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Thread: My New Chisels

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
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    My New Chisels

    The Man from Brown brought me a whole bunch of new chisels yesterday.

    Ain't they purdy?
    Attached Images Attached Images
    ---------------------------------------
    James Krenov says that "the craftsman lives in a
    condition where the size of his public is almost in
    inverse proportion to the quality of his work."
    (James Krenov, A Cabinetmaker's Notebook, 1976.)

    I guess my public must be pretty huge then.

  2. #2
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    Outstanding symmetry and that polished finish generates such a radiance.
    Rich

    "If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking."
    - General George Patton Jr

  3. #3
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    Tom, you got ripped off! Rich, I'm starting to think you're blind! OK, seriously guys: What's up with the stock blanks? Tom, you mean to tell me you make your own chisels from SCRATCH???!!! This whole Neander thing is really getting me confuzzzzzed!
    Cheers,
    John K. Miliunas

    Cannot find REALITY.SYS. Universe halted.
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  4. #4
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    This whole Neander thing is really getting me confuzzzzzed! [/QUOTE]You think I'm sliding fast! Our Neander buddy Tom has gone double deep on this stuff.
    I'm waiting for the day he posts pix of digging iron ore for smelting up the stuff himself.
    Nice haul Tom, We're taking notes. Keep us posted.
    TJH
    Live Like You Mean It.



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  5. #5
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    Tom, you really have slid! Even Bob finds older chisels. At first I thought that they might be really long firmer chisels that you had polished. What kind of steel? Remember Tyler now frequents the Neander side, so please keep us up to date with lots of pics on your progress. Good luck!

    John, some of us take it more seriously than others. You don't have to make your own to be part of the group. (At least I hope not.)
    Old age can be better than the alternative.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lloyd Robins

    John, some of us take it more seriously than others. You don't have to make your own to be part of the group. (At least I hope not.)
    Whew! That's GOOD news, Lloyd! You guys were really starting to scare me for a bit there!

    Hey, as long as we're on the subject of chisels, I can see myself getting into trying handcut DT's. I've been considering picking up one of these for the cutting part of the DT: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...tegory=1,42884

    But, what about the chisel part of this equation? Yes, I know LN has that set of 5 out there now, but $250.00 is just a touch high, I'd say. Any decent sets around where I wouldn't have to get a second or third mortgage on my property?!
    Cheers,
    John K. Miliunas

    Cannot find REALITY.SYS. Universe halted.
    60 grit is a turning tool, ain't it?
    SMC is totally supported by volunteers and your generosity! Please help if you can!
    Looking for something for nothing? Check here!

  7. #7

    I've had good success with...

    The Two Cherries chisels. Aside from the initial work to get them ready to use they hold an edge nicely. Old chisels are a good bet. They're often quite cheap.
    "When we build, let us think that we build forever." - Ruskin

  8. #8
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    Tom, where did you get the steel and what kind is it? Do you plan on annealing it and then shaping it? How about a tutorial on what you do with them?

    THanks
    Peter

  9. #9
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    Hey, as long as we're on the subject of chisels, I can see myself getting into trying handcut DT's. I've been considering picking up one of these for the cutting part of the DT: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page....ategory=1,42884

    John,
    Personally, I would recommend staying away from cutting jigs if you plan to be doing hand cut DT's. Since it's LV I'm sure it works fine. But at some point you're gonna need/want to do it without the jig, so why not learn now? A few nights of practicing and you will be cutting to line like a pro. Take a scrap board, lay out a bunch of angled lines across it, and practice cutting. Then cut off the end and do it again. After several nights of this, try cutting and assembling some actual joints. Same thing as before...cut, chop, assemble, then do it again. Caution, Though. Within a week you will probably be back here showing off your tight DT's and joining Tyler in discussions on various hand tool techniques.

    And regarding chisels, do a search and you will find more than you ever wanted to read about them. There are many options that depend on your budget and inended use.

    Best of luck,
    Tom

  10. #10
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    John, I am not as experienced as lot of guy here, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but here goes. I personally have Nishiki's (you probably don't want to go there right now. Let's just say that Joel gets a lot of my disposable cash) and a couple of Ashley Iles. I have tried Two Cherries and Marples also. Of the non-Japanese chisels the Ashley Iles fit me best. (I have both handle styles) The Ashley Iles are sold by a couple of your old friends (did you get the ECE smoother?). With beech handles http://www.thebestthings.com/newtool...iles_bench.htm , with bubinga handles http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/M...gory_Code=TBBC . I would get a size that is not in the sets to see if the handle fits you before you order a set. (I know the Joel would work with you on this.)

    Bob S. would probably suggest finding old, great chisels on ebay or at flea markets. You have a spinney thing and could make your own handles.

