I recently finished removing (4) 1/2" layers of fir from a pair of glulam
beams (for my workbench, but that's another story). I did this by making
lots of 1/2" deep saw cuts across the beam faces, then using some bench
chisels to waste away the majority of the wood. Lots of pounding involved.

My query revolves around the durability, or lack thereof, of the leather
shock washers on the striking ends of the chisel handles. I need to
preface my question by noting that the chisels have been passed down to me
from my great-grandfather's toolbox. He was a carpenter who built his own
house in 1906 in California. The chisels have the original handles and
leather shock washers, and most likely date back to somewhere around 1900.
Unfortunately, even though I was using a wooden mallet, I destroyed one of
the washers before I noticed, and the second chisel's washers are pretty
beat up, too.

I thought the washers were supposed to protect the handles. Were they
falling apart because they're 100 years old, or because they do that
anyway?

Now I need to replace the washers. Should I use some kind of leather
again, or maybe switch to brass rings? Metal rings might protect the
handles, but would beat up the mallet. Any idears? Also, if leather is
correct, what is the best kind? I possibly have a source of free shoe sole
leather scraps, which would seem to be ideal, being fairly hard and tough.

On Nov 20, 9:18*am, Scritch wrote:

Now I need to replace the washers. *Should I use some kind of leather
again, or maybe switch to brass rings?

Personally, if I had a "heritage" tool, I would restore it to as close
to original condition as I could. I would go with the sole leather.
Glue the leather first, then a light oil of neatsfoot on the leather
tip should do it. Make sure you oil it; dry leather is brittle
leather.

I am not being ugly here, but why were you using nice chisels to do a
nasty chore like table top removal? For something like that, the old
beaters (you probably have) sharpened on the grinder would have worked
better as you could have used a regular hammer and beat the hell out
of them.

Just wondering...

Robert

Scritch wrote:
I need to
preface my question by noting that the chisels have been passed down to me
from my great-grandfather's toolbox. He was a carpenter who built his own
house in 1906 in California. The chisels have the original handles and
leather shock washers, and most likely date back to somewhere around 1900.

I don't have an answer to your question, nor do I really care...
but that is the coolest thing ever.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

"Scritch" wrote in message
. 96.78...
I recently finished removing (4) 1/2" layers of fir from a pair of glulam
beams (for my workbench, but that's another story). I did this by making
lots of 1/2" deep saw cuts across the beam faces, then using some bench
chisels to waste away the majority of the wood. Lots of pounding
involved.

My query revolves around the durability, or lack thereof, of the leather
shock washers on the striking ends of the chisel handles. I need to
preface my question by noting that the chisels have been passed down to me
from my great-grandfather's toolbox. He was a carpenter who built his own
house in 1906 in California. The chisels have the original handles and
leather shock washers, and most likely date back to somewhere around 1900.
Unfortunately, even though I was using a wooden mallet, I destroyed one of
the washers before I noticed, and the second chisel's washers are pretty
beat up, too.

I thought the washers were supposed to protect the handles. Were they
falling apart because they're 100 years old, or because they do that
anyway?

Sounds as though you were abusing the chisels.

The leather may be under warranty though, Check with the manufacturer.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"Scritch" wrote in message
. 96.78...
I recently finished removing (4) 1/2" layers of fir from a pair of
glulam beams (for my workbench, but that's another story). I did
this by making lots of 1/2" deep saw cuts across the beam faces,
then using some bench chisels to waste away the majority of the
wood. Lots of pounding involved.

My query revolves around the durability, or lack thereof, of the
leather shock washers on the striking ends of the chisel handles.
I
need to preface my question by noting that the chisels have been
passed down to me from my great-grandfather's toolbox. He was a
carpenter who built his own house in 1906 in California. The
chisels have the original handles and leather shock washers, and
most likely date back to somewhere around 1900. Unfortunately, even
though I was using a wooden mallet, I destroyed one of the washers
before I noticed, and the second chisel's washers are pretty beat
up, too.

I thought the washers were supposed to protect the handles. Were
they falling apart because they're 100 years old, or because they
do
that anyway?

Sounds as though you were abusing the chisels.

The leather may be under warranty though, Check with the
manufacturer.

Uh, what part of "100 years old" did you miss?

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

"J. Clarke" wrote

Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Sounds as though you were abusing the chisels.

The leather may be under warranty though, Check with the
manufacturer.

Uh, what part of "100 years old" did you miss?

Ed has been known to exercise some dry wit from time to time.

"Lee Michaels" wrote in message
The leather may be under warranty though, Check with the
manufacturer.

Uh, what part of "100 years old" did you miss?

Ed has been known to exercise some dry wit from time to time.

Well, if it's dry wit, it's so dry that it's thoroughly mummified.

"Scritch" wrote

I thought the washers were supposed to protect the handles.

I fear that this is a very well-known old wive's tale.

I have it on the authority of a chisel manufacturer that the difficulty of
fitting a handle so that it perfectly abuts the flange of the tang is so
great that a leather washer is inserted to accommodate/disguise any small
error.

To me this is the only explanation that makes sense.

