please elucidate...Originally Posted by Patrick Chase
I guess my ancient, out of production, Hart hammer is slightly domed...but one thing I do know is F=1/2mv^2...e.g. you don't have to whale on the sucker, and that is why I started using a 12 oz. hammer years ago...light enough that I can carefully tap on woods to align them and not leave a dent...and of course, it will impart a decent amount of energy when swung with 'force' (and by that I mean a proper swing of the hammer...it's a body motion thing...taught to me years ago by a framer who laughed at my 32 oz. hammer and showed me how to drive 3" vinyl coated sinkers above my head with a 21 oz. hammer with 2 hits...start...SLAM with proper body motion).
look...I'm aware of the transference of energy and such...and the ill effects on woods (especially cross grained strikes)...this can be seen in 2 distinct fashions that I try to avoid...1: the chisel will move in both directions because of the bevel...e.g. it can widen up your intended mortise by moving into the field of the material you want to leave...the trick here is to remove as much wood as possible up to the actual mortise line, then start work on the mortise line...in general I do this with a router...sometimes I'm forced, because of a superintendent whining about dust, to do it all by hand...either way the trick is to remove material close to the actual line, then focus on the line...this allows the bevel of the chisel to push the remaining wood away easily and not move the back into the field of the wood you want to preserve...2: crushing of cross grained cuts...this is seen by the wood intended to be left being a tad crushed and dimpled...unclean...cr@ppy work...
point being, I usually use my hammer judiciously...yeah, sometimes I whale upon it...most times not...just part of the work and just exactly what type of work is being performed...
I am assuming a plastic/rubber faced mallet is a likely candidate for alternate striking instrument?
yeah, I'm sure I'm NOT that old to learn a new instrument...I use a rubber/plastic faced mallet now and again for certain types of work...thing is I am also keenly aware of the loss of energy being transferred to the item being struck...
as far as hardness of steel...yeah, I am also aware of that concept (though as noted NOT experienced with quality chisels that have a higher rc rating)...and yeah, it's a trade off...that is why I am focusing on rc61-63 as opposed to ultimate Japanese rc65-67...
big point to me, as I previously noted, is that a chisel stay sharp for a whole work day when put to repeated use...the Japanese products intrigue me...layered steel, and higher rc rating...
in the end I am also realizing for my own 'preservation' on site I also need to think of similarity to total size of the chisel as compared to the Hell Depot Bucks I've been using for ages now...
at the very least, I hope to be 'happy' with whatever I choose...$, while certainly 'important', are not a great issue per se. I'm not looking to spend over a grand on a set of ultimate Japanese chisels...rather $300 maximum for a limited array of chisels...1/2" is the smallest I use (3/4" is the smallest cross grained mortise I do) and 5/8" might be an option as opposed to 1/2"...3/4-7/8" for 1" cross grain cuts, and for standard strike plates on a jamb I have to admit sometimes 1 1/2" is a tad short...I'm leaning at going for 1 3/4" for an investment quality chisel...
yeah, I have 'worries' about changing things...legitimate worries in the sense that when I make a mistake, it is usually a costly one...simply because of the fact I work on very high $ homes, and that implies expensive materials...on a very lucky day I make a FUBAR on a paint grade item...that can be patched, repainted, and fairly easily forgiven...fekk a stained item up, and it's most likely throw it away and replace it...my most recent FUBAR in that respect was a result of working in low light and mistaking a nail hole for the mark I made for location of bore for a dead bolt in a T-astragal...whoooops...throw that T-astragal away, remortise it for the throw bolt into the head jamb, and cry in shame...and yeah, I did the restoration work gratis...the best I can do to warranty my craftsmanship...in general, when given some serious cr@p about a mistake I simply answer "Mel Gibson" and the person said comment is directed to says "say what???", and I respond "according to Mel, they took the last perfect carpenter, beat the *edited* out of him, put a crown of thorns on him, then nailed him to a big cross...I'm not that guy...I try, but still make human mistakes"
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