[OP]
Member
What's the secret sauce on these Aldi chisels guys? Paul Sellers sings the praises of these up and down - even going so far as to declare them close to equal to his favorite vintage chisels.....
So far - they haven't really held up well for me.... But I am willing to try different things.
So... If you get awesome life out of them - spill the beans... What are your secrets?
Last edited by John C Cox; 05-03-2018 at 7:38 PM.
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Check this link.
https://www.google.com/search?q=aldi...hrome&ie=UTF-8
Member
The review that I find most telling is the one that calls the Aldi chisels "the best chisels that you can buy in a grocery store". My set dulls crumble quickly, but a swipe or two on a strop brings them back enough to chop waste in softer woods. I use them mostly to preserve my real chisels for paring. I do have another set still in the blister pack that I'm going to sharpen and see if a different production batch makes a difference. I would term the Aldis to be toolbox chisels that you might lend to a careless neighbor.
Mr. Sellers deserves a big "thank you" from Aldi, if not from the woodworking community. He has influenced a ton of non-customers to venture into their stores to spend some money. Unfortunately, I don't think he did his U.S. on-line followers much of a favor by diverting dollars that could have been better spent buying real tools.
Contributor
Not sure what others are doing to their chisels.....never had a lick of trouble, with either of my two sets. Flatten the flats a bit, hone the bevel at around 25-30 degrees, and go to work. Crumbled?
Must be drop testing them onto concrete?
While in use, I may "strop" the edge ...on the leg of my bluejeans....
Oh, I get it now......you have mistaken a paring style chisel for a mortise chisel..right?
There is no "secret sauce" to these chisels....just sharpen them up, and get back to work....
BTW: my "non-Aldi's" chisels were made long before Mr. Brady was even born....
Last edited by Bruce Page; 05-03-2018 at 11:28 PM.
Contributor
John,
I have a couple sets of them. One is set up for paring with a primary bevel of 20* and a secondary of 2 more degrees. They hold their edge fine for me with no crumbling. But I'm only working in soft wood. So that could be a factor - are you working hardwood?
Fred
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
[OP]
Member
I have not seen any crumbling - only rolling. Rolling on end grain mahogany and end grain spruce. Started at 25 - no love. Added a microbevel at 30... Better but still rolling... Moved up to 35.... The edge was still rolling... Just tonight - I ground off the bevel (back to flat) on the 3/4" size and re-ground at 30 to see if perhaps I was running into decarb or forging grain flow issues...
I will have to work with them on wood to see if they are any different...
I have to wonder if they changed their recipe when Aldi chisels "Hit the Big Time" in the USA.... Going from selling into a population of 20-30 million to a population of 300 million can cause some supply chain trauma...
Contributor
All the above and occasionally a bad bunch makes it out the door of any manufacturer.I have to wonder if they changed their recipe when Aldi chisels "Hit the Big Time" in the USA.... Going from selling into a population of 20-30 million to a population of 300 million can cause some supply chain trauma...
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
[OP]
Member
All I am trying to figure out is how to get these set up so the edges don't fold (I haven't had any trouble with these chipping)... I just want them to "wear normally" - and then I can get a better feeling for how the actual "edge life" stacks up....
Member
I think my real question wouldn't be "How do you guys get Aldi chisels to hold up?" but instead would be why bother. Yes I know they are cheap and P.S. posted they are a bargain. Of the two statements I expect only one is correct. There are too many good chisels available for reasonable prices both used and new to waste time on a set of "grocery store" or even big box chisels for any use other than giving to the S.O. so she/he can chip concrete.
Life and shop time is too short. Of course YMMV.
ken
Contributor
Really...........? Whatever.
IF I remember correctly..I never changed the bevel on either of the two sets I have. Just honed them up, and put them to work. How hard is that to do? Must not have been too hard, since I was able to do it..
I also have a few Witherby and Butcher chisels.....Aldi's one are working the same as the 100 year old ones I have.
IF someone wants to spend a lot of cash on a few high priced, "latest & greatest" chisels......something about a fool and his money....?
YMMV
Contributor
Throw the plastic edge protector away
backs will need a little work to flatten the first inch...rest is just along for the ride.
I left the bevels as is.....never changed them in the 2+ years and 1+ year old chisel. I honed to 2500 grit, then stropped. Couldn't care less about a mirror shine, as you can polish a DULL chisel to mirror like surface, and it still won't cut warm butter.
Why are people chopping with these? Then wondering WHY the edge rolls? I rarely hit mine,,,in fact I can pare tenons by putting my chin to work. Sighting down my nose, as I push with my chin.
I use the strop ( or the pants leg of my jeans) as I work.....usually a couple swipes will do. Nothing hard about that.
I think the factory grind was around 25 degrees? Been keeping mine around that. Heavy chopping? I have Firmer chisels and Mortise chisels for that sort of work.
The only chipping I have had, was when one rolled off the bench, and I didn't try to catch it ( didn't want to be stabbed..) so it hit the concrete floor..took a while to repair that.
Also, have yet to use a grinder on any of these Aldi's chisels....YMMV.
Contributor
The old standby on this is to work the bevel back 1/16" or so to get to the good metal.Originally Posted by John C Cox
You may have purchased a set that somehow got through without being hardened. It can happen. Though that seems like an odd long shot.
Do you have any way to evaluate the hardness? Some can determine this by the sparks produced while grinding. Others will run a file across the surface.
My guess is you do not live in my area since there are no Aldi stores near here. You may live close to another member who would be willing to get together and help. Heck, if you live anywhere near Steven Newman he would likely be happy to show you how to get your chisels to perform.
As Steven said, some of the cheap chisels today will perform just as well as the higher priced tools. My experience has been the only real difference is in the finished quality, the type of handle and maybe the overall feel in the hand.
For me, my shop time always seems to be more pleasant with tools that feel good in my hand compared to working with something with the feel of an old dried out corn cob in my hands.
Other folks may find a corn cob handle they have made themselves brings more warm fuzzy feelings to the job.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Member
For those that like to "improve" tools, maybe you want to replace the handles on the Aldi's (I don't own any, but I suspect, as a tang chisel, they are similar to other modern maker tang chisels, such as Narex). If you are going to use the chisel for paring, make a significantly longer handle (and don't beat on the handle!).
If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will.
Member
Asking a woodworker what chisels he likes best is like asking a teenage boy if he prefers blondes or brunets.
Member
I have been using a set of Aldi chisels now for the past two years. I have made new handles for all of the Aldis and many of my old chisel from Elm in a tapered hex shape. I cannot say that the Aldi's or any of my older chisels are better or worse than the other. They all perform as well as I want them to and I use them everyday. For the record, I have Greenlee, Witherby, Marple,I. Sorby, and Stanleys to compare to. The other part of my day I use Snapon, Mac, Devillbis,Ingersoll Rand, Hutchins, Craftsman, Williams,Bonney, Cornwall, and probably another half dozen quality brand tools, so I know a good tool when I use it. Bottom line is if it does what you need it to do, use it and don't worry about the brand name.
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