Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
dovetail chisel
Peter Evans
>The most cost effective way to secure a dovetail chisel is to start with a worn out taper file for sharpening saws. First you grind off the teeth (or at least the first inch or so). Second you cut off the end of the chisel to get the width you require. Third grind the bevel (scewed or straight). Fourth hone as usual.
A lot cheaper than buying a dovetail chisel, and files are good steel.
cheers
Peter
Re: dovetail chisel
ThomD
>It would be an idea to grind off all the teeth, since they are stress risers, and then to put it in the oven at about 400 to draw the temper. I really can't tell you the right temp to get the exact rockwell. One can ease up on it testing periodically on the cooled file with another file. Overall this is a slow method if a person has a propane torch and a means to cut O1 tool steel, but then many people don't have that stuff.
Order of Work?
Garrett in Victoria
>Thom
Why not draw the temper first, then file the teeth? Wouldn't that be easier? Or is there a metallurgical impediment to this order?
Cheers, Garrett
Re: Order of Work?
ThomD
>The main issue with using files at all is the concern that they will fracture violently in use, as i'm sure you know. Turning in particular can put unfriendly loads on a file. Some people say grind first, then temper or it will possibly make the stress riser issue worse, and others say to do what you suggest since it will be easier to grind. I just picked the more concervative of the two options with the idea it would be the safest. Though if you grind on a wheel that might not be true either. Some say never use files for raw stock at all. I have never seen any serious metalurgical research that proves these file concerns one way or the other.
Some of the dollar store type files are only surface hardened and probably won't work as chisels.
Overall I prefer O1 tool steel.