Chisel Confession

[Bibliophile 13]

I'm with Warren here.

There are no doubt some really nice new chisels on the market today, but give me my good ol' vintage carbon steel chisels any day. I have a collection cobbled together out of two or three different brands, including Witherby and Greenlee. The steel is perfect. I can sharpen them at a relatively low angle so the edge is very keen, and as long as I strop them regularly, I don't often need to hone them on the stones at all. I don't think I paid more than $10 for any of these chisels, and for many of them I paid $2-$5 apiece.

It does pay to be picky. I've passed up a lot of pitted rust-buckets. I know what I can re-hab easily and what should be left alone. I can make/modify a new handle and re-grind a bevel. But I'm going to pass on chisels that need serious work on the backs. If I have to put more than a couple hours of work into a chisel, it's not worth it.

[TomFromStLouis]

I rehabbed a bunch of eBay bargains some time ago - two complete sets in fact - and I cannot imagine spending more than a couple hours on one, including turning a new handle. Belt sander people, belt sander, grind the bevel, water stones, done.

[Handplanesandmore]

Spending hours on rehabilitating a chisel is definitely not my thing. I know I am speaking for a lot of woodworkers I have worked with or befriended. Of course, different strokes for different folks and those who enjoy turning a $15 rusty Stanley plane into a pristine equivalent of a $200 Veritas or LN plane should feel delighted of their work. I just don't enjoying my shop time that way. 

As to sharpening, I am fine as long as the tools are sharp enough by feel. I am no salve of the sharpening regime and if it isn't 100% sharp by someone's standards, so what? It cuts wood and gets me a a good joinery and that's what matters. I laugh when so much has been written about David Charlesworth's ruler trick. Both camps -- for or against -- will never convince the other side to accept their positions and why try? Both camps are right!


Simon

[EricU]

I bought a rusty Stanley #45 on here and rehabbed it.  I enjoyed bringing it back.  I don't think I would feel the same way about a chisel, or even a #5. Then again, I usually watch tv when I'm doing something like that, so it's not more time wasted than just watching tv.

[Kansas City Fireslayer]

I too have rehabbed many and spent too much time on some. Now, I won't buy anything requiring more than 15 minutes before putting it on the Tormek to grind a new bevel. Some chisels aren't worth the time. If you want to make quick work of the back, I've found sandpaper and granite as the fastest method with good results. A belt sander can ruin a backside quickly. Even using the side of the Tormek stone can get tricky when starting and stopping. I will use a belt sander on the bevel if I have a lot to remove. I'll get it close before using the Tormek. I use to have more time than money.

[Downwindtracker2]

I'm wondering if making a flat lap is worth the effort. Those Chinese diamond plates are inexpensive, with a couple of pillow block bearing and a 1/4 hp you have a vertical sharpener. At less than the cost of a good water stone, I might add. It's flattening the chisel backs that has me muttering. Better the steel, more the muttering.

For the backs,I use 6"x48"/9" BusyBee( Canadian version of Grizzly) belt sander that I bought for $100 , vertically to remove the rust pits on the chisel backs first. Then it's on to the waterstones , I work my way from 700grit to 8000grit. I then finish up on a hard felt wheel and green rouge. 

The bevels are easier. I'll hog off with a cool white on a grinder. This is tricky, it's easy to burn the steel. My next step is less tricky, I use the 1"x42" Veil belt sander that Lee Valley sells. They cut  cooler. The more accurately I set the rest angle and using the Lee Valley grinding jig, the less work it is on the 700grit. Again a I use a jig. For the bevel instead of the hard felt wheel, I use a leather belt on the sander. My son wired in a reversing switch on the 1/4hp  Baldor.

For carpentry chisels, I don't bother flattening the backs, it's just the hard felt wheel. Then for the bevels, it's the little belt sander at 120 and 1000grit, followed by the leather belt. A 20oz hammer overcomes the less than perfect edge.

Speaking of less than perfect edges, I found free hand on an oil stone and then a hard felt had me dubbing the edge.

[jgourlay]

Did this for a while too until I figured it out.  "Figuring it out" = take a 6" metal ruler and hold up to the back.  Any back that was bellied went right back in the bin.  Scratch the top with the corner of the ruler.  Any taking a meaningful scratch also went back into the bin (soft).  Maybe 1 in twenty passed both filters?  I have a good set (but not th 1/8") of Stanley 750's that I got either while learning the lesson, or after.

[marshall45]

I keep a box of "junk" chisels to teach newcomers to sharpen.  When they can grind a bevel without overheating and then hone and strop the final edge I then take them to a good tool.  Saves a lot of good chisels that way.

[Skip J.]

Hello Marshall;
Welcome to the forum!

[Downwindtracker2]

Welcome Marshall. This is a pleasant group, without either the sniping or the holier  than thou attitude found on some other forums.