I just picked up 3 Marples protouch chisels, wasted my time to sharpen
the 3/8" one and then proceeded to put chisel to wood; namely red oak.
Before getting more than 4 sides of a mortise started the chisel's edge
was so nicked that I could see it without my reading glasses! That's
saying something. BTW, I sharpened it on 3 diamond stones and then up
to around 5k+ papers. I used the Lee Valley honing guide...

I've got a Sears chisel, 3/4" that holds an edge for quite a while.
What's up with these Marples?

dave

"Bay Area Dave" wrote in message
...
snippage
What's up with these Marples?

You need to get a Marple BlueChip chisel. They are the ones we all say are good.

Myx

It's marketing hype. The tool is so soft it is all but worthless. I
have a set that I let the "grandkids" play with. The others come from
Japan.

I called LN this week. Sometime this quarter they promise to have their
chisels out.

RB

Bay Area Dave wrote:
I just picked up 3 Marples protouch chisels, wasted my time to sharpen
the 3/8" one and then proceeded to put chisel to wood; namely red oak.
Before getting more than 4 sides of a mortise started the chisel's edge
was so nicked that I could see it without my reading glasses! That's
saying something. BTW, I sharpened it on 3 diamond stones and then up
to around 5k+ papers. I used the Lee Valley honing guide...

I've got a Sears chisel, 3/4" that holds an edge for quite a while.
What's up with these Marples?

dave

I hope the steel is MUCH tougher in their other line. I can't believe
that my old sears chisel goes on and on with a sharp edge and I
literally wiped out the Marples edge (ground exactly the same way as the
Sears) in a few moments. I ran over to Sears to see what they have but
there are no 3/8" and they didn't have a separate 1/4" in stock so I'll
consider a better Marples or something else at Lee Valley.


Here is what one reviewer said about the Bluechips:
"
Don't be fooled. This chisels are not worth their price. I was given a
set two years ago. I never used them until three months ago. I was using
my old reliable set. I took this chisels out of the box and went to hone
them. Come to find out, the still is severly deformed. The facets are
totally out of place and you can not get a smooth bevel on
them---There's NO WAY you could double bevel these. I reground them
myself to as square as possible. No sooner than I did that, the half
inch chisel started breaking the corners! I did not blue the steel as I
use a Tormek sharpening system. Plus, I was using them without a
mallet---by hand! Cheap metal, cheap craftsmanship, poor quality! "

sounds like he had almost the same problem I did: the edge fell apart.

Other reviewers were more kind.

dave

dave

Myxylplyk wrote:

"Bay Area Dave" wrote in message
...

snippage
What's up with these Marples?


You need to get a Marple BlueChip chisel. They are the ones we all say are good.

Myx

thanks for the confirmation. too bad they didn't work out for me; I
liked the handles!

dave

RB wrote:

It's marketing hype. The tool is so soft it is all but worthless. I
have a set that I let the "grandkids" play with. The others come from
Japan.

I called LN this week. Sometime this quarter they promise to have their
chisels out.

RB

Bay Area Dave wrote:

I just picked up 3 Marples protouch chisels, wasted my time to sharpen
the 3/8" one and then proceeded to put chisel to wood; namely red oak.
Before getting more than 4 sides of a mortise started the chisel's
edge was so nicked that I could see it without my reading glasses!
That's saying something. BTW, I sharpened it on 3 diamond stones and
then up to around 5k+ papers. I used the Lee Valley honing guide...

I've got a Sears chisel, 3/4" that holds an edge for quite a while.
What's up with these Marples?

dave

Bay Area Dave wrote in
:

I just picked up 3 Marples protouch chisels, wasted my time to sharpen
the 3/8" one and then proceeded to put chisel to wood; namely red oak.
Before getting more than 4 sides of a mortise started the chisel's edge
was so nicked that I could see it without my reading glasses! That's
saying something. BTW, I sharpened it on 3 diamond stones and then up
to around 5k+ papers. I used the Lee Valley honing guide...

