Why is it that whenever I read an article that describes using a chisel for
something, the chisel always has to be "sharp"? "Clean out the mortise with
a sharp chisel." "Square up the corners with a sharp chisel". Why does
everyone, it seems, single out chisels as the only tool that needs to be
sharp.

I never see them say or write, "rip into strips on the table saw using a
sharp blade." "Flatten the boards on the jointer using sharp knives.",
"Run them through the planer with sharp knives installed.", "Use a block
plane, with a sharp blade, to clean up the edges."

It has always struck me as odd that writers and authors always mention
"sharp" when discussing the use of chisels and not other tools. Is it
really more important for a chisel to be sharp than any other tool?

Just an observation.

Mike

"Mike Dembroge" wrote in message
.. .
Why is it that whenever I read an article that describes using a chisel
for something, the chisel always has to be "sharp"? "Clean out the
mortise with a sharp chisel." "Square up the corners with a sharp
chisel". Why does everyone, it seems, single out chisels as the only tool
that needs to be sharp.

I never see them say or write, "rip into strips on the table saw using a
sharp blade." "Flatten the boards on the jointer using sharp knives.",
"Run them through the planer with sharp knives installed.", "Use a block
plane, with a sharp blade, to clean up the edges."

It has always struck me as odd that writers and authors always mention
"sharp" when discussing the use of chisels and not other tools. Is it
really more important for a chisel to be sharp than any other tool?

Just an observation.

Mike

Because many do not know what a sharp chisel and/or how to achieve a sharp
chisel. :-)

"Lowell Holmes" wrote in message
news:v9qDh.5889$Cr1.2445@trnddc08...

"Mike Dembroge" wrote in message
.. .
Why is it that whenever I read an article that describes using a chisel
for something, the chisel always has to be "sharp"? "Clean out the
mortise with a sharp chisel." "Square up the corners with a sharp
chisel". Why does everyone, it seems, single out chisels as the only
tool that needs to be sharp.

I never see them say or write, "rip into strips on the table saw using a
sharp blade." "Flatten the boards on the jointer using sharp knives.",
"Run them through the planer with sharp knives installed.", "Use a block
plane, with a sharp blade, to clean up the edges."

It has always struck me as odd that writers and authors always mention
"sharp" when discussing the use of chisels and not other tools. Is it
really more important for a chisel to be sharp than any other tool?

Just an observation.

Mike

Because many do not know what a sharp chisel and/or how to achieve a
sharp chisel. :-)

Back in the days before carbide blades became so prevalent, people said
always to cut your wood with a sharp blade. People also still remind us to
use sharp jointer blades because carbide blades are not very common.

Jim

On Thu, 22 Feb 2007 23:56:18 GMT, "Mike Dembroge"
wrote:

Why is it that whenever I read an article that describes using a chisel for
something, the chisel always has to be "sharp"? "Clean out the mortise with
a sharp chisel." "Square up the corners with a sharp chisel". Why does
everyone, it seems, single out chisels as the only tool that needs to be
sharp.

The most important reason is that a dull chisel will hurt you quicker
than a sharp chisel.

That may seem to be counterintuitive but the reasoning is that a great
deal of force will have to be used on a dullish chisel and that force
may be redirected at you, rather than towards the work.

On Feb 22, 6:56 pm, "Mike Dembroge"
wrote:

It has always struck me as odd that writers and authors always mention
"sharp" when discussing the use of chisels and not other tools.

Then you're not reading enough.

Is it
really more important for a chisel to be sharp than any other tool?

A dull chisel is far more likely to cut you than a dull plane iron.
It also does a poor job paring or chopping.


Just an observation.

Mike

"Mike Dembroge" wrote in message
.. .
Why is it that whenever I read an article that describes using a chisel
for something, the chisel always has to be "sharp"? "Clean out the
mortise with a sharp chisel." "Square up the corners with a sharp
chisel". Why does everyone, it seems, single out chisels as the only tool
that needs to be sharp.

That's easy... it's so that your son can drop them on the concrete floor in
your shop. My 9 year old son did that to the shaving-sharp chisel he was
using last night while I was giving him more training in cutting dovetails
by hand. Took the corner right off it!

