The handle for a chisel made of wood with your own hands. Choosing carpentry chisels

A simple home tool can be made quite quickly with your own hands. For example, such useful things in the household as a screwdriver, an awl, a small chisel, a chisel, a punch or a sample. The necessary tools for this can be found in the home workshop.

As a material for the handle, it is better to take dense wood. There are quite a few options, the most popular are birch, beech or pear.

Soft woods are easier to work with, but their reliability is much less.

On the wooden block you need to roll the ribs, you can do it with a knife.
For convenience, it is better to start working with a long workpiece. Then the handle must be well sanded and sawn off to size. The length of the handle of a screwdriver or awl should be 15-20 mm more than the width of the palm. .

Next, we hammer a nail into one of the ends of the handle. In fact, nails are made of soft metal and are easier to forge in the form of a screwdriver or chisel. But then the tip will have to be hardened. For an awl, you can immediately take a piece of steel wire or spring.

If the wire or nail is thick, then pre-drill the hole, otherwise the workpiece will burst. After installation, we cut the wire to size, a length of 30-40 mm is enough for an awl. . Then on the anvil (any piece of metal), we form a working surface and sharpen it on sandpaper.

For thick or flat tools such as chisels, the handles are best made in a different way. We take two wooden dies 30-35 mm wide. and 12-15 mm thick. . We put the shank of the chisel between them and squeeze this sandwich in a vice. Then we disassemble, and cut grooves along the dents to a depth of half the thickness of the chisel.

Handles for knives, chisels or working cutters are made in this way.
For percussion instruments, such as a punch or chisel, this option is not suitable. For a chisel, we take a solid handle, made of hard wood.
We drill a hole for the shank, and metal rings must be put on the ends of the handle. At least sawed off pieces of a water pipe.
We tightly adjust the rings into place and fix them on the side with a thin nail without a hat.

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I want to point out the most important thing. For such handles, you need (necessarily !!!) a tool shank for the entire length of the birch bark handle. More on this later.

Most best time for harvesting birch bark middle lane, this is the end of spring - the beginning of summer. This year I did just that. It turned out by chance, I went into the forest for oak branches, and also came with birch bark. An oak fell on a birch and knocked it down. I couldn't just walk past. In addition, there were still leaves on the birch, and the bark was removed very easily, compared to last fall.

If you remove the bark from a growing tree, then you must definitely leave the cork layer (brown in the previous photo), and try not to damage it. Thus, you will not harm the tree, although new bark and will not grow, but the tree will not die. Brought birch bark home, ....

And immediately began to process it. It was possible to cut it into rectangles, as I did before, but I liked punching a notch

The bark was different in thickness, since it was taken from different parts of the trunk, and I also sorted it by laying it out in different packages.

Birch bark is not always even, there are "bumps", seals. Such places should be culled immediately.

Now it remains to clean (with a knife and fingers) the prepared “chips” from the white husk, drill a central hole for the diameter of the stud, and put it on the stud alternating the direction of the lines crosswise like fibers on plywood.

The blank must be typed with a margin in length (tightly compressed dry) at least 3-4 cm more than the final size.

Here I tightened with all my might while the nuts were spinning. The length of the workpiece turned out to be 120 mm.

The next stage is the cooking of the workpiece. How, how much, and with what to cook is described in detail in the Watch link I provided. I just boil it in water, three times for half an hour. Sometimes I forget what is being cooked in my kitchen, and it takes longer, but it's not scary.

After each stage of cooking, I let the workpiece cool slightly so that it can be picked up, and I tighten the nuts. After the first time, 1.5-2 cm shrinks, after the second 1-1.5, after the third, quite a bit. Three times is enough, you probably can’t pull off more. As a result, it became 85 mm .. At the same time, the birch bark is very strongly compacted and glued (by itself) due to the tar that is present in the birch bark. Blank after boiling, and drying for two weeks. It is necessary to dry clamped, tightened on a hairpin. Periodically check how tight it is.

Recently, for the Narex chisel, I tried oven drying at 50 degrees. This speeds up the process. Dry for two days for four hours.

After drying, I remove the nuts and unscrew the stud. Since it is threaded, it will not be possible to simply remove it, only by unscrewing it. The washers extreme to the birch bark are glued, they can be removed only by prying with something sharp. The fact is that the blank stuck together, but it stuck together only between the layers, and inside each layer, it can easily peel off.

This happened to me more than once when I first shaped the future handle with a margin, especially on knives. You don't need to get too upset about this. I glued the fracture site with gel cyanoacrylate glue

So, the blanks are prepared, and you can do anything with them. Next, I will dwell in more detail on Lie-Nielsen chisel handles.

