butt chisels - please no CORNY jokes! *LINK*

Re: butt chisels - please no CORNY jokes!

frank shic (walnut ck, ca)

>mark and dick, thanks for your comments! they make me feel better about the recent order i just placed with tools for working wood.

Re: butt chisels - let's be real.

ThomD

>Frank is a dovetailing god, and for years I held the chisels as he does in his mid 80s video. In the video I have he is using regular length chisels. I always felt a little weird ignoring the handles, and cut myself on the chisels whose corners I intentionally sharpened (moron alert, though this was supposed to be a Japanese thing). Overall I think it is better to learn to use the handles.

One thing about Frank is you can't totally trust his tool choices. He pointed out on the Woodwright Shop that he changed his tools around just so that the folks who saw him in seminars wouldn't be frustrated trying to find the tools he uses. Good for him, I respect that. He is obviously going to select quality stuff. But if one is really into tools, one wants to know what he really believes, not what he thinks we want to hear. On that score I guess what he is "saying" he really believes is that it doesn't mater, which is an important point. I'd still prefer to see his all tricked out with the tools he naturally prefers.

I do have a really short set of Japanese chisels that allow a very close grip, Dick's sells them, Deluxe Mini Bench Chisels, 10-piece set No. 710128

. Cute little guys fun for small projects, though really, one set of the highest quality would get my vote if I had to do it again.

I also have the Lee Valley Butt Chisels, which are really great for dovetails, in soft wood. I used to use them in demos, and reground them a little for easier penetration. They are currently in my toolbelt where they are handy for stuff like locks etc... I found the edges folded in hardwoods, though I didn't try steepening the bevels they came with. I wouldn't want really steep bevels.

Re: butt seriously...

ThomD

>The way knifemakers make a quality mat finish, other than bead blasting, is finish it to a high polish, then draw 360 SC paper over that. You don't rub all over it, you draw the paper in straight lines, to the extent possible, repeat as necesarry.

Re: butt seriously...

Alice Frampton, UK

>I was speaking to the tool show stand fodder of a reasonably well-known Sheffield maker last month (not Crown or Sorby), and mentioned that their habit of buffing their chisels to a high shine was a pain in the proverbial - rounding the edges as it does. Could they consider offering them un-polished as well? Oh no, apparently that's the only way the US market will buy them. Sigh.

Cheers, Alf

SHINY and USELESS?

frank shic (walnut ck, ca)

>

thanks for the info, thom!

frank shic (walnut ck, ca)

>the quest continues on to be as QUICK as frank (klausz)!

Re: thanks for the info, thom!

ThomD

>No kidding!

Actually I would settle for knowing what he knows about pricing work and running a shop...

Even he says his speed poured on as the result of getting one massive job.

Re: good work with ordinary tools

paul womack

> He pointed out on the Woodwright Shop that he changed his tools around just so that the folks who saw him in seminars wouldn't be frustrated trying to find the tools he uses.

Ian Kirby seems to do OK, using Marples blue chip chisels, ordinary marking gauges, and a fairly modern (and non exotic) DT saw...

BugBear