With that I had to regrind the chisel back to good metal before moving on to
Arkansas stones. He was getting inpatient while I restored the cutting edge
and started kiddingly complaining that I was cutting into his work time! I
reminded him that he damaged the chisel. To that he responded, "No, you
did." I asked, "How do you figure that, you dropped it?" With a mischievous
grin he said, "You're fixing it so you must have damaged it." Kids! ;~)

John

"Mike Dembroge" wrote in message
.. .
Why is it that whenever I read an article that describes using a chisel
for something, the chisel always has to be "sharp"? "Clean out the
mortise with a sharp chisel." "Square up the corners with a sharp
chisel". Why does everyone, it seems, single out chisels as the only tool
that needs to be sharp.


Because a "cold chisel" is not sharp enough. ;~)

Woodcraft puts that on their training descriptions. "Bring a sharp
gouge". I asked them why once, and they said that if they didn't say
that, people would bring dull ones.

Maybe it's because chisels and gouges are tools where the force on the
tip is generated by (or controlled by) your hand, instead of a motor?
Therefor, it makes a difference if it's dull - a motor can force a
dull saw blade through wood, but it's much harder for your hand to
force a dull chisel through wood.

Aren't dull chisels used for scraping paint, anyway? ;-)

Good point. I understand that dull tools are more dangerous (ax comes to
mind), and I didn't think of the safety issue. My point wasn't so much that
a chisel must be sharp, but rather that the chisel seems to be singled out
exclusively. Like I said though, I probably didn't think of the safety
angle.

Okay, back to work now...

"tom watson" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 22 Feb 2007 23:56:18 GMT, "Mike Dembroge"
wrote:

Why is it that whenever I read an article that describes using a chisel
for
something, the chisel always has to be "sharp"? "Clean out the mortise
with
a sharp chisel." "Square up the corners with a sharp chisel". Why does
everyone, it seems, single out chisels as the only tool that needs to be
sharp.

The most important reason is that a dull chisel will hurt you quicker
than a sharp chisel.

That may seem to be counterintuitive but the reasoning is that a great
deal of force will have to be used on a dullish chisel and that force
may be redirected at you, rather than towards the work.

"Father Haskell" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Feb 22, 6:56 pm, "Mike Dembroge"
wrote:

It has always struck me as odd that writers and authors always mention
"sharp" when discussing the use of chisels and not other tools.

Then you're not reading enough.
Really? Do you have an example of something in a recent article or
publication where a tool, other than a chisel, was mentioned as needing to
be sharp?

Is it
really more important for a chisel to be sharp than any other tool?

A dull chisel is far more likely to cut you than a dull plane iron.
A dull tablesaw blade can cause all sorts of problems too. No?

[snip]

With that I had to regrind the chisel back to good metal before moving on
to Arkansas stones. He was getting inpatient while I restored the cutting
edge and started kiddingly complaining that I was cutting into his work
time! I reminded him that he damaged the chisel. To that he responded,
"No, you did." I asked, "How do you figure that, you dropped it?" With a
mischievous grin he said, "You're fixing it so you must have damaged it."
Kids! ;~)

Kinda tough to argue that kind of logic ;-)

mike

As long as we're pondering such questions....

Why do companies tout their products as being constructed of 'space-age'
materials?

The space age's golden period was in the 1960's.

Just wondering.

jc



"Mike Dembroge" wrote in message
.. .
Why is it that whenever I read an article that describes using a chisel
for something, the chisel always has to be "sharp"? "Clean out the
mortise with a sharp chisel." "Square up the corners with a sharp
chisel". Why does everyone, it seems, single out chisels as the only tool
that needs to be sharp.

I never see them say or write, "rip into strips on the table saw using a
sharp blade." "Flatten the boards on the jointer using sharp knives.",
"Run them through the planer with sharp knives installed.", "Use a block
plane, with a sharp blade, to clean up the edges."

It has always struck me as odd that writers and authors always mention
"sharp" when discussing the use of chisels and not other tools. Is it
really more important for a chisel to be sharp than any other tool?