I've got a Sears chisel, 3/4" that holds an edge for quite a while.
What's up with these Marples?

dave


Dave,
If you want some SERIOUS chisels, drive on up to Alameda, and visit The
Japan Woodworker. Make certain you bring your high limit credit card,
though. They are rightly proud of their tools.

On the other hand, your grandchildren will be trying to decide who gets
them when you're gone....

Patriarch

Hi Dave,

I have a set of the Marples Blue Chip and I'd rate them as "o.k.". A
reasonable value for the money, but they definitely require a bit more
diligent work to use regularly.

I subsequently purchased these:
http://www.craftsmanstudio.com/html/...o_cherries.htm

(I got the 6 piece promotional boxed set).

They are MUCH higher quality than the Marples, and for $100, I think an even
better value. These promotional chisels aren't polished, but they are made
with the same steel as the "regular" two cherries chisels. If you want a
shiny chisel you can pay $65 more.

Anyway, that's my recommendation.

Mike

"Bay Area Dave" wrote in message
...
I just picked up 3 Marples protouch chisels, wasted my time to sharpen
the 3/8" one and then proceeded to put chisel to wood; namely red oak.
Before getting more than 4 sides of a mortise started the chisel's edge
was so nicked that I could see it without my reading glasses! That's
saying something. BTW, I sharpened it on 3 diamond stones and then up
to around 5k+ papers. I used the Lee Valley honing guide...

I've got a Sears chisel, 3/4" that holds an edge for quite a while.
What's up with these Marples?

dave

Bay Area Dave wrote in message m...

I just picked up 3 Marples protouch chisels, wasted my time to sharpen
the 3/8" one and then proceeded to put chisel to wood; namely red oak.
Before getting more than 4 sides of a mortise started the chisel's edge
was so nicked that I could see it without my reading glasses! That's
saying something. BTW, I sharpened it on 3 diamond stones and then up
to around 5k+ papers. I used the Lee Valley honing guide...

I've got a Sears chisel, 3/4" that holds an edge for quite a while.
What's up with these Marples?

Why were you using a standard bevel-edge chisel to chop mortises in
the first place?

FWIW, I've been using Blue Chips for several years now without any
real complaints. I also have some nicer chisels, but I've gotten
about what I expected from a $20 set of chisels.


Chuck Vance

I bought a Marples chisel twenty years ago that was in the same category as
yours. Looks nice but performs like pasta. I am glad you posted.
Dave
"Conan the Librarian" wrote in message
om...
Bay Area Dave wrote in message
m...

I just picked up 3 Marples protouch chisels, wasted my time to sharpen
the 3/8" one and then proceeded to put chisel to wood; namely red oak.
Before getting more than 4 sides of a mortise started the chisel's edge
was so nicked that I could see it without my reading glasses! That's
saying something. BTW, I sharpened it on 3 diamond stones and then up
to around 5k+ papers. I used the Lee Valley honing guide...

I've got a Sears chisel, 3/4" that holds an edge for quite a while.
What's up with these Marples?

Why were you using a standard bevel-edge chisel to chop mortises in
the first place?

FWIW, I've been using Blue Chips for several years now without any
real complaints. I also have some nicer chisels, but I've gotten
about what I expected from a $20 set of chisels.


Chuck Vance

I also have had the same experience . It should be noted that the honing a
ngle should vary according to the hardness of the material they are used on
, oak for instance would require a greater angle than say pine . In
particular mortise chisel edges really take beating that is why they are
more robust in design.

One other consideration is the old saying what you loose on the roundablouts
you gain on the swings , personally one has to weigh using a softer material
and consequently sharpening the tool more frequently against using a harder
material and sharpening it less frequently but the proceedure taking half
the day .

My SET of Marples blue chips ran me at the time $25 from Highland hardware
[it used to be somewhat of a specialty with them]. The UK pound is currently
higher against the dollar so I would expect them currently to be 10 to 15%
higher....mjh

--




"Conan the Librarian" wrote in message
om...
Bay Area Dave wrote in message
m...

