More Chisels

[Bob Smalser]

Some time ago I did an article on minimalist rehabilitation of old chisels for the benefit of tight-budget newcomers in need of high-quality tools. Those newbies have undoubtedly progressed some since then, so today we’ll rehab even more old chisels using more advanced techniques on the lathe.



Another 30-dollar lot of Ebay treasures in need of a hug. Some of the Lie Nielsen’s of their day are in there…Witherby, Gillespie, Swan, Peck Stowe and Wilcox, Buck, Greenlee, Barton…and arguably, these cast steel beauties are better chisels than today’s prestige models, because they hold their edges almost as long but are much easier to resharpen than modern, A2 tool steel. In the era these were made, from 1880 to 1940, every tradesman knew and used hand tools, there were wood crafts with attendant specialty tools such as sash making, pattern making and coach making we don’t remember much of today…and there were dozens and dozens of American manufacturers…not one or two…competing hard with each other in quality and value for the tradesman’s favor. In their day, one of these cost a day’s pay or more. Today I routinely pick them up as shown in the 2-5 dollar range…. yes, even the odd sizes. I even like the well-worn shorties…they are easily ground into great butt chisels for those tight spots.

So new handles are in order, and as rehabbing old tools is my favorite way of introducing newcomers to the craft, all the lathe work today will be done by a 16-year-old with me standing over his shoulder. I rehab the steel, first…. and that’s covered in detail in the previous article:

http://media5.hypernet.com/ubb/ultim...c;f=1;t=008610

or

http://www.cianperez.com/Wood/WoodDo...DEX_How_To.htm

Then we prepare the stock:



Turning squares of tight-grained, old growth Pacific Madrone are cut to length and center marked. Note the severe shrinkage across the grain of what came off the sawmill as a nicely square 2X2…fortunately, this species is quite stable once it is dry. I could resurface and 8-side this stock before mounting it in the lathe…and I recommend you do for your first efforts…but teaching how to deal with lopsided stock is a training objective for today.



We also prepare leather striking buttons for the handles, using up all our odd leather scraps. I’d prefer a ground punch for this, but I don’t own one large enough and the hole saw works almost as well.



Then we prepare the tools…the lathe is checked for perfect alignment of headstock and tailstock with the tailstock locked down, the lathe chisels are honed and stropped (see link above)…



…and the tool rest is dressed to remove any tool-interfering nicks using a draw file and lightly oiled for easy sliding. Tool rests are generally cast iron while lathe chisels are tool steel. When the hard chisel bumps or bounces on the soft iron, it can take a divot that will interfere with a smooth cut.



The Morse Taper drive spur is driven into the end grain center with a mallet, mounted in the headstock and driven on further as we snug up the tailstock’s live center to mount the stock in the lathe.



The tool rest is adjusted an eighth higher then the stock’s center and an eighth out, locked down securely, eye protection donned, the lathe set on a low 600 rpm, and my student deals with the lopsided turning square…practicing steady pressure inward and forward in the direction of the roughing gouge’s cannel (concave surface), in spite of all 4 corners chattering against the tool until he achieves a cylinder. He is automatically properly timid and careful, because he can feel the potential for the lathe to catch and throw the tool…and does surprisingly well as we adjust his foot and hand position for more stability.



But eventually he gets his cylinder out of round with inconsistent pressure, and I show him how to recover by dragging the heavier large skew toward me, insuring the cutting is done by the lower edge of the skew, far away from the point. We talk about what happens when the point catches before he takes over, and the second tool he gains confidence with is the most difficult…and important…the skew.

Continued…

[Bob Smalser]

Now that he has a true cylinder, he lays out the shoulders using an identical handle as a pattern…I coach him to rest the pencil on the tool rest like he would a lathe tool…



…and is taught the parting tool and calipers, cutting the cylinder to depth at each shoulder line by transferring measurements from the pattern to the calipers and then to his depth cuts. Here he is roughing out the tenon for the leather buttons.



Once his depth cuts are complete, I hold the pattern in his eye line as he begins the rough shaping of the handle using the roughing gouge, coaching him to keep his eye on the top line of the turning so he can gage the fairness of his cuts. We have added a pencil line on the fat part or “bead” of the handle as the end point of his near cove cut and the starting point of his far cove cut. The beginnings of his learning to cut coves and beads later using the skew.



We stop at the rough-out stage to mount the leather buttons, leaving all thin sections thick so as to allow clamping.



I prefer to ream the undersize tenon holes in the buttons for a perfectly tight fit, and glue and clamp using Hotstuff cyano glue.



Speed is increased to 1200 rpm, and the turning is finished using a round scraper for the cove cuts and the small skew for the tapers, which are cut using the same pulling technique demonstrated above with the large skew. Using the skew, cylinders and tapers are easy, but cove cuts are not, so rather than risk ruining his very first turning, I have him finish the coves using the easier scraper, and we can remove any roughness with sand paper. Leather shapes as easily as wood, and the transition to the buttons is easy.



The socket tenon is sized using an inside-outside caliper and depth gage…and left a little fat for hand fitting.



Sanding is done at 2000 rpm…60 grit to 320 grit without skipping grits…

Continued…

[Bob Smalser]

…and the handle finished right there on the lathe…



…and the socket fitted and epoxied. A tough DR Barton butt chisel that began its life as a long firmer.

Cost?

Less than 2 bucks.

Time?

Maybe a two hour lesson.

The pride and confidence that comes with making your own tools?

Priceless.

[Bob Hovde]

Wonderful guide to a very useful lesson! I need to replace some old handles and have been putting it off. Now I have a "go-by" to help. Thank you!

BTW, great pictures. Even the SMC Pic-Police will love this one.

Bob

[Larry Guthrie]

Thanks Bob. Great post....keep them coming!

[Rich Konopka]

Bob, Thanks for a nice post and the information. It is real obvious you really enjoy restoring old hand tools and your attention to detail is apparent in your restoration work as well as your posting.


Thanks again I really enjoyed the writeup.

[Jerry Olexa]

Bob EXCELLENT work and GREAT pictures. You have my respect!! Jerry

[Dave Anderson NH]

I particularly like your idea if having a young man do the work, it shows folks they shouldn't be intimidated by doing rehab work or trying something new. I also second your idea of buying used tools on the cheap and rehabbing them. It saves money, it rescues and saves old tools, and the quality is better than all but the very most expensive of the modern stuff. There is also something very satisfying about passing traditional skills along to the next generation. Great job!!

[John Shuk]

Bob,
I must have missed something but how did you attach the leather strikers? Very good post.
John

[Bob Smalser]

The leather washers are fitted tightly to a stub tenon and glued with the gap-filling flavor of Hotstuff brand cyano.