Lie Nielsen Socket Chisels

[James Jayko]

Hey all, I've spent a small fortune on Lie Nielsen socket chisels. While they're great as chisels, the fact that the handle constantly fall out drive me absolutely crazy, especially given the price.

A. Is there a way to secure these handles and not ruin the chisels? I see no benefit or reason to take the handles off.
B. Should I just sell these and get Veritas / Blue Spruce chisels? Feels like modifying these really nice chisels that are probably great for somebody seems like it might be silly if I could just sell them and get something that doesn't keep coming apart.

Thoughts?

[mike stenson]

Sell them and get tang chisels. I only have that issue if I don't use them for a long time though.

[Keegan Shields]

A little hair spray on the part of the handle that interfaces with the socket helps. There's likely a defect on that portion of the handle that is preventing the surfaces from mating (or maybe on the inside of the socket).

Once I started grabbing and handling the chisels by the socket instead of the handle, I haven't had any issues. The wooden handle mostly just fills the palm when I use them.

Using a wooden mallet to clear some dovetail waste will also set the handles in their socket firmly.

If it bothers you, sell them! Lots of good chisel sets on the market.

[chris carter]

I used to have a couple socket chisels that would give me grief. I did the hair spray thing that Lie-Nielsen recommends and it worked a little. The solution for me was violin rosin. You can buy a piece for $5 shipped on Amazon. Just rub it on the handle portion and slam it home. It won’t come out without some effort.

[Jimmy Harris]

I know it's blasphemy, but I'd probably try to glue them on. I would think a little bit of contact cement would hold them together well enough, without being permanent. It would be easy enough to undue if it failed, anyway. I think Lie Neilsen recommends the hair spray trick, which is the same idea, but with a less aggressive adhesive.

Though it might be better to sell them and get some tang chisels. I only use tang chisels for this reason. My humidity fluctuates too much here for wooden handled socket chisels.

[Edward Weber]

A small amount of epoxy will keep them put and can be easily removed by warming up the socket with a heat gun or even hair drier.

Doesn't matter what chisels they are or who made them, if they don't work, fix them.

[Jim Koepke]

The problem with the LN socket chisels vs the handles may be due to a few factors.

Old socket chisels were not made to the degree of perfection the LN chisels can boast. This may cause a problem from the socket being too smooth. (more on this later)

Another problem, that in the past, caused my socket chisel handles to sometimes slip was from the fit being slightly different from socket to handle. Anyone who has a lathe or taken the chuck off of a drill press is likely familiar with a Morse Taper's holding ability. The principle is the same with a socket chisel, though one of the components is made of hardwood. Two tapered pieces made to mate as exactly as possible will tend to stay mated, even without a blow from a mallet.

A bit of texture inside the socket of a chisel can aid the holding ability of a socket chisel handle.

Another advantage with an older chisel handle is there is likely some oxidation or other substance inside the socket from years of age. This helps when fitting a handle. It may be the handle going though the annual changes absorbed and released moisture leading to the oxidation inside the socket.

For me the first part of fitting a handle to a socket chisel (this is after the handle has been formed on a lathe or by hand) is to check the taper. Lightly set the handle into the socket and try to wiggle it, side to side and to and fro. Any movement at this point indicates the tapers are not matched.

Once the tapers are matched, hold the chisel and socket together and twist them in opposite directions. With an older chisel the oxidation inside will usually mark the high spots on the tenon of the handle. My finest rasp or file is used to lightly remove the marked spots. Repeat this until the tenon comes out of the socket evenly marked all around.

With the LN chisels, it may help to run a small piece of sandpaper inside the socket. It may also help to drop some graphite from a pencil sharpener into the socket so it will be able to mark the handle's tenon.

In my accumulation of socket chisels there were three that occasionally released from their handles. It has been over two years since they were given the full treatment and none of them have released since.

One of these days, time will be found to make a new handle for a chisel and document the fitting.

Need to find one of them round tuits.

Round Tuit.jpg

jtk

[Rob Luter]

Hey all, I've spent a small fortune on Lie Nielsen socket chisels. While they're great as chisels, the fact that the handle constantly fall out drive me absolutely crazy, especially given the price.

A. Is there a way to secure these handles and not ruin the chisels? I see no benefit or reason to take the handles off.
B. Should I just sell these and get Veritas / Blue Spruce chisels? Feels like modifying these really nice chisels that are probably great for somebody seems like it might be silly if I could just sell them and get something that doesn't keep coming apart.

Thoughts?

I've had my set for 10+ years and never had an issue. I'd try hair spray or spray adhesive for mounting photos. Both will be tacky but not fully harden.

[Stephen Rosenthal]

I've had my set for 10+ years and never had an issue. I'd try hair spray or spray adhesive for mounting photos. Both will be tacky but not fully harden.

I’ve had mine for 20+ years, use them on almost every project without any issues. Luck of the draw? Was going to suggest photo mount spray adhesive, but you beat me to it.

[James Jayko]

Well it seems that the tapered part of the handle and the inside of the socket may be way too smooth. So I guess I'll try some 220 and some hairspray? Its one in particular that is a problem. But its the 1/2", and that's the one that gets used all the time. I just see myself holding the handle as the blade bounces across the concrete shop floor...

[Edward Weber]

There may be a different machining process used today than there was when you guys who bought 10 or 20 years ago.
As Jim pointed out in detail, a smooth fit is great for a metal to metal morse taper, not so good when one of the materials can change size with the weather.
Older socket chisels were not always even throughout with varying wall thickness, since many were formed, not machined.
IMG_0551.jpg
All the imperfections helped hold the handle in place.
A spot of adhesive isn't sacrilege if it makes the tool usable.

[Mike Henderson]

I made replacement handles for my LN chisels from cocobolo which is an oily wood. Had some problems with the handles staying in the sockets so I used epoxy. When I had to remove one handle, I heated the socket and the handle came out easily. I only had to get the socket fairly warm, not really hot.

Mike

[John C Cox]

Wring the handle into the socket, and then inspect the pattern left on the wood. Are there any burrs on the socket? Incomplete contact? I would check the one causing trouble. Find/fix the burr, then sand/chisel off the wear spots on the wood a touch at a time until you get pretty uniform contact. 60-70% is great. Often, you start with hard contact in 1-spot and none anywhere else.

[les winter]

LN recommends the hair spray fix. Also, as the summer approaches, the humidity will swell the handles. That and the spray and you're good to go. I've had mine forever. When they were new, I had the same problem. The spray fixed it.

[Edward Weber]

LN recommends the hair spray fix. Also, as the summer approaches, the humidity will swell the handles. That and the spray and you're good to go. I've had mine forever. When they were new, I had the same problem. The spray fixed it.

Where I live, the opposite is correct.
The summer months are dry, low humidity.