How to Use a Chisel, Tips and Tricks for the Beginner to Intermediate Woodworker

Summary

This woodworking tutorial emphasizes the versatility of chisels, focusing on bench chisels and their various types. It underscores the importance of sharpness for both safety and quality results. The video offers practical tips on sharpening techniques using tools like stropping compounds and slow-speed grinders, and it briefly touches on sharpening systems. It also covers the use of chisels for joinery, mortising, and chamfering, highlighting safety practices to avoid injury. The host encourages practice for mastering chisel skills and promotes related products and resources.

Takeaways

• ⚔️ Chisels are versatile tools suitable for both rough and fine woodworking tasks.
• 🔪 Sharpness is paramount for chisels as it ensures good results and safety; a dull chisel is unsafe as it can slip.
• 📝 The paper test is a quick way to check the sharpness of a chisel before use.
• 🛠️ Strops and buffing wheels are useful tools for maintaining chisel sharpness between sharpening sessions.
• 📏 Bench chisels are the most popular type, with variations like skew chisels and Japanese chisels for specific tasks.
• 🔩 Specialty chisels, such as 1/16th inch wide ones, are used by carvers for detailed work.
• 💧 Water stones, while messy, provide the best sharpening results but require maintenance like flattening.
• 💎 Diamond stones are convenient for their staying power and ease of cleaning.
• 🔨 When using a chisel, always work towards the middle of the wood and never cut all the way through from one side.
• 👐 Safety is crucial: keep your non-dominant hand behind the cutting edge to prevent accidents.

Q & A

What are chisels primarily used for in woodworking?

Chisels are used for both rough and fine woodworking tasks, making them one of the most versatile tools in the shop. They can be used for various purposes such as carving, mortising, and general wood shaping.

What is the significance of sharpness when using chisels?

Sharpness is paramount for chisels because it ensures good results and safety. A dull chisel is harder to control, tends to slip, and can lead to accidents, making it unsafe to use.

How often should one perform the paper test with their chisels?

The paper test should be performed every day that you plan to use your chisels to ensure they are sharp enough for the task at hand.

What is a strop and how does it help in maintaining chisel sharpness?

A strop is a tool used to sharpen the edge of a cutting tool. It helps in maintaining chisel sharpness by realigning and refining the edge without the need for a complete resharpening, which can be time-consuming.

What is the purpose of using a slow speed grinder with a buffing wheel for chisels?

A slow speed grinder with a buffing wheel is used as a quick 'cheater trick' to put a burr on the edge of the chisel, which helps in achieving a very sharp edge in just a few seconds.

Why is it unnecessary to flatten the entire back of a chisel?

Flattening the entire back of a chisel is unnecessary because most woodworking tasks do not require a perfectly flat reference edge more than an inch or so down the chisel. Having a half inch to an inch of flatness is usually sufficient for most purposes.

What are the three sharpening systems mentioned in the script?

The three sharpening systems mentioned are the Scary Sharp system (lapping film), water stones, and diamond stones.

Why is it important to use a marking knife line when chiseling?

A marking knife line is important because it provides an exact location to end up at and serves as a reference for the chisel, ensuring precision and accuracy in the woodworking process.

How can one ensure a 90-degree angle when chiseling?

To ensure a 90-degree angle when chiseling, one can use a guide block or a chisel block that has a 90-degree edge, aligning it with the marking knife line to create a perfect right angle.

What is the recommended technique for rounding over proud joinery like dovetails?

The recommended technique for rounding over proud joinery is to approach the corners at a skewed angle and work backwards towards the closest corner, which helps prevent blow out and maintains the integrity of the wood.