is, well, maybe not that far, I just realized chisels were to be used on wood, not metal/concrete/ice/chipping welding spatter and paint..:)

I'm not quite ready to buy a set of upper end chisels yet, but I'd be interested is some middle of the road suggestions to get started on, and maybe a basic set of what sizes?

Al...who kinda likes the whine of a motor...:)

[Jerry Olexa]

Hmmmmm New opportunity,,,So many choices?!:D :)

[Dan Larson]

I'm not quite ready to buy a set of upper end chisels yet, but I'd be interested is some middle of the road suggestions to get started on, and maybe a basic set of what sizes?

Al, the set of 5 LV bevel-edge chisels is a good value-priced starter set.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=30028&cat=1,41504,43500&ap=1

I have a set of these, and for the price, they're very good. Steel is decent and they're ground reasonably well. You'll have to invest some time flattening the backs, though. I found that a 35 degree secondary bevel is the best compromise for me with these chisels.

Dan

[Al Willits]

Thanks Dan $50 for 5 chisels (cheapie here will pass on the box) sounds like its doable.
Another tool added to the list....:)

Just wondering though, where's the metal on the handle end, for when you use a ball pean hammer on them???
:D

Al

[Hank Knight]

Jerry,

I think a warning is in order here. Like many (Most? ALL???) hand tools, chisels are addictive. I woke up after I'd spent several hundred dollars on new and old chisels and many hours sharpening and rehanlding them and realized that I had --- A CHISEL PROBLEM. I have more chisels than I will ever need, but I can't stop buying them. There are so many kinds and sizes, and they all need homes. I'm seriously addicted. I couldn't begin to list all the things I use them for. From the responses you've gotten, you can see they're probably, at least in my view, the most versitle tool in the shop. If you are determined to venture down this path, do so with the knowledge that the slope is steep and very slippery.:D

Hank

[Steven Wilson]

Hmmmmm New opportunity,,,So many choices?!:D :)
Yes there are, I would suggest that you forgo getting a set of bench chisels and look to individual chisels that work well at a given task, unless of course you have a fairly large budget. I have a couple of sets of decent bench chisels (2 Cherries and LN) but I find that I mainly use paring chisels of various kinds most of the time. One of the best hours I have ever spent was talking chisels and sharpening with Harrelson Stanley (of Shapton and Japaneese tool fame). Harrelson worked with me on identifying a small number of chisels (4) that would work for my cleanup and fitting needs and at a price I could afford. I suggest that you give him a call before you decide on anything.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Hmmmmm New opportunity,,,So many choices?!:D :)
There is a reason why we call it the slippery slope.:eek:
consider yourself warned, shiny tools ahead.:D ;)

[Jerry Olexa]

My decision is to sharpen the chisels I have when time available and then use and learn. THEN, using the gift cards that inevitably show up at this time of year, I will upgrade to better chisels...Thanks for y'alls advice...

[Joe Mioux]

Jerry:

I really like sharpening chisels.....you kind of get lost in time doing it.

Taking a chisel and putting a mirror finish and a micro bevel on a chisel blade is fun.

Personally, I like using waterstones.

Whether you buy less expensive or more expensive the process of sharpening is the same.

Joe

[Ian Gillis]

Good list, but I feel obliged to add one that every chisel devotee has done at one time or another.... shaving a patch off the old forearm !

Cheers

[Ken Bryant]

And you make a good point: One of the best reasons for buying expensive chisels with good edges is their role in forearm-shaving. I mean, using cheap steel on wood is one thing, but for your forearm, don't you want the very best?

[Billy Chambless]

Excellent for amputation, too, Ben...:eek:

I donno, Jim... I think amputation is one of those jobs where all but the most hardcore Neander would agree that there's a place in the shop for a quality, well adjusted radial arm saw.

But when it comes to medium-sized (five to 17 stitches) lacerations, a sharp chisel is hard to beat.

[Larry Conely]

Slippery slope indeed. This is my chisel cabinet and a couple of the drawers.

[Larry Conely]

...and a few more...

[tim rowledge]

You sir are a very sick man. Seek treatment immediately!
Wow, what a collection.

[Jerry Olexa]

...and a few more...

Larry WOW Amazing collection. We are not worthy:) . Its obvious you have a passion for the joy of chisels!
Thanks for showing. I'll get up from the floor now..:D

[Jerry Palmer]

Most any cutting tool in your shop, be it tailed or not, is basically a chisel or chisels. The chisel is the most basic tool in the shop. Planes are simply chisels with a jig that holds it in proper orientation to the wood. Saws are simply a series of chisels lined up in a row. While having a special tool for every job in the shop might be considered the ideal, until you get there, you need chisels to do the work for which you have no specialized tool.

Then there are the jobs where no other tool will work, squaring off the end of a stopped dado or groove made with a router or dado head. Or the ends of a mortice cut with a tailed router.

