Why chisels? Primer needed

[Jerry Olexa]

Enjoy WWing immensely and most of my tools are currently powered. A few years ago, I discovered the joy of a well sharpened, properly adjusted hand plane (Wow) and now its part of my everyday tool arsenal. As to chisels, I have 5 or 6 of the "El Cheapo" variety from the Borg or Hdwe store purchased as needed for cleaning out mortises (now I have a mortiser), shaving the tenons, adjusting drawers etc. But I feel I might be missing out on one of the major tools of WWing (like the plane). I do not do any turning at this point ( I can hear the groans ) but I'm interested in the "uses" you have for chisels. I can tell from the posts, there is a genuine love, bordering on passion for this tool. Please educate me and perhaps, I will jump in and invest and learn about another neglected tool for my humble shop...Hopefully, it will similiar to my "plane" experience...Thanks. I look forward to your suggestions/guidance in these new waters

[Mark Singer]

Jerry,
They are essential for joinery, mortising, installing hinges and hardware..cleaning corners with glue. Dovetails...the list goes on. I have several older ones and some very fine ones...LN's and Japanese sets and individuals... Save the nice ones for dovetails and joinery. I sharpen about 10 at a time so I always am ready and before I start a project. I am always using my planes , chisels and rasps and knives...it is the key to producing fine cabinetry

[Steve Wargo]

Jerry I use chisels for a bunch of tasks. I use them to chop the waste in DT's, Clean and indent the shoulder of a tenon, clean up mortises and mortise hinges (most always done by hand). I've used a large one for cleaning up cheeks of a tenon (when I'm too lazy to pull out a shoulder or rabbet block), I've used them to put small chamfers on short surfaces, I use them to remove splinters, and slice veneer with a straight edge. I use them to tune miters in small moulding with a 45 degree guide block. I'll not get into the debate about good chisels vs. bad chisels, but FWIW I have Two Cherries and couldn't be happier.

[Jim Becker]

Now that I have some decent ones...I actually use them. And am doing things I never dreamed I'd do by hand, 'cause I can. You don't need the most expensive chisels; but sharp is as sharp does. But you already figured that out!

[Steven Wilson]

Well Jerry, in a powertool shop chisels are great for making things fit. They are much quicker than trying to get the powertool setup for a perfect fit. A small collection of very good chisels makes it fast and easy to shave off enough to make things fit. I bought a powered mortiser before I bought a mortise chisel and thought it was great for making mortises. Well, after using a decent mortise chisel I find that it is quicker and easier to bang out mortises with the chisel than taking the time to set up the mortiser. Of course, if I have a lot of mortises to make then it makes sense to set up the mortiser. As I continue I find that I generally prefer using well setup handtools and leave the power tools for drudgery tasks (thickness planing) and tasks that they are really good at (sizing panels, routing stock, etc). It's much more fun to make chips and hear a bang than throw up clouds of dust and the whine of a universal motor.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Hi Jerry, In addition to the great answers given by Mark Singer and Steve Wargo, chisels make excellant carving tools on any convex surface. Just Monday night I installed the last 3 knee blocks on a cabriole legged table I'm making. The blocks were rough shaped on the bandsaw and then glued in place with hot hide glue. All of the final shaping was done with a very very sharp 1" wide bench chisel. A very slight sanding with 100 and 150 grit sandpaper finished the job and the blocks blended right in. Chisels are one of the most versatile tools in the shop and their uses are only limited by your imagination.

[Ken Bryant]

Jerry,

If the plane is the basic tool for shaping wide flat areas, the chisel is the basic tool for all the fiddly bits that aren't flat. Hard to imagine doing anything without one -- and like any edge tool, good ones take a good edge and cheap ones don't; good ones are the ones that fit your hand and bad ones are the ones that don't; good ones don't bend, or lose handles, or...

[Tom Hamilton]

Hi Jerry: I've found a "scary sharp" 1/2" chisel to be one of the most used tools in my workshop. All of the usual functions and just the perfect size for cleaning up glue squeeze out, paint drips, (yes I do occasionally allow a drop to fall ) and fine trimming of parts.

I keep mine in my tool pouch, buckled around my waist, so it is always handy.

Enjoy, Tom, in Houston, enjoying a balmy 78 degree day.

[Jerry Olexa]

I'm learning from your responses that there really are lots of uses for this tool especially for precision fitting etc. You're convincing me I should invest in a good set of chisels. Of course, now I'll wonder which set/brand? But I can do a search here and get your prior opinions.
THANKS for your comments about this interesting new facet of WWing...Here I go Stay tuned...Hope its at least 1/2 as successful as my Plane experience...thanks

[Ben Grunow]

You guys must really be trying to mislead Jerry or keep him out of our special Chisel Users Club or something (I don't know). But the real uses for a nice sharp chisel, as we all know very well, are:

screwdriver
paint/glue scraper/putty knife
prybar
ice pick
splitting wedge
nut splitter for stuck nuts on old bolts or threaded rod
shim under the workbench to eliminate wobbles
paint can opener
paint stirrer
wire cutter
my favorite-cold chisel for masonry (use smaller ones when joints are narrow)
the list goes on and on....

I will be posting a series of tutorials in the near future. Master these techniques and you are in the Club.

Your welcome.

Ben

[Jim Becker]

Excellent for amputation, too, Ben...

[Jerry Olexa]

You guys must really be trying to mislead Jerry or keep him out of our special Chisel Users Club or something (I don't know). But the real uses for a nice sharp chisel, as we all know very well, are:

screwdriver
paint/glue scraper/putty knife
prybar
ice pick
splitting wedge
nut splitter for stuck nuts on old bolts or threaded rod
shim under the workbench to eliminate wobbles
paint can opener
paint stirrer
wire cutter
my favorite-cold chisel for masonry (use smaller ones when joints are narrow)
the list goes on and on....

I will be posting a series of tutorials in the near future. Master these techniques and you are in the Club.

Your welcome.

Ben

Gee Ben. I knew there was more to it than those other uses. Now I really have a reason to go get a set of chisels. See, those other boys wuz holding back

[Jeff Borges]

I am by trade a finish carpenter (mostly unglamorous work, but occasionally the gem of a house to work on comes along). I sharpen my chisels to a mirror finish and store them lovingly....I recently was given the contract for a job...when a friend of the customer whose house I was working on commented on the sharpness of my chisel. First job I have ever gotten that was influenced by a chisel!!

As for why should you get chisels?? I simply put it this way: They are tools, what more reason do we need!!!!

[Gary Herrmann]

Jerry, I've got some nice LV planes, but I haven't sprung for any chisels more expensive than the made in England blue handled Marples. Don't have as good as steel or handles as the really nice ones that have been mentioned, but it might be a good way for you to start.

Some day I'll spring for some Two Cherries or maybe even the LNs... (sigh)

[Tyler Howell]

What Steve said.
I can be done with a few hand tools before I get the power tools hooked up .