Practice and sharp blades are the key

[Sawduster]

The simple chisel, one of the oldest tools for working wood, and surely the father of the plane, is still one of the most useful tools in the woodworkers arsenal, regardless of power type preferred.

I've been using mine a lot lately, in fact, probably spent more hours with a chisel in my hands than with any other tool in my shop. Cutting and cleaning dados, grooves and rabbets, along with chopping out the waste for DTs.

At this point in my neander life, sharp edges are a given. If it ain't truly sharp, it's gonna screw something up. You're gonna grab a mallet to make the puppy cut something that should be done with only hand supplied force and somethings gonna give, usually something you want to stay intact.

So it has become a simple question of spending time, between sharpenings, making nice thin shavings with this very basic tool. The basics are easy to explain in words, drawings, and pictures, but just knowing how is not enough. Ya gotta do it, put the steel to the wood and figure out all the little nuances, how steep an angle to hold the cutting edge at, how much force to apply, when you do need to reach for that mallet to give the thing a light tap, or to smack it real good. And when it is time to take it back to the stone to bring that edge back to shape.

And time flies by, but you also get better and faster at it to the point where you no longer ask yourself, "Do I REALLY need a rabbet there, or could I get away without one?" You just go ahead and do it and the job is better for it.

[Gecko]

I found out the importance of sharp chisels while playing with handcut DT's. (fourth one fit like a dream BTW) And what they say about what you thought sharp was changes fast. Trying to cut a .00001" shaving with a "sharp" tool showed me that sharpening is as much a part of woodworking as anything else.

[Sawduster]

My sharpening enlightment, to wit, my idea of sharp, actually came in two steps. The second one fairly recently.

[Chris Moore]

>Ya gotta
>do it, put the steel to the wood and figure out all the
>little nuances, how steep an angle to hold the cutting edge
>at, how much force to apply, when you do need to reach for
>that mallet to give the thing a light tap, or to smack it
>real good. And when it is time to take it back to the stone
>to bring that edge back to shape.

No truer words have ever been written on this forum. I think that you'll find, too, that you are learning the nuances of YOUR tools. If you don't believe me, after a few months of learning the "zen" of your personal tools visit someone else's shop who has tools of equal or even better quality. Try his tools out. You'll feel like your working in boxing gloves.


Chris Moore
West Palm Beach, FL

[Sawduster]

I can believe that.

[Randy Privett]

Wow one millionth of an inch, now that's thin. ;)

Randy

[dcarter636]

Actually that's 10 millionths, but your eyes won't see that either. Gecko's just introducing us to a third definition of reeeellee sharp.

[Randy Privett]

OPPS, ;)

Should have put my glasses on, thought I saw 5 zeros .000001 instead of four .00001.

Randy

[Gecko]

Ok Ok maybe not that thin but I was trying to shave pencil lead off that I was using to see the high spots without going much deeper. :p