image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgI have used card scrapers to finish the kerf on half-blind dovetails; then I saw Derek Cohen's shop-made kerfing chisel and loved the idea. I had seen surgical chisels before (used for chiseling bones- ouch) and remembered they are rather thin, so I figured that was a good start. I went on eBay and bought a really good one 1.25" wide, with a hefty handle cast as part of the chisel. It is HEAVY! It's also thin as I had hoped, and stainless too!
I used a WorkSharp 2000 with 80 grit to get it to proper thickness. I am posting a bit soon, as it still needs finish sanding, but it worked beautiful. I took it down to 1/32" and stopped there to try it out. I hammered it into some end-grain pine and it made a perfect kerf. Heck, who needs a saw? You can almost just hammer the whole thing with this. (I kid- probably not a good idea.) Final sanding will thin it a bit more.
I still need to grind a bit off the business end to ensure it is flat. I will dress the face to 2000 grit or so as well; perhaps polish it. The pics with hardwood floors as backdrop are the before. The pic with maple table as background are after. The pic of the kerf is where I just hammered it into some wood, sans saw kerf, and it made a perfect kerf.
Regards from a dimly lit room that smells of metal shavings,
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