Just an observation.

Mike

In article , Mike Dembroge
wrote:

Why is it that whenever I read an article that describes using a chisel for
something, the chisel always has to be "sharp"? "Clean out the mortise with
a sharp chisel." "Square up the corners with a sharp chisel". Why does
everyone, it seems, single out chisels as the only tool that needs to be
sharp.

I never see them say or write, "rip into strips on the table saw using a
sharp blade." "Flatten the boards on the jointer using sharp knives.",
"Run them through the planer with sharp knives installed.", "Use a block
plane, with a sharp blade, to clean up the edges."

It has always struck me as odd that writers and authors always mention
"sharp" when discussing the use of chisels and not other tools. Is it
really more important for a chisel to be sharp than any other tool?

It's code for "don't use your chisel as a screwdriver or to open paint
cans, you idiot."

--
You can't PLAN sincerity. You have to make it up on the spot! -- Denny Crane

What is "sharp"? My wood working chisels are sharp enough to shave with, my
cold chisel is "sharp" but you couldn't shave with it. Most people think of
a cold chisel as dull, and it is for wood work, so you use a "sharp" or wood
working chisel for wood work not a "dull" cold chisel. Other tools used for
wood work are generaly used only for wood work and do not have common
counterparts for other materials. Yes I know that saws etc. are used for
other materials but most people think of them and other tools as for wood
and not other materials.
"Mike Dembroge" wrote in message
.. .
Why is it that whenever I read an article that describes using a chisel
for something, the chisel always has to be "sharp"? "Clean out the
mortise with a sharp chisel." "Square up the corners with a sharp
chisel". Why does everyone, it seems, single out chisels as the only tool
that needs to be sharp.

I never see them say or write, "rip into strips on the table saw using a
sharp blade." "Flatten the boards on the jointer using sharp knives.",
"Run them through the planer with sharp knives installed.", "Use a block
plane, with a sharp blade, to clean up the edges."

It has always struck me as odd that writers and authors always mention
"sharp" when discussing the use of chisels and not other tools. Is it
really more important for a chisel to be sharp than any other tool?

Just an observation.

Mike

On Feb 22, 8:33 pm, "Mike Dembroge"
wrote:
"Father Haskell" wrote in message

ups.com... On Feb 22, 6:56 pm, "Mike Dembroge"
wrote:

It has always struck me as odd that writers and authors always mention
"sharp" when discussing the use of chisels and not other tools.

Then you're not reading enough.

Really? Do you have an example of something in a recent article or
publication where a tool, other than a chisel, was mentioned as needing to
be sharp?

Yes. Bench planes. Card scrapers. Files. Handsaws.
Shovels...

Hatchets. ESPECIALLY hatchets. They're not sharp enough
to bite, they glance, sometimes into pieces of meat belonging
to say, you. Jerry Garcia lost one finger this way. Tony
Iommi from Black Sabbath lost two.

Doesn't leave much else besides hammers.

Is it
really more important for a chisel to be sharp than any other tool?

A dull chisel is far more likely to cut you than a dull plane iron.

A dull tablesaw blade can cause all sorts of problems too. No?

Slightly harder feed, mostly. I'm still using the Systimatic 50
tooth combo that came with my saw 12 years ago, never
sharpened.

In article ,
says...

Why do companies tout their products as being constructed of 'space-age'
materials?

The space age's golden period was in the 1960's.

Just wondering.


I expect that may have something to do with the fact that materials science
really advanced in leaps and bounds, particularly in ceramics and alloys, in
connection with space research. So the association probably kinda stuck.

-Peter

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

"Mike Dembroge" wrote in message
.. .
Why is it that whenever I read an article that describes using a chisel
for
something, the chisel always has to be "sharp"? "Clean out the mortise
with
a sharp chisel." "Square up the corners with a sharp chisel". Why does
everyone, it seems, single out chisels as the only tool that needs to be
sharp.

I never see them say or write, "rip into strips on the table saw using a
sharp blade." "Flatten the boards on the jointer using sharp knives.",
"Run them through the planer with sharp knives installed.", "Use a block
plane, with a sharp blade, to clean up the edges."