[Don Bullock]

Larry ~ Those pictures have to be posted as a major tool gloat. Talk about Neanderthal Heaven, wow! I couldn't even dream of having that many. The cabinent is fantastic!

[Larry Conely]

Thanks for the compliments.

The cabinet was purchased, not made by me. It is English, old, with superb half blind dovetails and patina. I enjoy having these expertly crafted objects in my shop and like recycling them. It appears to have been crafted as a utilitarian cabinet of some kind rather than a piece of furniture. The drawers were already dadoed, but I added the dividers for the chisels. The low-res photos don't do it justice.

The chisels themselves were accumulated over a 35 year span. They are always on my Christmas and birthday list. Many were targets of opportunity. The top drawer is a great example. Years ago I found a pail of cobbler's tools in a junk shop, all with beautiful rosewood handles. I think I paid $15 for the lot. Over the years, I have mounted many small woodworking tools in these handles and even coverted some of the original leather working tools for woodworking.

And yes, I use most of them (except the set of tanged chisels in the last pic awaiting restoration).

Larry

[Dan Barr]

Thats a right nice set of paint can openers you got there. :D

I wish i had a nice collection like that.

I agree, larry is very sick. the only cure would be to part with the majority of those chisels. I might be willing to take those and keep them safe and out of his sight.

Ive got a basic set of 4 chisels right now. One day, i'll drop the debit card on the counter and get the set i really want.

Whats your favorite brand for all the most common tasks?

v/r

dan

[Dan Muller]

I donno, Jim... I think amputation is one of those jobs where all but the most hardcore Neander would agree that there's a place in the shop for a quality, well adjusted radial arm saw.

But when it comes to medium-sized (five to 17 stitches) lacerations, a sharp chisel is hard to beat.

Figures I would happen to notice this thread today. Just spent three hours in the ER this afternoon getting five stitches in my left forefinger after slipping with a chisel. A moment's inattention...

But I do love my chisels, I use them all the time. Eventually I hope to learn to use them safely, really learn it deep down so I don't have to constantly think about it ...

[Doug Shepard]

I use them for most all the reasons already mentioned. I also use them for hogging off proud inlay before it gets close to flush and switching to a plane or scraper. It just speeds things up.

Then there's the always exhillarating sport of Shave-The-Kitty:D

[Brian Kent]

How about Hirsch?

6 for $112 at Lee Valley or choose a few.

They are the same as Two Cherries, which is $123 for 6 in a box at Craftsman Studio.

After a little work flattening the back, I love my Two Cherries!

[David Weaver]

Enjoy WWing immensely and most of my tools are currently powered. A few years ago, I discovered the joy of a well sharpened, properly adjusted hand plane (Wow) and now its part of my everyday tool arsenal. As to chisels, I have 5 or 6 of the "El Cheapo" variety from the Borg or Hdwe store purchased as needed for cleaning out mortises (now I have a mortiser), shaving the tenons, adjusting drawers etc. But I feel I might be missing out on one of the major tools of WWing (like the plane). I do not do any turning at this point ( I can hear the groans:) ) but I'm interested in the "uses" you have for chisels. I can tell from the posts, there is a genuine love, bordering on passion for this tool. Please educate me and perhaps, I will jump in and invest and learn about another neglected tool for my humble shop...Hopefully, it will similiar to my "plane" experience...Thanks. I look forward to your suggestions/guidance in these new waters:) :confused:

I'm going to suggest something before you buy chisels - purchase the David Charlesworth "Chisel Techniques for Precision Joinery" DVD. Craftsmanstudio.com has the DVDs with no shipping charges right now. It will give you an idea of how to generally use chisels properly (and get results that you wouldn't have thought you were capable of), and give you an idea of whether or not you want to get so involved as to take chiseling seriously, or whether or not such a thing becomes a turn-off. He also tells you what to look for in chisels in terms of whether or not they'll physically (by the grind) be capable of doing good work without bruising up whatever you're working on, and you won't be in the same boat that I am - trying to do work where the tools are actually limiting you.

It's $25 very well spent, it will give you some very good habits not only in terms of accuracy, but in terms of not having the chisel in one hand pushed into your other hand - which results in an ER trip.

[Bill Houghton]

Planes limit your depth of cut and, in some cases, the width of cut (e.g., fenced rabbet planes). With a chisel, all that's between you and disaster is your skill. This flexibility permits incredibly precise trimming in oddly angled, even curved, situations. It also gives scope to exercising the vocabulary that you learned as a youth not to use in the presence of your elders and have been hoarding ever since, looking for good opportunities to use it. Much creativity can result, though, if you have small children (defined as under 21), it can still get you in trouble.

Instructed to load up for a trip to a desert island, I'd be putting four or five chisels in the toolbox. Entirely aside from their usefulness, learning how to use them as a precision tool is deeply gratifying.