I must say right away that I probably overdid it, and it could have been done easier. For the back. I mark the center along the core at the end of the branch with a 6 mm drill ..

With a crown I make a small entry ...

I remove the drill and drill to full depth.

I note how much I need to cut down so that the central hole is about 6-8 mm. depth.

I cut off the excess. Such a trouble is needed so that the hairpin enters the butt plate, but does not come out through.

For a socket (socket), a cone that is inserted into a chisel, I drill immediately to the full depth.

I end up on a lathe blank with birch bark in size along the length. I do the same with apple tree blanks.

A blank made of birch bark, on a lathe, must be processed in a contracted state, otherwise it will scatter. To tighten the center, I drilled a hole in the stud.

After trimming on the machine, I cut off the remnants with a chisel.

Now you can glue everything. For this I use epoxy resin. I coat everything from the inside with glue and the hairpin itself.

Now about Narex. They have a short shank and it had to be lengthened somehow. I drilled a hole (after sawing off a small cone that was on the shank), and cut internal thread M6. The shank was square, I grinded the ribs on the machine, slightly "rounded" it.

On the lathe I make blanks for the future handle.

In a birch bark I drill holes for the shank of the chisel and the back.

Here you can see that the stud enters the butt plate a little, thereby providing birch bark handle sufficient strength, besides, the glue does its job. It got a little under the adhesive tape, but these are already trifles, easily removed with a rag with a solvent.

After the glue dries, I give the handle the desired shape.

Planer, rasp, sandpaper. I don’t see the point in grinding smaller than P400, so I stop at this grain. Next is the finishing.

Birch bark practically does not absorb anything, therefore, after applying oil to the birch bark, I immediately wipe it dry, and do not touch it anymore, and cover the butt plate with two or three more layers, after each one dries.

Finished pen

With the Japanese, things are much more complicated. It is very difficult to drill the shank, the metal turned out to be red-hot there. Nevertheless, I succeeded, but I would not wish this on my enemy. Probably easier to weld a hairpin.

It would seem that what is special about the chisel? In this flat blade with a handle? But often without it it is not possible to get the job done. You can buy many different types of cutters, but regular chisels are, according to most craftsmen, the most versatile, affordable and easy to use. Here's what you need to know before you buy them.

What is a chisel?

Chisels usually have a steel blade 125-150 mm long and 3 to 50 mm wide with chamfered edges that allow working in tight spaces. Most chisels are sharpened at 25°, although some narrow blades are sharpened at 30° for greater strength, since carpenter's chisels are used not only for fine cutting, but also for rough work, such as removing material from sockets and even chiselling. In comparison, a scoring chisel has a long blade sharpened at a 20° angle to reduce cutting forces and is designed exclusively for manual work. Never hit it with a mallet. Wide chisels look like regular carpentry chisels, but short blades and handles make them ideal tools for maneuvering in tight spaces.

Three factors determining the choice among different brands

chisel blade

Brief excursion into metallurgy. Harder steels (high-alloy tool steels or high-speed steels) stay sharp longer (and cost more) than softer alloys (carbon steels). But mild steel is lighter. Nearly all of the chisels tested have Ol carbon tool steel blades, with Kirschen, Pfeil, Stanley Sweetheart, Ashley lies and Veritas remaining sharp the longest. Both sets of chisels with A2 high speed steel blades (Blue Spruce and Lie-Nielsen) retained sharpness of the cutting edge almost three times longer than the best examples made of carbon steel, which can justify the high price. Nevertheless, the new alloy PM-V11, from which the blades of one of the Veritas sets are made, refutes the traditional for hand tool rule: "tight steel - tight sharpening." These chisels stayed sharp even a little longer than their high speed steel competitors and we were surprised by their sharpening speed which was average compared to A2 and Ol steels.

Increasing edge life on hard but brittle steel chisels such as A2 or PM-V11 can be improved by increasing the secondary bevel angle to 30° instead of the usual 25°.

The width of the chisel blade, as a rule, does not have of great importance, unless you have to clean the sockets - to trim the ends of a 6 mm socket, you need to have a chisel 6 mm wide. All sets we tested consisted of 6, 12 and 18 mm chisels, and some also included 10 mm blades. Chisels of this width are suitable for most carpentry tasks, however, it is sometimes a good idea to have an additional 3mm blade, as well as a chisel 25mm wide or larger for trimming wide spikes or long sockets.

A thick blade with narrow bevels limits the possibilities of the chisel

Both chisels are 12mm wide, but the thick edges of the Lee Valley blade (left) make it impossible to clean the corners of the dovetail lugs. Ashley lies chisel blade with wide bevels (right) is more suitable for work in tight spaces.