I just picked up 3 Marples protouch chisels, wasted my time to sharpen
the 3/8" one and then proceeded to put chisel to wood; namely red oak.
Before getting more than 4 sides of a mortise started the chisel's edge
was so nicked that I could see it without my reading glasses! That's
saying something. BTW, I sharpened it on 3 diamond stones and then up
to around 5k+ papers. I used the Lee Valley honing guide...

I've got a Sears chisel, 3/4" that holds an edge for quite a while.
What's up with these Marples?

Why were you using a standard bevel-edge chisel to chop mortises in
the first place?

FWIW, I've been using Blue Chips for several years now without any
real complaints. I also have some nicer chisels, but I've gotten
about what I expected from a $20 set of chisels.


Chuck Vance

Dave,
If you want some SERIOUS chisels, drive on up to Alameda, and visit The
Japan Woodworker. Make certain you bring your high limit credit card,
though. They are rightly proud of their tools.

On the other hand, your grandchildren will be trying to decide who gets
them when you're gone....



I've been looking at just buying a couple of chisels from Japan
Woodworker. My limited set of 1/4, 1/2, and 1" of cheap stanleys have
seen only use of the smaller two. And they are better suited to glue
line scraping than mortising.

What does one need to spend on individual chisels to get a good
mortising chisel? $30 $50 $150?

Thanks for those who have used them.

(Alan W) writes:


Dave,
If you want some SERIOUS chisels, drive on up to Alameda, and visit The

[...]

I've been looking at just buying a couple of chisels from Japan
Woodworker. My limited set of 1/4, 1/2, and 1" of cheap stanleys have
seen only use of the smaller two. And they are better suited to glue
line scraping than mortising.

What does one need to spend on individual chisels to get a good
mortising chisel? $30 $50 $150?

I have a 6mm mortising chisel from E.C. Emmerich (ECE) and am very
plaesed with it, although before the initial honing i had to re-grind
the bevel because it was slightly skewed, but 5 minutes on a coarse
cheap waterstone mended that. It cost me 23.50 EUR, including 16% VAT.

For "general" use i wouyld recommend cheap chinese HSS chisels as seen
he
http://www.dick-gmbh.com/shop/prodau...ChineseChisels
or (if you want really wide ones) he
http://www.dick-gmbh.com/shop/prodau...seBroadChisels

They take an edge very well, are very sturdy and keep their edge
exceptionally well. They look a bit strange (especially the broad
ones), so you are not going to impress someone by their exceptional
beauty, but they are extremely useful and handy. Wish i had a complete
et of them and also that smaller sizes (most narrow is 12.5mm) were
available.



--
Dr. Juergen Hannappel http://lisa2.physik.uni-bonn.de/~hannappe
Phone: +49 228 73 2447 FAX ... 7869
Physikalisches Institut der Uni Bonn Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
CERN: Phone: +412276 76461 Fax: ..77930 Bat. 892-R-A13 CH-1211 Geneve 23

Bay Area Dave wrote:

I just picked up 3 Marples protouch chisels, wasted my time to sharpen
the 3/8" one and then proceeded to put chisel to wood; namely red oak.
Before getting more than 4 sides of a mortise started the chisel's edge
was so nicked that I could see it without my reading glasses! That's
saying something. BTW, I sharpened it on 3 diamond stones and then up
to around 5k+ papers. I used the Lee Valley honing guide...

Just a couple of comments. Are these chisels actually mortising
chisels? If not, you might consider picking up a set of them for that
purpose. That said, you can get a special on a four chisel unpolished
Two Cherries bench chisel set in a wooden box for $75 at:

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/M...ry_Code=TXQ1-2

I've got a Sears chisel, 3/4" that holds an edge for quite a while.
What's up with these Marples?

dave

Chuck, did you miss the part where I mentioned that my old Sears chisel
performs the same cuts with nary a blemish?? I decimated the edge on
the Marples in just a few moments. I didn't even get past 3/16" deep
into the wood. That's pretty pathetic.

dave

Conan the Librarian wrote:
Bay Area Dave wrote in message m...


