Wood Chisels

A wood chisel is a tool that cuts and shapes wood. It’s used in a wide variety of woodworking tasks.

It has a long rectangular blade that terminates with a sharp bevel, and a wooden or plastic handle. It’s commonly used to trim off waste and give the elements of a joint their final shape.

Handle

The handle of a wood chisel can be made from many different types of material. Some of them are plastic and others are made from metal. These types of handles are less likely to break than wooden handles, and they allow you to get a more comfortable grip on the tool.

Some of them are also easier to sharpen than others. Whether you choose a plastic or wooden handle depends on your level of experience and the project you are working on.

The handle of a wood chisel should be long enough to allow you to hold it in your hand comfortably and strike it with a hammer without risking breaking the chisel or the handle. This is especially important for tang chisels, which have points that go into the handle of the tool.

Blade

The blade of a wood chisel is typically made from hardened chrome steel (rust resistant and long lasting, but harder to sharpen) or carbon steel (easier to sharpen, but more regular maintenance). It has a bevel on the cutting edge.

Depending on the type of chisel, the blade may be attached to the handle by a socket or tang. Socket chisels tend to be more durable, but they can break when the blade is hammered.

Cold chisels are similar to woodworking chisels, but they’re used for metal forming. They’re forged to shape and hardened and tempered (to a blue colour) at the cutting edge.

Paring a recess to final depth is a common woodworking task that uses a chisel’s thin, beveled cutting edge to slice off small amounts of wood at a time with each stroke.

When using a paring chisel, hold the chisel horizontally, bevel side up, and push forward with light pressure. This will pare off a lot of wood with each stroke, but it’s important to use gentle movements side to side and not apply too much pressure so that the chisel’s blade doesn’t break.

Grip

The grip of a wood chisel is usually made from either plastic or wood. Wood handles are preferable for experienced craftsmen, as they provide more balance and a better feel when driving the chisel through the wood.

A chisel is a tool that has been used since 8,000 years ago to shape wood and join two pieces together. It can be used for a wide variety of tasks including chopping off the corners, dadoing, or making dovetails and mortise and tenon joints.

When chopping out a hinge hole, use an adequately sharp 1 1/4-inch mortise chisel to make several shallow cuts that are the same depth as the hinge. Then, leverage down against the chisel’s bevel face to pop out the waste piece.

While the amount of pressure needed depends on the thickness and hardness of the wood, light paring cuts, bevel side up, with minimal force should do the trick. Maintain consistent spacing between each chip cut, which will help the next cut more evenly fill in the hole.

Weight

Wood chisels are one of the most fundamental tools used in woodworking. They can be used for chopping mortises, paring tenons and cutting dovetails.

There are various types of chisels, and they vary in their handle and blade type. It’s best to choose a chisel based on the project you’re working on.

You should also consider whether you want a wooden or plastic handle. A wooden handle will provide a more balanced feel and is better for beginners, but a plastic handle can be cheaper and easier to clean.

Chisels are made from either carbon or vanadium steel (also known as tool steel). The harder the blade, the longer it will stay sharp and the less likely to dull.