The flat edge of the blade, opposite the bevel, guides the cutting edge and gives stability to the tool for better control, which is why we appreciated the sets of chisels that are sold with perfectly flat backs - Lie-Nielsen, Blue Spruce, Pfeil and both Veritas sets. As for other sets, it took from several minutes, and sometimes even an hour, to align the backs using various manual and mechanical devices.

Chisel handle

Good chisels can last for decades, so take your time choosing a hand tool. If possible, try it out before buying. If you have large hands or problems with wrist joints, it is better to choose chisels with large diameter handles, like Stanley Bailey, Narex, Irwin Marples, Pfeil, Kirschen and Robert Sorby Sheaf River. For those with small hands, Blue Spruce, Lie-Nielsen, Stanley Sweetheart, Traditional Woodworker, and Veritas chisels work best. (In about half of the sets, narrow chisels have slightly thinner and shorter handles than wide blades, giving more control for delicate work.) The shape of the handle, and the way you hold it for various tasks, is just as important as it. dimensions. A variety of shapes of handles is presented in the photographs.

	When chiseling sockets and spikes, we hold the handle firmly in our fist for maximum control. First of all, try holding the chisel in this way.
	And with light trimming with a chisel, for example, in the corners of the eyes, when there is no need for a mallet, one hand usually directs the blade, and the other pushes the handle. Will a chisel be comfortable for you for such work?

Find out also the features of fastening the blade to the handle. The two most common methods are shown here - with the so-called "skirt" and shank. The two kits we tested were skirted (Lie-Nielsen and Stanley Sweetheart). Such handles sit tightly in conical recesses; when loosened, they can be easily corrected with a light blow of a mallet, and this method is preferable if the chisel works as a lever. But making them is more difficult, so be prepared to pay more. Shank chisels are cheaper and tend to have more comfortable handles, but with this method of attachment, the handle can easily split as the shank acts like a wedge inside it. The metal ferrule helps prevent splitting, but does not guarantee it. For the main work in the workshop, it is advisable to purchase inexpensive chisels, such as the Stanley Fat Max. Their plastic handles with a metal butt plate can easily withstand a hammer blow, and the short blades dull relatively quickly. These tools will be useful on the construction site, as well as when making hobby crafts and scraping off dried glue or paint.

The carpenter's chisels (top and center) have a simple blade attachment, so they can be worked with hand force or light blows with a mallet, however, a hammer can split the handle. The shank of an inexpensive carpenter's chisel (below) usually goes through the handle and ends with a metal butt plate that can withstand hammer and mallet blows.

Although during testing, none plastic handle not cracked, we liked chisels with wooden handles (mostly for aesthetic reasons), especially those made from hard and dense woods such as maple, bubingo, elm, hornbeam, boxwood or ash. Handles made of softer beech wood (Bailey and Narex) usually have metal rings to prevent splitting when struck with a mallet.

Chisel price

You can buy chisels one by one when you need them. But often a set of several chisels of the most popular sizes is cheaper than buying the same chisels one at a time. We divided the seventeen sets we tested into three price groups: under $90, between $130 and $230, and over $275. All of them cope with the main tasks in the same way. But be prepared for the fact that cheap chisels will have to be compared with more expensive ones made of high quality steel.

So, which chisels to buy?