I just picked up 3 Marples protouch chisels, wasted my time to sharpen
the 3/8" one and then proceeded to put chisel to wood; namely red oak.
Before getting more than 4 sides of a mortise started the chisel's edge
was so nicked that I could see it without my reading glasses! That's
saying something. BTW, I sharpened it on 3 diamond stones and then up
to around 5k+ papers. I used the Lee Valley honing guide...

I've got a Sears chisel, 3/4" that holds an edge for quite a while.
What's up with these Marples?


Why were you using a standard bevel-edge chisel to chop mortises in
the first place?

FWIW, I've been using Blue Chips for several years now without any
real complaints. I also have some nicer chisels, but I've gotten
about what I expected from a $20 set of chisels.


Chuck Vance

No they weren't mortising chisels. But they have a metal top, mentioned
on the package as being able to withstand mallet blows and the
"occasional" hammer blow! Besides, if I were to want to make a hinge
mortise, I can't believe I need to use a beefy mortising chisel instead
of a bench chisel.

dave

Joseph Crowe wrote:

Bay Area Dave wrote:

I just picked up 3 Marples protouch chisels, wasted my time to sharpen
the 3/8" one and then proceeded to put chisel to wood; namely red oak.
Before getting more than 4 sides of a mortise started the chisel's
edge was so nicked that I could see it without my reading glasses!
That's saying something. BTW, I sharpened it on 3 diamond stones and
then up to around 5k+ papers. I used the Lee Valley honing guide...


Just a couple of comments. Are these chisels actually mortising
chisels? If not, you might consider picking up a set of them for that
purpose. That said, you can get a special on a four chisel unpolished
Two Cherries bench chisel set in a wooden box for $75 at:

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/M...ry_Code=TXQ1-2



I've got a Sears chisel, 3/4" that holds an edge for quite a while.
What's up with these Marples?

dave

Bay Area Dave wrote in message m...
I just picked up 3 Marples protouch chisels, wasted my time to sharpen
the 3/8" one and then proceeded to put chisel to wood; namely red oak.
Before getting more than 4 sides of a mortise started the chisel's edge
was so nicked that I could see it without my reading glasses! That's
saying something. BTW, I sharpened it on 3 diamond stones and then up
to around 5k+ papers. I used the Lee Valley honing guide...

I've got a Sears chisel, 3/4" that holds an edge for quite a while.
What's up with these Marples?

dave


I bought a set of the Blue-handled Marples at HD 6 years ago, when I
started my first classical guitar. I found them to work just fine on
mahogany and rosewood: sharpen them just once before each project.
Even used my 1" chisel last summer to install a sliding door in the
bedroom. My intent was to "sacrifice: it to the job, and replace it
with a new one later. After using it to chop/chisle/pry on spruce,
ply, oak and particle board, it had one tiny nick. Recently, I took a
stone to it and after 30 minutes I am once again using it on my
guitars . . .

Worked for me, and the price was right!

Scott

Bay Area Dave wrote:

Chuck, did you miss the part where I mentioned that my old Sears chisel
performs the same cuts with nary a blemish??

Uh, no ... because you didn't say that. You said you have a 3/4"
Sears chisel that holds an edge nicely, but that you were using a 3/8"
Marples for cutting a mortise.

I don't know about you, but I don't use a 3/4" chisel to cut a 3/8"
mortise or vice versa.

I decimated the edge on
the Marples in just a few moments. I didn't even get past 3/16" deep
into the wood. That's pretty pathetic.

I have several recent-vintage Stanleys that I keep ground to fairly
steep angles. They work great for pounding into things. I keep my Blue
Chips sharpened at pretty low bevel-angles. Guess what? They don't
work so great for pounding into things. But they do work well for
paring cuts.


Chuck Vance

Bay Area Dave wrote:

No they weren't mortising chisels. But they have a metal top, mentioned
on the package as being able to withstand mallet blows and the
"occasional" hammer blow! Besides, if I were to want to make a hinge
mortise, I can't believe I need to use a beefy mortising chisel instead
of a bench chisel.