It has always struck me as odd that writers and authors always mention
"sharp" when discussing the use of chisels and not other tools. Is it
really more important for a chisel to be sharp than any other tool?

Just an observation.



Geeze Mike, everyone knows the answer to this. Sharp chisels are for paring
wood. Dull chisels are for removing common head screws and for prying stuck
objects. It's all about the proper tool for the job.

Man - ya gotta explain everything to some people...

--

-Mike-

"Mike Dembroge" wrote in message

Why is it that whenever I read an article that describes using a chisel
for
something, the chisel always has to be "sharp"? "Clean out the mortise
with
a sharp chisel." "Square up the corners with a sharp chisel". Why does
everyone, it seems, single out chisels as the only tool that needs to be
sharp.

Not always. Never heard anyone say "Open that paint can with a sharp chisel"
.... but it happens anyway.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 2/20/07

Just curious....how much time do you guys spend sharpening....say a
1/2 in. chisel that has dulled from normal woodworking.....what grit
stones do you use/ brand/ water/oil......and what do you use to keep
them from rusting?

"splinter" wrote in message
Just curious....how much time do you guys spend sharpening....say a
1/2 in. chisel that has dulled from normal woodworking.....what grit
stones do you use/ brand/ water/oil......and what do you use to keep
them from rusting?

Books have been written about this subject ... but some of us just go buy a
new one.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 2/20/07

"splinter" wrote in message
oups.com...
Just curious....how much time do you guys spend sharpening....say a
1/2 in. chisel that has dulled from normal woodworking.....what grit
stones do you use/ brand/ water/oil......and what do you use to keep
them from rusting?


I don't worry about the surface rust that develops. It takes a couple of
quick wipes to clean them off and they're good to go. I'm of the mind that
my tools are tools, not show pieces and they are subject to some of the
things that happen to tools. When they need a touch up I just hit them on
some sand paper.

--

-Mike-

On Feb 22, 7:16 pm, DJ Delorie wrote:
Woodcraft puts that on their training descriptions. "Bring a sharp
gouge". I asked them why once, and they said that if they didn't say
that, people would bring dull ones.

Maybe it's because chisels and gouges are tools where the force on the
tip is generated by (or controlled by) your hand, instead of a motor?
Therefor, it makes a difference if it's dull - a motor can force a
dull saw blade through wood, but it's much harder for your hand to
force a dull chisel through wood.

I'll agree with this. Unlike the power blades, cutters, sharp is more
noticebale when powered AND guided by hand. Even hand plane blades
have a structure around them to guide them. Your hand power just
pushes the structure. A Lie Nielsen #5 plane with a less than sharp
blade will perform far better than a Great Neck #5 plane with a sharp
blade. Chisels, saws, and a few other tools, sharpness is number one
importance.



Aren't dull chisels used for scraping paint, anyway? ;-)

It is always better to have a sharp chisel to drop on the
floor. It would make no sense to nick a dull chisel ???

Mike Dembroge wrote:

Why is it that whenever I read an article that describes using a chisel for
something, the chisel always has to be "sharp"?

On Feb 23, 10:06 am, "splinter" wrote:
Just curious....how much time do you guys spend sharpening....say a
1/2 in. chisel that has dulled from normal woodworking.....what grit
stones do you use/ brand/ water/oil......and what do you use to keep
them from rusting?

For some strange reason I don't have a problem with rusted anything in
my little Wisconsin shop. Not sure why.

Once I've got a chisel sharp enough to shave with, a few strokes on
the five k grit and a few on the 8 k will bring it right back. Maybe
ten, fifteen minutes from getting the stones out to putting them away.

Unless I drop it on the floor.
Once I pulled a shoulder muscle trying to catch a chisel as it fell
off the bench. Didn't catch it. It landed on a canvas toolbag,
completey unharmed. And I realized that if I *had* caught it, I
probably would have slit the web between my thumb and forefinger.

Since then, I don't worry about it so much.

On Feb 23, 11:06 am, "splinter" wrote:
Just curious....how much time do you guys spend sharpening....say a
1/2 in. chisel that has dulled from normal woodworking.....

