Holding a chisel

[Dan Lee]

Well today I'm again practicing hand cut dovetails, cutting DTs has been a goal going on about 3 years now.

I'm left handed and have always held the chisel in my right hand.

But I get frustrated steadily and acutrately placing it to the scribe marks. So I've tried holding the chisel with my left hand and it is alot easier to place but I'm not so accurate whacking with the mallet held in my right hand. I think I want to train the right hand to use the mallet

So I'm curious do you use your 'primary' hand to hold the chisel or the mallet?

[Jim Koepke]

Well today I'm again practicing hand cut dovetails, cutting DTs has been a goal going on about 3 years now.

I'm left handed and have always held the chisel in my right hand.

But I get frustrated steadily and acutrately placing it to the scribe marks. So I've tried holding the chisel with my left hand and it is alot easier to place but I'm not so accurate whacking with the mallet held in my right hand. I think I want to train the right hand to use the mallet

So I'm curious do you use your 'primary' hand to hold the chisel or the mallet?

When used with a mallet, the primary hand holds the mallet.

I think the training of the non dexter hand is one of the things one has to learn. I am somewhat ambidextrous, so this is a little confusing.

I will set the chisel to the line and then wiggle or walk it in to the position where it is to be whacked. If it needs to be moved to one side or the other, then I will tap it in to place with the mallet.

Of course, when paring, the dexter hand is driving the chisel, at least most of the time.

Hope this helps and hopefully those with more experience will post better ways of doing this.

jim

[Sam Yerardi]

I use pretty much the same approach as Jim with one addition in your case - - don't feel that there is a 'correct' way to do it. There are ways as Jim & I use that work for us and for a lot of other woodworkers, so it's correct for us. But whatever you find and discover that works for you is the best - -for YOU. I mentioned this on here before about Jimi Hendrix being right-handed but played the guitar left-handed. Seeing how he ended up being one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time, changing hands didn't hold him back. I can just imagine how many teachers would have told him early on - 'you're doing it wrong!'....

[Mark Stutz]

I, too, hold the mallet with my primary hand.I'll admit, though, to "helping" postion the chisel with my right (primary) hand on occasion as I was developing the skills. I need to do it less and less. I also switched from the Marples to a shorter and lighter chisel, and this made it much easier. The Marples plastic handles were much too top heavy.

Mark

[David DeCristoforo]

I have always encouraged an ambidextrous approach when it comes to woodworking. It's always better to train yourself to work "from either side". There are so many situations in which you cannot work in the most "comfortable" position. The more of a "switch hitter" you are, the better.

YM

[mike holden]

Allow me to put in another vote for mallet in primary hand.
Make sure you put in a good score line, makes it easier to place the chisel blade.
Also I make a relief chisel cut just into the waste prior to cutting the line, this keeps the chisel from "walking backwards" past the line. You are pounding a "v" into the wood, just because one wall of the "v" is vertical does not mean it will not want to balance out.
Practice, practice, practice - it will get better and then it will get easier.
Mike

[Kurt Bird]

Dan,
I felt like I would add my $.02. I had always read that after scribing for a dovetail, you should add a score line, with either a marking gauge or a marking knife. This cuts the cross grain fibers, but also gives you a very touch sensitive place to start your chisel. You might find that holding the chisel down near the tip will give you a lot more control than holding it by the handle. If you're doing these things already, then I'm not entirely sure I know what the exact problem is. Let us know, OK?
Kurt