You use a hammer on your chisels when cutting hinge mortises?


Chuck Vance
Just say (tmPL) Well, that explains a lot.

In article , Bay Area Dave wrote:
No they weren't mortising chisels. But they have a metal top, mentioned
on the package as being able to withstand mallet blows and the
"occasional" hammer blow! Besides, if I were to want to make a hinge
mortise, I can't believe I need to use a beefy mortising chisel instead
of a bench chisel.

Must be one hell of a hinge, if you have to chop a mortise 3/16" deep.

--
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

How come we choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?

Another point of view. . . .

When I made the rocking chair at Homestead Heritage, The class used nothing
but blue handled Marples chisels. The chair has 42 M&T joints, all hand
made. :-)
I wonder how we managed that. There were 10 chairs made in that class.

Having said that, I have purchased some mortise chisels. I tend not to use
them because the bench chisels are always out and always scalpel sharp. I
learned to keep the stones out on the bench when working, and it is easy to
touch up the edge when required. We learned to sharpen chisels and plane
irons without grinders or honing jigs at Homestead Heritage.
I've started using files to clean up the edges on damaged chisels ala The
Furniture Doctor (George Grotz).
I really think it is more a matter of technique than some realize.

If I were chopping mortises in mesquite though like you do, I'm sure my
attitude would change. Has anybody here tried Jim Cummings instructions for
tempering chisels with propane torches. I think I will try it on one of my
really soft chisels (old Stanley Defiance) and report back.

Woodworking is largely a matter of personal preferences. I'll spend $140 for
a dovetail saw, and $200 for a hand plane, but I've never purchased a $100
chisel.

"Conan The Librarian" wrote in message
...
Bay Area Dave wrote:

Chuck, did you miss the part where I mentioned that my old Sears chisel
performs the same cuts with nary a blemish??
snip
I have several recent-vintage Stanleys that I keep ground to fairly
steep angles. They work great for pounding into things. I keep my Blue
Chips sharpened at pretty low bevel-angles. Guess what? They don't
work so great for pounding into things. But they do work well for
paring cuts.


Chuck Vance

SHARPEN a chisel?!? Damn ... I've just been moving them over to the
screwdriver rack when they get dull.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 1/23/04


"Mike Hide" wrote in message

and consequently sharpening the tool more frequently against using a
harder
material and sharpening it less frequently but the proceedure taking half
the day .

chuck, chuck, chuck. I was TESTING the Sears to see that it could
handle the same wood under the same conditions. I wasn't doing a real
project!

dave

Conan The Librarian wrote:

Bay Area Dave wrote:

Chuck, did you miss the part where I mentioned that my old Sears
chisel performs the same cuts with nary a blemish??


Uh, no ... because you didn't say that. You said you have a 3/4"
Sears chisel that holds an edge nicely, but that you were using a 3/8"
Marples for cutting a mortise.

I don't know about you, but I don't use a 3/4" chisel to cut a 3/8"
mortise or vice versa.

I decimated the edge on the Marples in just a few moments. I didn't
even get past 3/16" deep into the wood. That's pretty pathetic.


I have several recent-vintage Stanleys that I keep ground to fairly
steep angles. They work great for pounding into things. I keep my Blue
Chips sharpened at pretty low bevel-angles. Guess what? They don't
work so great for pounding into things. But they do work well for
paring cuts.


Chuck Vance

I didn't use a hammer, Chuck. You aren't reading my posts very closely,
are you?

dave

Conan The Librarian wrote:

Bay Area Dave wrote:

No they weren't mortising chisels. But they have a metal top,
mentioned on the package as being able to withstand mallet blows and
the "occasional" hammer blow! Besides, if I were to want to make a
hinge mortise, I can't believe I need to use a beefy mortising chisel
instead of a bench chisel.


You use a hammer on your chisels when cutting hinge mortises?


Chuck Vance
Just say (tmPL) Well, that explains a lot.

Bay Area Dave wrote:
No they weren't mortising chisels. But they have a metal top, mentioned
on the package as being able to withstand mallet blows and the
"occasional" hammer blow! Besides, if I were to want to make a hinge
mortise, I can't believe I need to use a beefy mortising chisel instead
of a bench chisel.

