Technique problem? Removing waste with a chisel
Good morning guys!
Im making a large storage box and decided to use what I think are called "box joints" - wide, interlocking joints like dovetails, only square. Ive been making practice joints on scrap to get the feel of it. Its going together pretty well, but Id like to improve the fit - I dont think Im using my chisels correctly. Basically, I saw the sides, remove most of the waste with a coping saw, and then use a chisel to cut along the line made by my marking gauge.
Heres where I need to improve: the chisel seems compress the wood at the line, making the joint slightly deeper than intended. That impacts the fit of the joint. I place the bevel of the chisel facing the waste side of the line. Then hit it with a mallet until it cuts about 1/8" deep. If I hold it vertically, I get the compression. If I angle it so that chisel's edge is cutting OUTWARD into the waste (overcutting?) it does pretty much the same thing. If I angle it so that the chisel is cutting slightly INTO the joint (undercutting?), its a bit better but then I get a V-shaped groove that Im concerned may not glue up well.
Can someone please describe how I should be handling this chisel?
Thanks very much.
Fred
5 Attachment(s)
Call me a candy but . . .
I commend you for cutting finger joints by hand. Even though I am ALL ABOUT hand tools, especially these day, it would never have occurred to me to cut finger joints by hand.
Often they are many and small and symmetrical so I would have gone right to my dado blade stack on the table saw and the fun finger joint jig I made from a magazine article.
As far as the chisel not cutting where you want the others here have filled you in. Start your cuts inside the line and pare toward your finished joint. As far as cutting out the waste with the coping saw . . . it took quite a while before I learned when to do this. I used to go back and forth (on dovetails) some times I would not cut but just chisel all the waste and sometimes cut out the waste and then pare back. A satisfactory rule, in my view, that I FINALLY, FINALLY discovered from the old time pros is :
on the harder hard woods like maple, the rose woods (if you are brave enough to try) some of the walnut and other hard ones ; cut close to the line with the coping saw or jewelrer’s saw.
For the softer woods, walnut, the softer mahoganies etc., the secondary woods like pine and poplar; just start in with the chisel near but not on the line and chisel out the waste in layers without using a coping saw. That makes sense to me / the softer woods you can cut deeper and the chunks come out in a few large ones rather than endless little chips like the more hard stuff.