Secret Apartment Woodworking Technique Number 1: Midnight Mortising

[Luke Dupont]

I live in an apartment, and I'm quite the night owl, so sometimes one has to be creative

I learned something about paring/body mechanics by trying to do the nearly impossible. I'm making an oil-stone box, granted, in some soft wood (Cypress), and wasting out the space for the stone. Normally, I'd want to use a mallet and a chisel for this, but striking a chisel that much is something that I hardly dare to do even in the day time.

So, of course, I do what any sane person would do: try paring all of the waste out by hand! It's Cypress, it should be easy, right?

Turns out it's quite difficult, still. But, aside from a hair-splittingly sharp chisel, I discovered something - namely, how to pare efficiently.

When I first started woodworking, I pared just with my hands. Of course, I still do this if I need more control, and don't have much resistance.

Then I saw woodworkers using their upper bodyweight to bare down on the chisel, and that works a little better, for sure.

However, I'm a really small person, without that much upper body mass to utilize. So, I wondered what would happen if instead of bending over, I instead sink down in my stance, as I do in Martial Arts. I did that, and before I realized it, the chisel that had been meeting quite a lot of resistance with previous cuts just effortlessly zipped through the end-grain before I realized it. Continuing with that technique, I consistently meet with very little resistance, compared to before.

This kind of ties in with what I discovered/was talking about in the planing mechanics discussion. Most people try to get up on top of the tool with their upper body when they meet resistance, which is actually the opposite of what you want to do! Sink! Squat! Think of your waist as the core of your body weight, and manipulate that whilst maintaining a strong connection to that point through your joints. Or, in very specific terms: sink the shoulders, imagine a connection between the elbow and the hips, and don't let anything lag behind when you move your core.

Anyway - back to mortisi- err, paring!

[Trevor Goodwin]

Hi Luke,

I also had a similar dilemma recently creating waterstone holders. I ended up using my Proxxon BFW40 milling machine/router machine because it is quieter than bashing a chisel for hours. Another alternative is to use a carving gouge to do the wasting.

[Luke Dupont]

Hi Luke,

I also had a similar dilemma recently creating waterstone holders. I ended up using my Proxxon BFW40 milling machine/router machine because it is quieter than bashing a chisel for hours. Another alternative is to use a carving gouge to do the wasting.

That's a really good idea! I've been wanting a decent gouge or two for a while now. Might have to consider getting one. It seems like a narrow U or V shape gouge might work best for this application.

[Patrick Chase]

I
However, I'm a really small person, without that much upper body mass to utilize. So, I wondered what would happen if instead of bending over, I instead sink down in my stance, as I do in Martial Arts. I did that, and before I realized it, the chisel that had been meeting quite a lot of resistance with previous cuts just effortlessly zipped through the end-grain before I realized it. Continuing with that technique, I consistently meet with very little resistance, compared to before.

What you describe (driving downward from the core instead of just the chest/shoulders) is actually the traditionally recommended technique for paring. I think I personally first saw that in an Ian Kirby article from the 70s, though it's obviously far far older.

[Trevor Goodwin]

That's a really good idea! I've been wanting a decent gouge or two for a while now. Might have to consider getting one. It seems like a narrow U or V shape gouge might work best for this application.

I started with carving before getting sucked into the woodworking rabbit hole. Unlike modern bench chisels, you can't really go wrong with gouges from any of the current manufacturers. The only ones I've had trouble with are Two Cherries "Firmer Gouges" because the blades are way too thick (I think they are meant for stairmaking).

[Luke Dupont]

Hmmm... Been looking at some vintage oil-stone boxes, and I see... Little holes in the lids? Could they be from the snails on auger bits? Was it common practice to just auger out the waste?

I think I might do that next time!

[Luke Dupont]

What you describe (driving downward from the core instead of just the chest/shoulders) is actually the traditionally recommended technique for paring. I think I personally first saw that in an Ian Kirby article from the 70s, though it's obviously far far older.

Interesting. Physics, and resultingly, good body mechanics for a given activity, are pretty much universal after all. It's always interesting to see when people come to the same conclusions through their own experience, even without knowing/having subscribed to some source of common knowledge.

[Bill White]

Luke, those holes ARE from an auger. I have one with those marks as well. No tellin' how old the stone and box is, but after cleaning all the gunk, a bit of flattening, etc., I cheated. I used my router plane to clean up the inside of the lid.
That old #71 sure earns its place in the shop from time to time.
Bill

[Tom Stenzel]

...I cheated. I used my router plane to clean up the inside of the lid.
That old #71 sure earns its place in the shop from time to time.
Bill

?
.
.
Hmm.

If the definition of cheating is "Using the tools you have to best advantage", I'm going to have to change my name from Tom to Cheatie McCheaterson!



-Cheatie

[george wilson]

How is the mild steel chisel holding up? Are you using it to make the oilstone box?

[Luke Dupont]

How is the mild steel chisel holding up? Are you using it to make the oilstone box?

Nah, I'm using proper chisels for that project.

The mild-steel chisel was just a stop-gap measure because I needed a 1/8" chisel to continue a project. It holds up, just needs very frequent sharpening. I think you were spot on with the hardness being more like in the low to mid 30's. It's a temporary solution that works well enough in soft-woods, but I'll be getting a proper 1/8" chisel soon I think. As a quick and dirty solution that outran any postal delivery service, I'd say it was a success, though!

Actually, I am using it to make a different oil-stone box that isn't carved from a single piece of wood, but uses multiple pieces and is joined with small dado's. Basically, I'm making a snugly fitting version of the kind of boxes you seem from Norton and Dan's.

I'm terribly indecisive as to what method I prefer, so of course, I have to try them all I have no shortage of stones in need of properly fitted boxes, though.
The single piece style boxes definitely look the best, but they can't be made as compact as the others, which is a bit of a concern for me.

[Don Jarvie]

Router plane + marking gauge and a chisel is all you need.

[george wilson]

An ice pick can be used to make small chisels. Just be careful to not grind them till they turn blue. It might be possible to file them. I haven't tried using ice picks as I use proper tool steels. I just know that some others have used them. One skillful engraver I know of uses sewing needles for engraving tools,inserted in wooden handles,of course. Needles are possibly harder steel than ice picks. I'm supposing he uses large ones,like sail makers needles.