Dave, I don't usually come in on these discussions, but this time I
gotta. I've got some Blue Chips - they work fine as paring chisels.
I've got some Pro-touches, they're for beating on stuff with, not the
same thing at all. I've got one Sorby mortise chisel, a Keen Kutter
corner chisel and a handful of old mortise chisels. Each one is for a
different purpose. I'm glad that your old Stanley bench chisels will
work as mortise chisels, but it isn't their purpose in life. Why not
use the right tools, you'll be less upset with the results.
Dave in Fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/

guess you didn't read the insert that came with your Protouch?

dave

wrote:

Bay Area Dave wrote:

No they weren't mortising chisels. But they have a metal top, mentioned
on the package as being able to withstand mallet blows and the
"occasional" hammer blow! Besides, if I were to want to make a hinge
mortise, I can't believe I need to use a beefy mortising chisel instead
of a bench chisel.


Dave, I don't usually come in on these discussions, but this time I
gotta. I've got some Blue Chips - they work fine as paring chisels.
I've got some Pro-touches, they're for beating on stuff with, not the
same thing at all. I've got one Sorby mortise chisel, a Keen Kutter
corner chisel and a handful of old mortise chisels. Each one is for a
different purpose. I'm glad that your old Stanley bench chisels will
work as mortise chisels, but it isn't their purpose in life. Why not
use the right tools, you'll be less upset with the results.
Dave in Fairfax

Bay Area Dave wrote:
guess you didn't read the insert that came with your Protouch?

I thought that I had, but I didn't find them to be the same quality as
my blue chips so I relegated them to coarser work. What did I miss?
Dave in Fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/

Did you grind off the first 1/8" to get to the good steel? I've got Buck,
Ashley Isles, Marples and they all are the ****s right out of the box. Some
of the guys at the shop have 2 Cherries and they say thiers were good right
out of the box, but I don't know if they were trying to chop oak or
something just as hard.

"Bay Area Dave" wrote in message
m...
Chuck, did you miss the part where I mentioned that my old Sears chisel
performs the same cuts with nary a blemish?? I decimated the edge on
the Marples in just a few moments. I didn't even get past 3/16" deep
into the wood. That's pretty pathetic.

dave

Conan the Librarian wrote:
Bay Area Dave wrote in message
m...


I just picked up 3 Marples protouch chisels, wasted my time to sharpen
the 3/8" one and then proceeded to put chisel to wood; namely red oak.
Before getting more than 4 sides of a mortise started the chisel's edge
was so nicked that I could see it without my reading glasses! That's
saying something. BTW, I sharpened it on 3 diamond stones and then up
to around 5k+ papers. I used the Lee Valley honing guide...

I've got a Sears chisel, 3/4" that holds an edge for quite a while.
What's up with these Marples?


Why were you using a standard bevel-edge chisel to chop mortises in
the first place?

FWIW, I've been using Blue Chips for several years now without any
real complaints. I also have some nicer chisels, but I've gotten
about what I expected from a $20 set of chisels.


Chuck Vance

that they are designated for use with a mallet and occasional hammer blows?

dave

wrote:

Bay Area Dave wrote:

guess you didn't read the insert that came with your Protouch?


I thought that I had, but I didn't find them to be the same quality as
my blue chips so I relegated them to coarser work. What did I miss?
Dave in Fairfax

you mean they are tipped with sh*t for steel but the rest of the tool is
better??

dave

blabla wrote:

Did you grind off the first 1/8" to get to the good steel? I've got Buck,
Ashley Isles, Marples and they all are the ****s right out of the box. Some
of the guys at the shop have 2 Cherries and they say thiers were good right
out of the box, but I don't know if they were trying to chop oak or
something just as hard.

"Bay Area Dave" wrote in message
m...

