What chisels to get

[Hawken Dan]

Hi,

I am about to start on installing my lock and need to buy some chisels. I would like to get as best quality set as I can. I saw some on http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2010/Main/137
that I like. They are made in Japan.
What do you think of those or are there better ones out there that I should consider?

Thx.

 

[MSW]

i've seen Grizzly's power tools and (if it's the same company) they're really well made. If you see a set which really strikes your fancy, and you have the money, then by all means go for it.

the chisels in the photo look a lot like the ones i've seen in woodworking mags for a bunch more, and as nearly as i can tell, they are very well made

but...

you should probably take a look at the Track of the Wolf catalog as well, and see it anything there strikes you as obviously useful. they have two bent chisels which i've found quite handy. Alos, just give thema call and chat with the fellows there. It's been my experience that (although they are in the business of selling stuff, and they do want to make money and pay the light bill and meet payroll and so on) they won't sell you stuff you don't really need if youy point- blank ask, "do i really need this?"

having said that, there are a number of sources for less expensive tools (Harbor Freight comes to mind). you will notice a big difference in the cost of HF chisels as opposed to those from Track. Not all steel is the same. (hint)

I've had very good luck with Japanese made chisels- the few i own are pretty expensive, though.

but, and most important, if you don't already know how, get a video or get someone to show you how to put a razor- sharp edge on all of your cutting tools. really- if you can't shave the hair off your forearm, the tool is dull, and you shouldn't touch it to the wood until it's sharp. I keep a leather strop handy and i keep my chisels stropped as almost a nervous habit. It might look silly, but i haven't cut myself or had a woodwoopsie since i started doing this.

i sharpen most of my stuff with float glass and wet/dry sandpaper (you can get up to 8000grit from an autobody shop) there are a bunch of different techniques, stones and so on, but pick one and get really good at it. (that's the deep dark secret: not that you know it, you must never tell anyone to whom you are not related, or the chisel fairy will come to your house at night and make all your tools rusty, and take photos of them and publish them all over the web, and you will have to hang your head in shame and wallow in misery).

good luck with your project. go slow, build straight, and make good smoke!

 

[Hawken Dan]

THX MSW.

Good info there. I have bought a few thinks from TOTW before and have been happy with them and also bought from Grizzly too. I will look and compare both before I buy. Thx for the sharpening info too

Hawken Dan.

 

[Vaino]

The first chisels pictured are mallet driven and way too big for lock inletting. I don't buy sets of chisels because some that are included aren't used. The chisels I use are 1/4" wide and are a bent straight and a bent gouge. Also used is a 1/2" wide, bent straight chisel. If the "tail" of the lock is pointed, then a skew chisel is needed. I outline the lockplate w/ an Exacto knife and then use it for the first shallow back cuts and then switch to a straight bent chisel. My most used chisels cost $10 in 1978 and many of my chisels are homade from 01 tool steel. A straight 3/4" chisel is handy for shaping later on. For the lockplate "nose" I made a stabbing in chisel which saves a lot of time. For recessed inletting the bent chisels do a better job, anyways for me....Good luck....Fred

 

[Zonie]

Although you didn't ask, the very first thing I think you will need to inlet your lock is a Exacto Knife #5 http://www.xacto.com/Product/X3205

You also should buy some #2 pointed blades for it like these http://www.xacto.com/Product/X202

While the Exacto #2 blades seem to hold their edge better than the Ace Hardware #2 pointed blades do the Ace blades are a LOT less expensive.

This handle and pointed blade is used to cut straight down into the wood using the edge of the lockplate as a guide. (This method is also used to inlet trigger guards, sideplates, patchboxes, and metal inlays.)

As for the chisels you asked about, there are many really good chisels on the market so buy the best you can. You will want to buy the 1/8", 1/4" and maybe the 1/2". You will have no need for larger chisels for your gun building.

Because quality chisels are fairly sharp you will have no need for course grit grinding stones. Buy the finest grit you can find and when using it to resharpen the chisel do not change the angle of the edge.

If you have the extra money and don't own one, a inexpensive bench grinder with two wheels is a worthwhile buy but make sure it has 1/2" spindles on it. DO NOT USE THE GRINDING WHEELS FOR SHARPENING CHISEL'S.

The reason for buying the grinder is so you can remove one of the grinding wheels (and its guard) and replace it with a cloth buffing wheel. http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/

These buffing wheels can be used with a buffing compound to keep your chisels razor blade sharp without using a stone at all. These cloth wheels come with a metal adapter to fit a 1/2" grinder shaft.

I highly recommend using the "Stainless" compound which works great for steel and brass. http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/
Speaking of compounds, the ones sold at Ace are less expensive and work just as well.

Of course, if you don't want to buy the grinder and the buffing wheel, you still (IMO) should get a stick of the Stainless buffing compound.
You can rub this onto a piece of denum, pillow ticking or similar heavy fabric and then lay the fabric on a hard surface, compound side up.
With some elbow grease you can buff your chisels edges to the razor blade sharpness you will need to make clean, precise cuts.

 

[The German]

www.woodcraft.com

Pfeil - Swiss made -worth evry cent( or should I say $$)!

Seems to me, that they sharper, better to sharpen and stay sharp longer - also better "feel" when working....

 

[Birddog6]

You can buy about 5-6 dif chisels like this from Dunlaps or TOW and a couple rounded gouges from Woodcrafts, a good Exacto knife, to inlet & build just about any rifle.

I have about 8 of these chisels in dif shapes & widths and use them for just about all of my inletting , with a couple of Flexcut rounded gouges for the corners. Especially good for barrel & breech inletting.

Keith Lisle