1 minute.

what grit
stones do you use/ brand/ water/oil......

Felt wheel, green chrome stick.

and what do you use to keep
them from rusting?

Use.

"splinter" wrote in message
oups.com...
Just curious....how much time do you guys spend sharpening....say a
1/2 in. chisel that has dulled from normal woodworking.....what grit
stones do you use/ brand/ water/oil......and what do you use to keep
them from rusting?


Sharpening is followed by honing, and perhaps by stropping. Tuning up in
the middle of a project is done with a ceramic, maybe a minute, including
pulling and replacing the stone. The sharpening is a rare thing, coarser
honing is once in a while and perhaps five minutes. I do all with the same
bevel when I hone, whether an individual chisel needs it or not. I strop
the carving tools, don't strop chisels.

I don't store 'em where they'll get moisture and make sure they have none
when I return them to the rack.

"Father Haskell" wrote in message
ups.com...

Slightly harder feed, mostly. I'm still using the Systimatic 50
tooth combo that came with my saw 12 years ago, never
sharpened.



Either you don't do much wood working with that blade or will be in for a
treat when you do get it sharpened. I had that blade for about 12 years and
had it resharpened 4 or 5 times.

LOL!

"Mike Marlow" wrote in message
...

"Mike Dembroge" wrote in message
.. .
Why is it that whenever I read an article that describes using a chisel
for
something, the chisel always has to be "sharp"? "Clean out the mortise
with
a sharp chisel." "Square up the corners with a sharp chisel". Why does
everyone, it seems, single out chisels as the only tool that needs to be
sharp.

I never see them say or write, "rip into strips on the table saw using a
sharp blade." "Flatten the boards on the jointer using sharp knives.",
"Run them through the planer with sharp knives installed.", "Use a block
plane, with a sharp blade, to clean up the edges."

It has always struck me as odd that writers and authors always mention
"sharp" when discussing the use of chisels and not other tools. Is it
really more important for a chisel to be sharp than any other tool?

Just an observation.



Geeze Mike, everyone knows the answer to this. Sharp chisels are for
paring
wood. Dull chisels are for removing common head screws and for prying
stuck
objects. It's all about the proper tool for the job.

Man - ya gotta explain everything to some people...

--

-Mike-

[snip]

Really? Do you have an example of something in a recent article or
publication where a tool, other than a chisel, was mentioned as needing
to
be sharp?

Yes. Bench planes. Card scrapers. Files. Handsaws.
Shovels...

Where in the world did you read something that said to dig the hole with a
"sharp shovel"? That's truly amazing!


Hatchets. ESPECIALLY hatchets. They're not sharp enough
to bite, they glance, sometimes into pieces of meat belonging
to say, you. Jerry Garcia lost one finger this way. Tony
Iommi from Black Sabbath lost two.

Doesn't leave much else besides hammers.

On Feb 23, 7:25 pm, "Mike Dembroge"
wrote:
[snip]

Really? Do you have an example of something in a recent article or
publication where a tool, other than a chisel, was mentioned as needing
to
be sharp?

Yes. Bench planes. Card scrapers. Files. Handsaws.
Shovels...

Where in the world did you read something that said to dig the hole with a
"sharp shovel"? That's truly amazing!

Makes it easier to cut through roots.

You've never heard of sharpening a shovel? I thought that was common
knowledge.

"Mike Dembroge" wrote in message
...
[snip]

Really? Do you have an example of something in a recent article or
publication where a tool, other than a chisel, was mentioned as needing
to
be sharp?

Yes. Bench planes. Card scrapers. Files. Handsaws.
Shovels...

Where in the world did you read something that said to dig the hole with a
"sharp shovel"? That's truly amazing!


Hatchets. ESPECIALLY hatchets. They're not sharp enough
to bite, they glance, sometimes into pieces of meat belonging
to say, you. Jerry Garcia lost one finger this way. Tony
Iommi from Black Sabbath lost two.

Doesn't leave much else besides hammers.

so are we gonna start calling shovels "dirt chisels?"