Chuck, did you miss the part where I mentioned that my old Sears chisel
performs the same cuts with nary a blemish?? I decimated the edge on
the Marples in just a few moments. I didn't even get past 3/16" deep
into the wood. That's pretty pathetic.

dave

Conan the Librarian wrote:

Bay Area Dave wrote in message

m...


I just picked up 3 Marples protouch chisels, wasted my time to sharpen
the 3/8" one and then proceeded to put chisel to wood; namely red oak.
Before getting more than 4 sides of a mortise started the chisel's edge
was so nicked that I could see it without my reading glasses! That's
saying something. BTW, I sharpened it on 3 diamond stones and then up
to around 5k+ papers. I used the Lee Valley honing guide...

I've got a Sears chisel, 3/4" that holds an edge for quite a while.
What's up with these Marples?


Why were you using a standard bevel-edge chisel to chop mortises in
the first place?

FWIW, I've been using Blue Chips for several years now without any
real complaints. I also have some nicer chisels, but I've gotten
about what I expected from a $20 set of chisels.


Chuck Vance

Bay Area Dave wrote:
that they are designated for use with a mallet and occasional hammer blows?

I saw that, but that wasn't what I was saying. I never mentioned what
to hit them with, just that different types of chisels are used for
different purposes. I don't use hammers with chisels, mallets only. My
motising and corner chisels are struck by mallets, paing chisels never
are. I hope that makes it clearer.
Dave in Fairfax
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Bay Area Dave wrote:

I didn't use a hammer, Chuck. You aren't reading my posts very closely,
are you?

I give them them as much attention as they deserve. (And in this
case, sadly, a lot more.)

In one sentence you mentioned that they were supposed to be able to
withstand mallet and hammer blows. In the next sentence you talked
about chopping hinge mortises.

Can you see how someone might logically infer that the two were related?

OK, fine ... you win. All Blue Chips are a piece of crap (despite
my experiences to the contrary). And you don't need mortising chisels
to chop mortises. And you should be able to do everything from opening
paintcans to paring a paper thin slice of endgrain with the same chisel.
And it should never get dull or chip. And you should be able to buy
it for less than $20. Happy now?


Chuck Vance

Lowell Holmes wrote:

Another point of view. . . .

When I made the rocking chair at Homestead Heritage, The class used nothing
but blue handled Marples chisels. The chair has 42 M&T joints, all hand
made. :-)
I wonder how we managed that. There were 10 chairs made in that class.

You have my utmost respect. :-)

Having said that, I have purchased some mortise chisels. I tend not to use
them because the bench chisels are always out and always scalpel sharp. I
learned to keep the stones out on the bench when working, and it is easy to
touch up the edge when required. We learned to sharpen chisels and plane
irons without grinders or honing jigs at Homestead Heritage.
I've started using files to clean up the edges on damaged chisels ala The
Furniture Doctor (George Grotz).
I really think it is more a matter of technique than some realize.

Your technique is probably better than mine. I find that I need the
thick cross-section and square sides to make my mortises come out
halfway decent.

If I were chopping mortises in mesquite though like you do, I'm sure my
attitude would change. Has anybody here tried Jim Cummings instructions for
tempering chisels with propane torches. I think I will try it on one of my
really soft chisels (old Stanley Defiance) and report back.

Please do. While I don't know that I'll experiment much with the
metallurgical side of things, it might be interesting to see the results
and compare that back to the chisels we buy and see if we can draw
conclusions on how they were tempered. (Or why we report such wildly
different results with some of the same brands of chisels.)

Woodworking is largely a matter of personal preferences. I'll spend $140 for
a dovetail saw, and $200 for a hand plane, but I've never purchased a $100
chisel.

Funny you should mention that. I guess I've figured mine are "good
enough", because I'm like you. I don't think I've spent more than $40
for a chisel, and that was for a big old 1-1/2" honker I bought when
building my bench.

But they still seem to do what I need them to do. Go figure. :-)


Chuck Vance

Bay Area Dave writes:

you mean they are tipped with sh*t for steel but the rest of the tool
is better??

or got hot during grinding, as should not happen...