Sorry to be a nay-sayer,

Jeff

--
Jeff Gorman, West Yorkshire, UK
email : Username is amgron
ISP is clara.co.uk
www.amgron.clara.net

"Jeff Gorman" wrote in message
I thought the washers were supposed to protect the handles.

I have it on the authority of a chisel manufacturer that the difficulty of
fitting a handle so that it perfectly abuts the flange of the tang is so
great that a leather washer is inserted to accommodate/disguise any small
error.

Bah! You just destroyed the last illusion I had in life. Go away and don't
come back.

Lee Michaels wrote:
"J. Clarke" wrote

Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Sounds as though you were abusing the chisels.

The leather may be under warranty though, Check with the
manufacturer.

Uh, what part of "100 years old" did you miss?

Ed has been known to exercise some dry wit from time to time.


But there are people who do not recognize humor unless they can hear
the canned laughter. I have lived with one for thirty something years.


--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

A Lot of people mistake their
imagination for their memory.

Gerald Ross wrote:
Lee Michaels wrote:
"J. Clarke" wrote

Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Sounds as though you were abusing the chisels.

The leather may be under warranty though, Check with the
manufacturer.

Uh, what part of "100 years old" did you miss?

Ed has been known to exercise some dry wit from time to time.


But there are people who do not recognize humor unless they can hear
the canned laughter. I have lived with one for thirty something
years.

Perhaps you need to work on your delivery?

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

"J. Clarke" wrote in message

The leather may be under warranty though, Check with the
manufacturer.

Uh, what part of "100 years old" did you miss?


Uh, none at all. Did you hear a whooooshing sound?

On Nov 21, 1:29*am, "Jeff Gorman" wrote:
"Scritch" wrote

I thought the washers were supposed to protect the handles.

I have it on the authority of a chisel manufacturer that the difficulty of
fitting a handle so that it perfectly abuts the flange of the tang is so
great that a leather washer is inserted

It was my impression that the original poster was referring
to the striking surface, on the butt of the handle, which (to
prevent splintering) was often turned down so that a leather
torus could be centered, and glued onto the end-grain, then
lacquered to stiffen it. I've made such handles, with a bit of
shoe-sole-like leather, and it's not hard to do, nor should
repair be difficult. The hard part is finding a suitable punch to
make the center hole in the leather (the outer edge can be
trimmed/sanded smooth against the handle after assembly).

On Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:08:18 -0500, "Upscale" wrote:


"Lee Michaels" wrote in message
The leather may be under warranty though, Check with the
manufacturer.

Uh, what part of "100 years old" did you miss?

Ed has been known to exercise some dry wit from time to time.

Well, if it's dry wit, it's so dry that it's thoroughly mummified.

it was sort of a "shift of wit", I think..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:47:14 -0500, Gerald Ross wrote:

Lee Michaels wrote:
"J. Clarke" wrote

Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Sounds as though you were abusing the chisels.

The leather may be under warranty though, Check with the
manufacturer.

Uh, what part of "100 years old" did you miss?

Ed has been known to exercise some dry wit from time to time.


But there are people who do not recognize humor unless they can hear
the canned laughter. I have lived with one for thirty something years.
ahh... Jay Leno fans....
if the canned stuff doesn't work, the shoulder shrug and outstretched hands
might..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

" wrote in news:993580a5-
:

On Nov 20, 9:18*am, Scritch wrote:

Now I need to replace the washers. *Should I use some kind of leather
again, or maybe switch to brass rings?

Personally, if I had a "heritage" tool, I would restore it to as close
to original condition as I could. I would go with the sole leather.
Glue the leather first, then a light oil of neatsfoot on the leather
tip should do it. Make sure you oil it; dry leather is brittle
leather.

I am not being ugly here, but why were you using nice chisels to do a
nasty chore like table top removal? For something like that, the old
beaters (you probably have) sharpened on the grinder would have worked
better as you could have used a regular hammer and beat the hell out
of them.

Just wondering...

Robert

1) I didn't expect the washer to come apart like that. I stopped
beating on it before the handle was ruined. I'll be able to rehab the
butt end still.

2) I'm not a tool collector. I'm a tool user. I have multiple copies
of some planes and chisels, but the most I have of any one tool is may
(4) #4 planes, two of which are real crap (like Sears Handyman) that I
use on dirty wood. All of my tools are users, not museum items. The
best thing I have is a Lie Nielsen jack rabbet plane, a birthday
present, but I feel that in general, tools were made to be used, so I
use them. I have a lathe, and I can make new handles if I break them.

I'd buy the Craftsman line of pounding chisels with the black platic
handles and shank all the way thru. Although they do not sharpen up as
deadly sharp as a good paring chisel, they are very tough and reasonable
price. Also: free replacement if you bust 'em, and I have. Save the
heirloom set for a bit lighter work, such as finishing rabbets or splice
joints in timbers. And, yes, I would try to replace the leather with
belly hide from a shoemaker or harness shop, put on wet and let to
shrink onto the center peg.

". . .suitable punch to make the center hole in the leather"
A piece of metal tubing same O.D. as center peg, then run a countersink
in it until sharp. Alternately, just spin the O.D. on a grinder, with
the I.D. being same size as peg. Former method preferred.