"CW" wrote in message
nk.net...
You've never heard of sharpening a shovel? I thought that was common
knowledge.

"Mike Dembroge" wrote in message
...
[snip]

Really? Do you have an example of something in a recent article or
publication where a tool, other than a chisel, was mentioned as
needing
to
be sharp?

Yes. Bench planes. Card scrapers. Files. Handsaws.
Shovels...

Where in the world did you read something that said to dig the hole with
a
"sharp shovel"? That's truly amazing!


Hatchets. ESPECIALLY hatchets. They're not sharp enough
to bite, they glance, sometimes into pieces of meat belonging
to say, you. Jerry Garcia lost one finger this way. Tony
Iommi from Black Sabbath lost two.

Doesn't leave much else besides hammers.

Mike Dembroge wrote:

| Where in the world did you read something that said to dig the hole
| with a "sharp shovel"? That's truly amazing!

Not too amazing. Also sharpen your garden hoe and long-handled fork
tines.

A sharpened (to _two_ edges) straight screwdriver won't slip out of
the slot and mar your work as readily as a screwdriver with
worn/rounded edges and corners.

I sharpen my center punch from time to time; and every now and then I
run a fine file down the end of my putty knives - makes em work better
for just about everything you'd want to use one for.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto

On Feb 23, 9:23 pm, "Morris Dovey" wrote:
Mike Dembroge wrote:

| Where in the world did you read something that said to dig the hole
| with a "sharp shovel"? That's truly amazing!

Not too amazing. Also sharpen your garden hoe and long-handled fork
tines.

File hoes incannel, i.e. side of blade facing the operator.
This pulls the blade into the soil when you pull on the tool.

A sharpened (to _two_ edges) straight screwdriver won't slip out of
the slot and mar your work as readily as a screwdriver with
worn/rounded edges and corners.

Hollow ground tips jump out of the slot least, since the
bearing faces are close to parallel -- there's a reason why
your power screwdriver bits aren't flat ground. Be sure to
grind off the corners, so they don't stick out past the slot
and chew up the wood right when you get a screw driven
home.

I sharpen my center punch from time to time;

Makes it easy to "grab" the side of an offcenter
punch mark and "move" it back on target.

and every now and then I
run a fine file down the end of my putty knives - makes em work better
for just about everything you'd want to use one for.

I sharpen my silkscreen squeegies. Prints come out
sharper, with less smudging.

"Doug Brown" wrote in message
...

so are we gonna start calling shovels "dirt chisels?"

My best friend is constantly using my screwdrivers for chisels (cold
chisels) whenever he is working on something in my garage. On top of that -
everything he uses, he sticks in his pocket. Not because he's trying to
make off with it, but that's just his holding area for tools. Every time I
go to grab a screwdriver it seems I find the tips broken - or the damned
screwdriver is missing. Call Jim - sure enough, it's in his pocket. So...
around here we've come to refer to screwdrivers as Jim's pocket chisels.

But, Jim is one of those friends who just can't do anything wrong. You know
the type - they are such a good friend that they just can't do anything
wrong.

--

-Mike-

Only the square ones. The round ones are dirt gouges.

"Doug Brown" wrote in message
...
so are we gonna start calling shovels "dirt chisels?"

" wrote in
ps.com:

On Feb 23, 10:06 am, "splinter" wrote:
Just curious....how much time do you guys spend sharpening....say a
1/2 in. chisel that has dulled from normal woodworking.....what grit
stones do you use/ brand/ water/oil......and what do you use to keep
them from rusting?

For some strange reason I don't have a problem with rusted anything in
my little Wisconsin shop. Not sure why.

Once I've got a chisel sharp enough to shave with, a few strokes on
the five k grit and a few on the 8 k will bring it right back. Maybe
ten, fifteen minutes from getting the stones out to putting them away.

Unless I drop it on the floor.
Once I pulled a shoulder muscle trying to catch a chisel as it fell
off the bench. Didn't catch it. It landed on a canvas toolbag,
completey unharmed. And I realized that if I *had* caught it, I
probably would have slit the web between my thumb and forefinger.

Since then, I don't worry about it so much.