--
Dr. Juergen Hannappel http://lisa2.physik.uni-bonn.de/~hannappe
Phone: +49 228 73 2447 FAX ... 7869
Physikalisches Institut der Uni Bonn Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
CERN: Phone: +412276 76461 Fax: ..77930 Bat. 892-R-A13 CH-1211 Geneve 23

I used a dead blow mallet

dave

wrote:

Bay Area Dave wrote:

that they are designated for use with a mallet and occasional hammer blows?


I saw that, but that wasn't what I was saying. I never mentioned what
to hit them with, just that different types of chisels are used for
different purposes. I don't use hammers with chisels, mallets only. My
motising and corner chisels are struck by mallets, paing chisels never
are. I hope that makes it clearer.
Dave in Fairfax

I wasn't intending to chop deep mortises without getting dedicated
mortising chisels, but what I'm trying to explain in this thread is that
by cutting into red oak four times less than 3/16" deep, for testing the
chisel, I found the edge destroyed. my Sears did the same thing and
came away none the worse for wear. I don't intended to use a beveled
edge chisel to chop inch deep mortises, but I should be able to tap the
chisel into the wood to "mark" it.

Thanks for the snide comment.

I didn't say I had the Bluechip chisels. they are Protouch.

Again, you aren't reading my posts closely. I know, I know, my posts
don't deserve any attention...

dave

Conan The Librarian wrote:

Bay Area Dave wrote:

I didn't use a hammer, Chuck. You aren't reading my posts very
closely, are you?


I give them them as much attention as they deserve. (And in this
case, sadly, a lot more.)

In one sentence you mentioned that they were supposed to be able to
withstand mallet and hammer blows. In the next sentence you talked
about chopping hinge mortises.

Can you see how someone might logically infer that the two were related?

OK, fine ... you win. All Blue Chips are a piece of crap (despite my
experiences to the contrary). And you don't need mortising chisels to
chop mortises. And you should be able to do everything from opening
paintcans to paring a paper thin slice of endgrain with the same chisel.
And it should never get dull or chip. And you should be able to buy it
for less than $20. Happy now?


Chuck Vance

On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 11:39:39 -0800, Bay Area Dave wrote
(in message ) :

that they are designated for use with a mallet and occasional hammer blows?

dave

wrote:


All that means is that the *handles* are designed to withstand the impact of
a mallet and hammer- the handle strength seems to be a big selling point with
Marples, which has to make you wonder. Since when is handle strength the
most important feature of a chisel?

wouldn't they be discolored? I use to harden chisels for automotive
use. Worked great; heat 'em and quench 'em in oil.

dave

Juergen Hannappel wrote:

Bay Area Dave writes:


you mean they are tipped with sh*t for steel but the rest of the tool
is better??


or got hot during grinding, as should not happen...

Bay Area Dave writes:

wouldn't they be discolored? I use to harden chisels for automotive

Not necessarily, softening starts well before coloring (depending on
the steel type, of course).

use. Worked great; heat 'em and quench 'em in oil.

But makes then brittle, you should temper them after that, there are
lots of web sites that tell you how. What do you use to heat them up?

--
Dr. Juergen Hannappel http://lisa2.physik.uni-bonn.de/~hannappe
Phone: +49 228 73 2447 FAX ... 7869
Physikalisches Institut der Uni Bonn Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
CERN: Phone: +412276 76461 Fax: ..77930 Bat. 892-R-A13 CH-1211 Geneve 23

a torch. I still have those chisels. they are hard; not brittle, tough
as a proverbial nail.

dave

Juergen Hannappel wrote:

Bay Area Dave writes:


wouldn't they be discolored? I use to harden chisels for automotive


Not necessarily, softening starts well before coloring (depending on
the steel type, of course).


use. Worked great; heat 'em and quench 'em in oil.


But makes then brittle, you should temper them after that, there are
lots of web sites that tell you how. What do you use to heat them up?

Bay Area Dave wrote:
I used a dead blow mallet

wrote:
I saw that, but that wasn't what I was saying. I never mentioned what
to hit them with

Still missing my point. Sigh
Dave in Fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
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