	Ashley iles, chisel set, $155 These chisels are already sharpened, have thin edges with wide bevels and retain their sharpness well. We liked the bubingo wood handles, which proved to be comfortable for people with smaller hands as well. But the edges of the brass rings at the point of transition from the handle to the blade seemed too sharp to us. There are also sets of 4 and 11 chisels. This set comes without a box or roll.
	Blue spruce, chisel set, $445 These chisels are handmade in Oregon and have proven to be some of the best in testing. Corrugated maple handles, impregnated with acrylic resin, are not afraid of mallet blows, but are too thin and slippery. The side bevels of the blade are wide, sharp-edged, and they are great for making dovetail joints, but I had to blunt them a bit so as not to cut my hands. Premium chisels made of A2 high speed steel, the highest quality, look great and it seems sacrilegious to use an electric grinder to sharpen them or hit them with a mallet. Looking at the price, it was expected to see the set packed in a case or a leather roll, however, neither was available.
	Irwin marples, chisel set, $70 New series A chisel of a well-known brand has a handle with three stepped transitions in diameter, convenient for working with a mallet, but it is less convenient to manipulate the tool when manually trimming. The blades are easy to sharpen and cut well, but dull quickly, which is to be expected from inexpensive chisels. Also available is a set of three chisels and a mallet.
	Lee valley, chisel set, $130 Their blades sharpen easily and retain their sharpness relatively well, but several chisels had to level the plane of the back within half an hour. In addition, they have the thickest edges of the rest of the participants in our test, and we found their ribbed handles uncomfortable. However, for this price you get a wide range of sizes. Also available in sets of 5 chisels ($93). Both sets without the wooden case will cost $20 less.
	Lie-nielsen, set of chisels, $275. One of two sets of chisels with a "skirt" handle attachment, and if it gets loose, you can easily fit the knob of the handle to the tapered recess of the "skirt", and then hit it with a mallet a couple of times to keep the handle firmly. Like Blue Spruce, Lie-Nielsen chisels are handmade in Maine. They are excellent, and their price cannot be considered too high compared to other brands also made of high alloy steel. Also on sale are sets of 7 and 9 chisels and a leather roll to store them.
	Narex, set of chisels, $69. These tools didn't impress us with their quality, but overall it's a good set for a reasonable price. Some of us found the tinted beech handles to be rough and poorly balanced. The backs of the blades require alignment of the plane, but they are easily sharpened. Available in sets of 3, 4 and 10 chisels. They clearly lack a wooden case or roll.
	Pfeil, set of chisels, $205. These Swiss chisels were perfectly sharp with a mirror-polished bevel and micro-bevel. They are easy to sharpen and are the most durable of the 01 carbon steel blades tested. We liked their grippy, faceted elm wood handles, but the transition to tapering at the ring could have been smoother.
	Robert sorby, octagon-handled chisel set, $175 The hard boxwood handles hold up well to hammer blows, but many of us found them uncomfortable, and the metal clip rings on the three chisels weakened during testing. The blades were the shortest among the rest, and they also dulled faster than others.
	Robert sorby sheaf river chisel set, traditional handle $150, tapered handle $200. The blades are made from the same steel as the octagonal handled Sorby chisels, and they also dull quickly. Ash handles seemed to us more convenient than boxwood ones, but opinions were divided almost equally about the shape. The tapered handles have a smooth transition to the ring and blade, while the traditional ones were 32mm longer, which is an advantage when hand cutting.
	Stanley sweetheart, chisel set, $230 They are a replica of the Sweetheart brand of early 20th century tools and are similar to the Lie-Nielsen chisels in size, shape and hornbeam handles. However, their blades are made from 01 carbon tool steel, so they dull faster. Nevertheless, they impressed us with their high quality, comfort, a wide range of sizes and a leather roll.
	Stanley bailey, chisel set, $80 Like the Narex brand, Bailey chisels have large beech handles that are not well balanced, with flat edges on both sides and large metal rings. The cutting edges do not remain sharp for long, but sharpen quickly. The set comes with an excellent leather roll.
	Traditional woodworker, chisel set, $137. Comfortable hornbeam handles make these German tools easy to work with when sharpened well. The backs of the blades are almost flat and highly polished, but they need to be sharpened frequently. Also available in sets of 11 chisels.
	Kirschen, set of chisels, $175. They, like Traditional Woodworker chisels, have similar (but less comfortable) hornbeam handles and polished blades that stay sharper than other carbon steel chisels. But the backs of the blades require alignment of the plane, and the handles are covered with a thick layer of varnish, which interferes with a reliable grip. Kits are supplied in wooden box or leather roll. Also available in sets of 4 chisels.
	Veritas chisel set, $295 in 01 carbon steel, $360 in pm-v11 alloy. These sets are similar in every way, except for one thing - the material from which the blades are made. The PM-V11 alloy received the highest rating in testing, but if the high price makes it out of reach for your budget, we recommend that you look at the same chisels with 01 carbon steel blades that leave behind most other blades of the same material. The blade profile with wide bevels makes it possible to work in the tightest corners. The handles of the chisels are machined from heat-treated maple wood, which acquires as a result Brown color and increased strength.
	Woodriver, chisel set, $84. We consider this set to be the best among inexpensive chisels. Bubingo wood handles are convenient for any work, including with a mallet. Metal clip rings provide a smooth transition from handle to blade. When we leveled the backs and sharpened all the cutting edges, these chisels proved to work as well as some of the more expensive brands.

Veritas chisels made from PM-V11 proved to be the most durable, surpassing even those made from A2 high speed steel, and they are quite easy to sharpen, so they came out on top in the tests. For the quality of this level, you will have to fork out - $ 360 for a set of five chisels.

If that's more than you were willing to spend, we recommend mid-priced sets like Pfeil or Stanley Sweetheart. The $205 Pfeil chisels are flat-backed, superbly sharpened and stay sharp for a long time. The Stanley Sweetheart set costs $25 more, but for that price you get two more chisels, including a 3mm one. And these sets are not affordable for you? Then we advise you to take a set of 6 WoodRiver chisels for $84. Although you will have to align their backs yourself, this operation is done only once, but you will have a solid and convenient set of chisels in running sizes.