Veritas flush cutting Chisels

[ear3]

Wondering what ppl think of these:
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=76966&cat=1,41504

Trying to imagine some of the other uses I could get out of them given that I don't do inlay.  The set price is a pretty sweet deal.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I have one crank neck chisel and sometimes it’s the only tool that will work, but it’s not completely flat and and crank neck adds a little unwanted spring. I’m probably going to buy this set.

Also think the ability to remove the handle and substitute a bolt etc. will someday...

 

[ChuckM]

Snip.

Trying to imagine some of the other uses I could get out of them given that I don't do inlay.  The set price is a pretty sweet deal.

I use this kind of tool to remove glue squeeze-out (in its rubbery state).

 

[RKA]

I'm not sure, it does seem very specialized.  I'd probably resort to routers and sanders to do the type of flushing operation they depict.  A router plane could also do some flushing operations if you have clearance for the base.  But if something was obstructing the base of the router or router plane, I guess these would come in handy.  Not sure I'd get the entire set though.  A 1" might suffice. 

 

[hdv]

I already have a crank neck chisel that I use for things like getting to the bottom of (shallow) mortises. For flush cutting I use a Kugihiki and Veritas' cabinetmaker's trimming plane (see this webpage). To be honest I don't see the added value of these.

 

[tomp]

This Veritas Flush Plane works very well for flush-trimming dowels, screw plugs and so forth, just use a side-to-side sweeping motion.

 

[waho6o9]

That's a good idea if you need a swan neck chisel.

Other offerings:https://www.fine-tools.com/stemmm.html

I use a magnetic block with a sharp plane iron.
View attachment 1

 

[Cheese]

Wondering what ppl think of these:
http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=76966&cat=1,41504

Trying to imagine some of the other uses I could get out of them given that I don't do inlay.  The set price is a pretty sweet deal.

They're nice, that's for sure. I've never needed a set though. Over all these years I've only used this one. It comes in handy but then so does a LN chisel plane.  [smile]

[attachimg=1]

 

[Jesse Cloud]

I'm a little wary of the two smaller chisels.  Looks like the handle is wider than the blade, which makes them useless for getting into tight corners.

WaHoo6o9's  magnetic block on a plane iron is a piece of genius though.  Gonna make one of those next shot I get at some shop time.

 

[ear3]

I ended up getting the set  [embarassed]

 

[HarveyWildes]

I ended up getting the set  [embarassed]

I'd be interested in this set if the "thinner" blades are stiff - in your opinion, how much do they flex.  Also, how tight and sturdy the threaded connection between the handle and the blade?  Please give us a review when you get the chance!

I have a couple of Japanese chisels with handles that are angled up just enough so that it doesn't interfere with the plane of the blade, but the resulting clearance between the chisel handle and the work surface is pretty slim.  I also dislike the hard right angles on most crank neck chisels. My chisel plane is good for some stuff, but sometimes it seems a little over-sized for the job, and it depends on a good-sized reference surface.  This set looks like it could fill a nitch.

 

[Svar]

The advantage of flush chisel over flush plane or block is that often trimming requires lifting the heel of the blade just a little bit, 1-2 degree. With chiesel it is easier to do in a controlled manner.

 

[Birdhunter]

I have a crank neck chisel, but I’ve had plugs tear or chip when using the chisel. It is very sharp!

I’m currently using a flush cutting Japanese saw I bought from Bridge City. If I’m careful, I get a totally flush cut. If I leave a little, a sanding block removes the excess.

 

[HarveyWildes]

I ended up getting the set  [embarassed]

I'd be interested in this set if the "thinner" blades are stiff - in your opinion, how much do they flex.  Also, how tight and sturdy the threaded connection between the handle and the blade?  Please give us a review when you get the chance!

I have a couple of Japanese chisels with handles that are angled up just enough so that it doesn't interfere with the plane of the blade, but the resulting clearance between the chisel handle and the work surface is pretty slim.  I also dislike the hard right angles on most crank neck chisels. My chisel plane is good for some stuff, but sometimes it seems a little over-sized for the job, and it depends on a good-sized reference surface.  This set looks like it could fill a nitch.

WRT to my interest in how tight the threaded connection is, I can imagine a scenario where you are using one hand on the blade to guide the cut and the other hand to push hard on the handle.  One of the hands torques a bit. and the thread connection loosens up just enough that the corner of the blade catches the work.  The threaded connection seems like it could be a weak point the design, depending on how well it's implemented.  Aside from that, I really like the design - it seems overall that the direction of force on the blades is superior to a crank neck chisel.  [member=37411]ear3[/member], that's why I'm interested in your review.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I’ve had to replace a few too many plugs when the chisel tore a bit off one side. This flush cut saw from Lee Valley is what I use now.

 

[derekcohen]

I have been using this prototype set since 2016 ...

The handle is printed but very functional. The blades are the same as those that went into production. They came flat ... flat ... flat. Which is important since that is how they are used.

Harvey, the screw connection is tight and does not loosen.

Are they useful? Very, in the right circumstance.

Are they necessary? No, one can use a chisel bevel down, or every a thick plane blade.

Should you get them? I don't know about getting a whole lot of cranked chisels. I have always had a couple of flat ones and a few cranked gouges. They get used, but they are specialist chisels, so not used very often. I think that the whole point of the Veritas offering is that you get one handle and a couple of blades. It is more cost-effective as well as a space saving.

One of the additions I made to this set was to add a long handle ... ala a Japanese slick (very easy to do as all you need is to recess a thread, which is a standard size). I found that I liked the extra length for control, plus it gave a little more clearance when pushing.

Here is a comparison with a Japanese cranked neck chisel ...

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[usernumber1]

I have been using this prototype set since 2016 ...

...

very cool, thanks for sharing!

what size do you find most useful?

 

[HarveyWildes]

...
Harvey, the screw connection is tight and does not loosen.
...
One of the additions I made to this set was to add a long handle ... ala a Japanese slick (very easy to do as all you need is to recess a thread, which is a standard size). I found that I liked the extra length for control, plus it gave a little more clearance when pushing.
...
Regards from Perth

Derek

[member=4358]derekcohen[/member], thanks for the post - great hands-on info.

I will probably go ahead with these - I've never bought a crank neck chisel because of the torque vector around the top of the edge which tends toward lifting the chisel and the edge digging in.  I'm sure that the problem can be managed when the chisel is used properly, but  I've always found a different way to manage a task where a crank neck might be useful.  These chisels look like the vector is below the edge, which means that the tendency would be for the edge to lift - a much better issue to manage in my book, especially with the flat of the chisel working for you.

Can you provide a little more info on the hardware that you used for the slick handle?  Was it just a bit of threaded rod that you epoxied into a hole in the end of the handle, or something more sophisticated?  Now that you can get extra handles for relatively little (US$20, I think), would you consider buying an extra handle, extracting the hardware, and fitting a slick to that?

Also, looks like you have a smaller size than LV is selling, maybe 1/4"?  I can see that LV might not think that the 1/4" size is useful if they think that the flat is a key part of using the chisel successfully, but it seems like the 1/4" or even 1/8" size might be useful.

Thanks again for sharing

 

[HarveyWildes]

I’ve had to replace a few too many plugs when the chisel tore a bit off one side. This flush cut saw from Lee Valley is what I use now.

I've had the same problem when trying to cut off a plug that sticks out over about 1/8", but I've had issues with marring work if I get too close with a flush cut saw - even the ones with no set on the teeth.  Generally what I do now is lay down a piece of card stock paper on the work and use the flush cut saw on top of that.  There is still a bit of the plug sticking up, but now I can use a (very sharp) chisel, or chisel plane if the location is right, to pare rather than chop.  I generally use a skew angle on the paring cut.  I've had good results with that.  I don't use a lot of traditional plugs, but I do use Miller Dowels for light structural work when I want to avoid screws, and for decoration.  I use the same technique for getting flush through tenons and such.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I’ve had to replace a few too many plugs when the chisel tore a bit off one side. This flush cut saw from Lee Valley is what I use now.

I've had the same problem when trying to cut off a plug that sticks out over about 1/8", but I've had issues with marring work if I get too close with a flush cut saw - even the ones with no set on the teeth.  Generally what I do now is lay down a piece of card stock paper on the work and use the flush cut saw on top of that.  There is still a bit of the plug sticking up, but now I can use a (very sharp) chisel, or chisel plane if the location is right, to pare rather than chop.  I generally use a skew angle on the paring cut.  I've had good results with that.  I don't use a lot of traditional plugs, but I do use Miller Dowels for light structural work when I want to avoid screws, and for decoration.  I use the same technique for getting flush through tenons and such.

You can save a minute by using Post-It notes instead of card stock. Then you’re within sanding range.