Parer chisel question

Re: Parer chisel question

Jack Guzman from Maine

I use paring chisels alot in chairbuilding. I find I have more control with a longer chisel also more power than with a short chisel. The advantages are pretty obvious in use. Try it.

depth control....

David Weaver

I've had bad paring chisels (narex) and chisels like you're talking about and then finally real paring chisels. Real paring chisels do a much better job moderating their depth, which is important paring deep into something (like planes) or across the outside of something for a finish cut.

George had mentioned to me (Before going to the trouble to find english paring chisels) that the flexibility is what causes the depth moderation (the chisels can have a bevel and a flat back and not dive into the cut deeper like a stiff chisel will do.

If you don't have a need for one at this point, then they're not something you really need. I like them for plane making, and they're handy to have working deep in dadoes, but by no means needed for that.

Now that I can make chisels, I'll be making more of them, though. Good ones are hard to find reasonable, but probably about $10-15 of materials to make one out of files (less for thin ones like the one in my picture).

Re: Parer chisel question

Jack Dover

They're pretty good for, well, paring tasks, like long dadoes, sliding dovetails and similar joints on wide parts done by hand - a good parer with right amount of flex is pretty close to a (non-electric) router in terms of depth control. They're better when paring flush to a surface, a bevel down chisel tends to dig in. Because of their length there's more control over paring direction and angle, a wider grip allows for more force.

That being said I don't see paring chisels as essential tools, esp. given their prices. I'd say parers are redundant in a hybrid shop and in a hand tools only shop about 80% of their usage could be covered with a long handled chisel, like a tsuki-nomi or maybe a spare long handle for a socketed chisel. I used to use paring chisels often when I just bought them, today I use maybe two sizes occasionally. Also all my parers I've bought from retired pattern-makers, so maybe they're not very useful for cabinetmakers in general

Re: Parer chisel question

Wiley Horne

I find a length of around a foot (12”) good for paring to the scribe line on dovetails. The reason is that you can hold the chisel near the end, place the holding hand under your collarbone, and make the cut by just leaning down. Your body weight is supplying the force for the cut. I find this makes for a more precise and controlled cut, than when arm muscles are applying the force.

Wiley

Paring to a baseline

Jack Dover

There's a similar technique for a regular length chisel, where a chisel is pushed with a shoulder. Position a cutting edge as usual (in a gauge line, etc.), put a handle somewhere below a collarbone, you'll find that one spot where it's quite comfortable. Put one hand on a handle, a second hand holds it close to the edge the way you hold it when paring. The trick is to figure how to push with a shoulder. Trying to use the whole upper body as if doing a bow is not going to work, but twisting shoulders (a spine is an axis) will. It's a very controlled cut with lots of power and it can be done vertically or horizontally, just needs a steady position. Quite useful when paring to a baseline in dense materials, you could stop a chisel at any point or prevent it from shooting through.

It's not new, I've seen a bunch of people doing it, maybe subconsciously even, Sheffield planemakers' videos come to mind. I think it's described in old textbooks too. It works as good as a long paring chisel where the blade length isn't important, but strength and control is.

Re: Paring to a baseline

Wiley Horne

Hi Jack,

Yes, good point, the essence of the technique is generating force under control. For some folks, like me, a little longer chisel gives a good sense of plumb for scribe line paring. But as you point out, the basic idea is widely applicable.

Wiley

Long handles

Jack Dover

Can't beat a long chisel for plumb or level paring, there's just no substitute!

If memory serves me, David Charlesworth recommended having a second, long handle for socket chisels precisely because control is better and there's more power in a wide grip. He has suggested it for any socket chisel, I'd like to try it with a millwright chisel. It has this gentle curve to it and a socket is offset a little bit, it's going to be like a miniature slick.

Re: Long handles

Wiley Horne

One other general thing that occurs to me in this conversation, is that whatever handle length that allows one to work with muscles relaxed (in the specific application) is best.

Relaxed (to me) usually means standing up and not bent over with eyes close to the work. Standing up saves one’s back and also gives a better perspective on various angles of interest.

Same approach really helps (me at least) with sawing joinery—standing up straight and back a little. The wider perspective frames all the angles in good relation to each other. Not only the work angles, but the bench sides, the window and door framing, etc.

Wiley