    As to the saw, I think that current wisdom says put the money into the saw and learn to do it freehand. (Practice, Practice, Practice) There are a lot of nice saws out there. You could also try getting an old Disston (ebay) and get it resharpened. For not a lot more Lee Valley has a rip dozuki (Japanese saw), Mr. Spehar has a western type saw http://www.spehar-toolworks.com/ , or Joel has Adrias (expensive) or a very interesting little dozuki http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/M...egory_Code=TSJ for about the same price as the guided Lee Valley set (Yes, I know - I do not work for Joel, but he has been very helpful. He really works with his customers, even a pain like me.) Anyway, good luck and let us know. Again, welcome to the slope.
    Old age can be better than the alternative.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
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    LA LA LAND
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    New Chisels

    This is quite an ironic post as I was/am contemplating making some mortise chisels. Are you using O-1 steel or some other flavor. I had posted on the knife forums about heattreating steel of this size, and it sounds like you might be able to do this in the BBQ with sufficient airflow. What are your plans for hardening ?

    Looking at steel prices, both McMaster Carr and MSC are within pennies of each other for typical sizes of O-1. The steel companies recommended in the knife forums were at least 100% higher, the web a great place for shoppping, EH ?

    I don't have a lathe and was planning on buying handles, so the cost isn't going to be that much cheaper than store bought, but they will be cheaper and you'll have the satisfaction of making them yourself.

    Good luck
    Mike

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Miliunas
    Tom, you mean to tell me you make your own chisels from SCRATCH???!!!
    Actually John, I've only made three from scratch so far, all long, very thin paring jobbers -- two of which don't have handles yet. I've also made a plane blade and a small carving knife. (The plane for the one is not finished and the handle for the other is not even started yet.)

    Anyhoo, the one paring chisel cuts so nicely that I simply can't resist trying to make some bench and dovetail numbers. Of course I also have to build one of those spinny things so I can make the handles -- but that's another topic.

    Oh BTW, you aren't required to make your own tools to hang out over here on the enlightened side. All you have to do is recognized that burning electrons is not the best solution to each and every WW problem.
    ---------------------------------------
    James Krenov says that "the craftsman lives in a
    condition where the size of his public is almost in
    inverse proportion to the quality of his work."
    (James Krenov, A Cabinetmaker's Notebook, 1976.)

    I guess my public must be pretty huge then.

  13. #13
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    Posts
    937
    Quote Originally Posted by Tyler Howell
    I'm waiting for the day he posts pix of digging iron ore for smelting up the stuff himself.
    Tyler, that'd be tough down here in Florida. You did more than about 18" and you run into water. Otherwise I'd probably give it a go.
    ---------------------------------------
    James Krenov says that "the craftsman lives in a
    condition where the size of his public is almost in
    inverse proportion to the quality of his work."
    (James Krenov, A Cabinetmaker's Notebook, 1976.)

    I guess my public must be pretty huge then.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Tampa, FL
    Posts
    937
    Quote Originally Posted by Lloyd Robins
    Tom, you really have slid! Even Bob finds older chisels.
    That's part of the problem. I think he's bought up all the decent ones out there!


    What kind of steel? Remember Tyler now frequents the Neander side, so please keep us up to date with lots of pics on your progress.
    I'm using plain vanilla O-1, because it's easy to harden at home, plus it's the cheapest of the real tool steels.

    Don't worry about Tyler, I'll keep him well supplied with pics as I go along.
    ---------------------------------------
    James Krenov says that "the craftsman lives in a
    condition where the size of his public is almost in
    inverse proportion to the quality of his work."
    (James Krenov, A Cabinetmaker's Notebook, 1976.)

    I guess my public must be pretty huge then.

  15. #15
    Join Date
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    Location
    Tampa, FL
    Posts
    937
    Quote Originally Posted by John Miliunas
    Hey, as long as we're on the subject of chisels, I can see myself getting into trying handcut DT's. I've been considering picking up one of these for the cutting part of the DT: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...tegory=1,42884
    John, I would have scoffed at buying one of those little guides until last week when I tried hand-cut DTs in some hard maple. (The only DT's I've ever hand cut were in Honduran Mahogany, which is easier to cut and which has a nice dark color to cover up one's mistakes at least a bit.) Now I say go for it.


    But, what about the chisel part of this equation? Yes, I know LN has that set of 5 out there now, but $250.00 is just a touch high, I'd say. Any decent sets around where I wouldn't have to get a second or third mortgage on my property?!
    Heck, LN's prices don't seem that bad. Check these out: http://japanwoodworker.com/product.a...&dept_id=11585
    ---------------------------------------
    James Krenov says that "the craftsman lives in a
    condition where the size of his public is almost in
    inverse proportion to the quality of his work."
    (James Krenov, A Cabinetmaker's Notebook, 1976.)

    I guess my public must be pretty huge then.

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