Don't try to catch sharp things! You may not realize this, but claw
hammers claws also tend to be sharp... I picked up one in Menards once,
and because of the design it didn't come out of the holder properly, and
I tried to catch it. I caught it, but I wished I hadn't.

Puckdropper
--
This post is a bit of a test, just making sure everything's working again
after a server failure.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

On Feb 24, 2:25 am, Puckdropper wrote:
" wrote oups.com:



On Feb 23, 10:06 am, "splinter" wrote:
Just curious....how much time do you guys spend sharpening....say a
1/2 in. chisel that has dulled from normal woodworking.....what grit
stones do you use/ brand/ water/oil......and what do you use to keep
them from rusting?

For some strange reason I don't have a problem with rusted anything in
my little Wisconsin shop. Not sure why.

Once I've got a chisel sharp enough to shave with, a few strokes on
the five k grit and a few on the 8 k will bring it right back. Maybe
ten, fifteen minutes from getting the stones out to putting them away.

Unless I drop it on the floor.
Once I pulled a shoulder muscle trying to catch a chisel as it fell
off the bench. Didn't catch it. It landed on a canvas toolbag,
completey unharmed. And I realized that if I *had* caught it, I
probably would have slit the web between my thumb and forefinger.

Since then, I don't worry about it so much.

Don't try to catch sharp things! You may not realize this, but claw
hammers claws also tend to be sharp... I picked up one in Menards once,
and because of the design it didn't come out of the holder properly, and
I tried to catch it. I caught it, but I wished I hadn't.

They're also not meant for pulling hardened nails. The inside
edges of the claws are sharp so you can grip a nail by its
shank, not just its head.

Okay, you guys are missing the point. Never did I say or imply that it's
not important for other items to be sharp (shovels included I guess. I'm
not sure I would classify a shovel as a woodworking tool. Maybe if your
chainsaw won't start though ;-) ). My point was that nobody states that
they need to be sharp in order to use them with the same regularity and zeal
that they do chisels. Of course a scraper and plane iron need to be sharp,
but it's never mentioned explicitly. It's implied.

Mr. Haskell said that I obviously don't read enough. Yet, I still don't see
any examples of anything to suggest I'm missing something.

For example, how many times have you watched NYW, Woodworks or something and
the host squares up a hinge mortise or something and says "use a sharp
chisel to square up the corners". But, when they use a block plane to put a
slight chamfer on something, they don't say, "use a block plane with a sharp
blade". It's just implied that the block plane blade should be sharp.
However, with a chisel, it's not. They will explicitly state that the
chisel needs to be sharp.

This is not a serious issue. Having sharp tools is serious, but the fact
that it's only mentioned explicitly when using chisels and implied with
seemingly everything else is just curious to me. That's all.

Tom Watson made a good point that because you hold a chisel in your hand,
it's more dangerous than say a dull plane blade. I don't use a lathe, and
others have said that it is common to mention "sharp" when using lathe tools
and I can understand that too. I probably just never picked up on it
because I haven't used a lathe.

Mike



You've never heard of sharpening a shovel? I thought that was common
knowledge.

"Mike Dembroge" wrote in message
...
[snip]

Really? Do you have an example of something in a recent article or
publication where a tool, other than a chisel, was mentioned as
needing
to
be sharp?

Yes. Bench planes. Card scrapers. Files. Handsaws.
Shovels...

Where in the world did you read something that said to dig the hole with
a
"sharp shovel"? That's truly amazing!

Mike Dembroge wrote:

Okay, you guys are missing the point. Never did I say or imply that it's
not important for other items to be sharp (shovels included I guess. I'm
not sure I would classify a shovel as a woodworking tool. Maybe if your
chainsaw won't start though ;-) ). My point was that nobody states that
they need to be sharp in order to use them with the same regularity and zeal
that they do chisels. Of course a scraper and plane iron need to be sharp,
but it's never mentioned explicitly. It's implied.

Mr. Haskell said that I obviously don't read enough. Yet, I still don't see
any examples of anything to suggest I'm missing something.

There have been many times I've seen novice do-it-yourselfers trying to
use a cold chisel let in a door latch.

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA