woodworking chisels

[demographic]

Ha,site carpenter here.
Claw hammer. Next question?

 

[onocoffee]

Earlier in the thread, I mentioned that Deneb from Lie-Nielsen showed me that resin-impregnated mallet that felt really nice in the hand. I figured it was in their catalog but haven't seen it anywhere on their website and messages on Instagram have been left unanswered. But, I happened to be looking at Blue Spruce's website and I think that might be the one Deneb showed me. It looks exactly like the one I handled. And they've got a Halloween Frankenstein special that I think looks pretty dope. Dope enough that I might order one.

But I'm planning on visiting Lie-Nielsen next week, so I'll confirm it then.

Limited-Edition Frankenstein’s Round Mallet | Blue Spruce Toolworks

Celebrate Halloween with a limited-edition version of our award-winning Round Mallet. Featuring a Lignum Vitae handle and a dyed figured maple mallet head.

bluesprucetoolworks.com

 

[luvmytoolz]

Very nice looking mallet that Blue Spruce one!

 

[PaulMarcel]

Hammers for chisels seems a personal preference.
-snip-

Note that the ideal mallet handle needs to be shaped and not a stick. This is a heavy mortising mallet - brass infill and double-grip handle (can be closed up) ...



Regards from Perth

Derek

I just need to say that this mallet is gorgeous. Nice work as always!

I've had the Blue Spruce round mallet for a long time. I love it for chisel work, but I'm also not the guy to ask for opinions on chisel work It can have glancing blows so I did pick up a regular flat-faced mallet from Blue Spruce. I still grab the round one, for whatever reason.

I'll add that I've used the round mallet a lot for chisels, assembly, "this needs convincing", etc and there are no marks on it at all. David's resin process definitely works well.

As for chisels, I really like the Veritas PMV-11 chisels. As pretty as the Blue Spruce chisels are, the PMV-11 holds up much longer and for nearly the same resharpening effort

 

[onocoffee]

I just need to say that this mallet is gorgeous. Nice work as always!

I've had the Blue Spruce round mallet for a long time. I love it for chisel work, but I'm also not the guy to ask for opinions on chisel work It can have glancing blows so I did pick up a regular flat-faced mallet from Blue Spruce. I still grab the round one, for whatever reason.

I'll add that I've used the round mallet a lot for chisels, assembly, "this needs convincing", etc and there are no marks on it at all. David's resin process definitely works well.

As for chisels, I really like the Veritas PMV-11 chisels. As pretty as the Blue Spruce chisels are, the PMV-11 holds up much longer and for nearly the same resharpening effort

Paul - Any thoughts on the Lie-Nielsen chisels?

 

[demographic]

Hultafors HDC here.
I'm not faffing about carrying a mallet on my toolbelt, its just not happening.

Maybe if I worked at a bench I might consider it.
In the meantime for most site use its these, a proper strikethrough option with replacable striker pad.
Not that I've needed a replacement pad as I actually sharpen my chisels once in a while.
Oh and the sheath is dead handy, sure beats those crappy little endcaps we all lose.

I do have a few nice long paring chisels but they don't get hit with a hammer at all.

 

[PaulMarcel]

Paul - Any thoughts on the Lie-Nielsen chisels?

The PMV-11 chisels are Veritas. I like them for the durability yet sharpen quickly. I don't have as many of those as I do the Blue Spruce so the BS get used the most. I'll also complain about my ability to sharpen isn't as good as I'd like so that's an issue

 

[smorgasbord]

Decades ago I bought a variety of Bahco chisels since they fit my hand like Japanese chisels, but didn't have the hollow backs that had to be tapped out over time. Apparently they were designed based on some studies which surprised some people that the results were so close to what the smart Japanese had known forever (Ok, maybe just centuries).

I was recently surprised to find out that my now old Bahco chisels, now no longer made like that/as well as that, have a high appeal today in the used market.

BTW, I have a turned cocobolo mallet that I use. Unfortunately, I didn't know that it had to be treated like a baseball bat in terms of grain orientation in use, so it's chipped out on two "sides" over the years. But, it's still a nice mallet to use and I guess I'm not yet sensitized to cocobolo as I get no skin reaction from using it.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Ha,site carpenter here.
Claw hammer. Next question?

Ouch, man that's harsh.
I'm no stranger to claw hammers, but they're not my first choice. They are for hand-banging nails and occasionally removing one, I'd never hit a chisel with one.
With the popularity of so many different nail guns, who's driving them by hand anymore?
I would rather keep chisels sharp enough to not need them that hard

 

[demographic]

Ouch, man that's harsh.
I'm no stranger to claw hammers, but they're not my first choice. They are for hand-banging nails and occasionally removing one, I'd never hit a chisel with one.
With the popularity of so many different nail guns, who's driving them by hand anymore?
I would rather keep chisels sharp enough to not need them that hard

Err, why do you think I'm hitting them harder just because I'm using a metal hammer?
Japanese carpenters have been using metal hammers on chisels for yonks.

I don't know a single site carpenter who minces about looking for a mallet when they need to chisel in a few lock faces and can't be done setting up a router.
Do you think that just because we use nailguns that nobody carries a hammer nowadays?
Other than that the rest is answered up there^ along with a picture of a Hultafors chisel.

 

[derekcohen]

Err, why do you think I'm hitting them harder just because I'm using a metal hammer?
Japanese carpenters have been using metal hammers on chisels for yonks.

I don't know a single site carpenter who minces about looking for a mallet when they need to chisel in a few lock faces and can't be done setting up a router.
Do you think that just because we use nailguns that nobody carries a hammer nowadays?
Other than that the rest is answered up there^ along with a picture of a Hultafors chisel.

If I was on a carpenter on site I would have no issue with using a claw hammer. One less tool to carry. But then I would not be using chisels with wooden handles and especially without reinforcing hoops. There are chisels for the woodshop and chisels for the building site. Build differently, used differently, treated differently.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Cheese]

This has been my chisel solution for years, the Stanley chisels were the first set I purchased, are made in the US and have steel caps. They're used for all sorts of rough construction tasks and have been routinely hammered on with an Estwing claw hammer. If they needed to be sharpened in the field, a RA grinder with 120 grit came to the rescue.

The Pfeil are Swiss made and only used on the bench by hand or with a light tap of a mallet. They are only sharpened on proper bench stones with a proper guide.

 

[demographic]

Mind, were I to work at a bench I'd likely consider a wooden mallet to be a decent project tool.
Its always nice to make the tools you use.
I've replaced a few chisel handles with ash ones that have a metal hoop but shortly after that I got a few Hultafors chisels so theyve not had much use.
Theres a local secondhand shop and every time I'm in there I ratch through and many times end up with old chisels to clean up and I've got all sorts cheap from.there.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Err, why do you think I'm hitting them harder just because I'm using a metal hammer?
Japanese carpenters have been using metal hammers on chisels for yonks.

I don't know a single site carpenter who minces about looking for a mallet when they need to chisel in a few lock faces and can't be done setting up a router.
Do you think that just because we use nailguns that nobody carries a hammer nowadays?
Other than that the rest is answered up there^ along with a picture of a Hultafors chisel.

No, not at all. It was mostly a joke. I use a metal (Japanese pattern) hammer myself.
As far as carrying a hammer? I suppose it depends on the range of work. Guys that do interior trim work may not, that's nail gun territory. (Not that they don't have one somewhat handy, but maybe not on their person)
I always had one in my bag, when doing cabinet installs, used it very rarely.
Framing? sure, though that is mostly pneumatic or battery now. Roofers too, hammers are slowing down. Heck, manual everything is slowing down.

I have a big ol' California headed framing hammer, had it for decades, even used it in the last few months.
However, before doing some framing in my shop, I hadn't touched it in years.
I had/have a much smaller claw hammer, that I occasionally used, while still working. I was rare though, used more to loan to someone else, rather than myself.

 

[guybo]

I don't have as many of those as I do the Blue Spruce

That jogged my memory bank

 

[Cheese]

That jogged my memory bankView attachment 378684

Now that goes back awhile.

 

[guybo]

Yup the wild west of festoolians. When men weren't shy about losing an half inch of finger nail to a classic systainer.