Making a dovetail/fishtail chisel

Re: Making a dovetail/fishtail chisel

John in West TN

>Here is a drawing of what the the business end of Rob's home made chisel looked like. I am not sure how to grind it--I assume with a grinding wheel?--so that the line at the base of the tail is at right angles to the chisel side edge.

A related question, I guess, is does it matter if that line is not at a right angle, but slopes down toward the handle?

Cheers,

John

Re: Making a dovetail/fishtail chisel

GolfSteve in Calgary

>Probably with a small triangular file.

Re: Making a dovetail/fishtail chisel

Jim in Burlington Ontario

>I have seen it enought times and never asked him. There are no scratches in it or blueing it's not concave like a grinder did it. He does make using a grinder with a very course wheel look so easy. Personally I think it was cut with a hacksaw or metal bandsaw and filed. He also has a smaller chisel that is rounded over that he uses to pare out small dovetails.

Re: Making a dovetail/fishtail chisel *LINK*

Robin Frierson

>If you decide you want to buy a fishtail japanese chisel, I have a couple of these that work great:


Japanese fish tail chisels

Easy cut concrete nail DT chisel *LINK*

David Barnett

>Easy way to make one of these is to use an already fishtail-shaped concrete nail (I like the longer ones best). Since it's the right profile to begin with and already hardened tool steel, just grind or cut off the thicker rim that forms the head (prominent on some), grind* from the sides to a center line (like a Japanese DT chisel), grind a low bezel, flatten, hone, stick a handle on it. Works for me. I have a couple Japanese DT chisels, but these are nearly as good.

You can even do a slicker job on these if you heat and beat one of these to shape, harden and temper.

*Of course, don't draw the temper when you grind these.


Cut concrete nail

Re: Making a dovetail/fishtail chisel *LINK*

Jim

>Scroll down to the bottom of this link page. I think you will see an ideal chisel that could either be used as is, or modified.


News Letter

Alternative

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>John

An alternative - easier? - is to make or purchase a left and right pair of skewed chisels. These allow you to get right into corners, especially helpful in half-blind dovetails. Grind a pair of old chisels with a front bevel at 30 degrees, or buy a set of Crowns.

Regards from Perth

Derek

making the half-blind chisel, long

Rob Cosman

>Hi John, sorry for taking so long to respond, I have been in Maine getting my new toys at L-N, long pointy things in a leather tool roll!

To make the dovetail chisel I took a 3/4 Sorby and using the grinder with a tool rest slowly shaped the chisel. I used a wheel dresser to keep the corner of the grinding wheel sharp (90 degrees). I am sure a shop teacher at some point told me never to grind on the side of the wheel but that is how I did it. Go slow, dip it frequently and remember to bevel the sides of the chisel top to bottom as your grinding the dovetail shape (helps when undercutting the waste). I only use 1:7 and 1:6 slopes so if the chisel is sloped 1:5 you won't have a problem getting into the corners. This chisel is for paring and undercutting only, I don't use a mallet on it, only hand pressure, so one sharpening will last a long time. In the 4 or 5 years I have had this it has only been sharpened a couple of times. Tom L-N is going to offer a half blind chisels in 2 sizes in the near future, one sharpening on these chisels could last years. I have read comments about this shape eventually being ground to a point of being useless. If it is used properly I don't think many of us will be buying a second or third in our life time. Problem with skew chisels is two fold, first there are 2 (when one tool can do the job) and second your line of force is off. Paring end grain takes a bit of force so I much prefer to be pushing straight on not on an angle.

One tip that didn't get into the video you watched is to use a piece of masking tape on the chopping chisel (not the paring chisel) as a depth guage when chopping out the sockets for the half blind tails.

Rob

Right on !

jim_reed@marietta

>That is what I did. Purchased two decent 3/8" butt chisels and Tormeked them to a 30 degree angle. Total cost was less than ten bucks. Easy solution and works great. Good luck.

Re: making the half-blind chisel, long

John in West TN

>Rob,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my question; very helpful. Apart from your views on line of force when paring, it really makes sense to have one tool that will do the work of two.

Again, thanks.

Cheers,

John