Replies

1. 
   BossCrunk | Mar 12, 2007 10:53pm | #1

   Ask him if he thinks he really needs as many as he has.  

1. 
   highfigh | Mar 13, 2007 01:32am | #2

   It may be the same kind of question/answer that a Texas Senator or Representative did. Someone who was opposed to gun ownership asked how many he has and his reply was something like, "Probably more than I need but not as many as I would like".
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

2. 
   gmoney | Mar 13, 2007 03:58am | #3

   have fun in thetford center.

3. 
   eddiefromaustralia | Mar 13, 2007 11:05am | #4

   HI Matt,

   Whilst I have everything I need to know about chisels, here are some non-standard questions to get the ball rolling -> usually asked by amateurs a few years in.

   * Explain difference between firmer and bevelled edge chisel. USe as well as physical difference.

   * ""SHOW"" how to correctly pare with a paring chisel (sharpened at low angle)

   * Have him cut a mortice with a mortising or (preferably) a standard bench chisel. A picture tells a thousand words and would avoid a lot of revisited queries. It would also show that a standard chisel is perfectly OK to cut a furniture mortise with.

   * ideally, over-stress the end of a cheap chisel doing the above at a shallow grind - show how to remedy the problem through a steeper grind.

   * Show how to cut a trench with a chisel

   * Show how to cut a bevel or splay with a chisel.
   (standard first year apprentice job is an oilstone case, with a chisel-cut recess in the bottom which defines both feet, splayed into both feet at 45° to teach chisel use.)

   * Show how the corners are ground off the top bevel of an old bench chisel to allow the thing to fit into the corner of a dovetail socket.

   * Show correct technique for using a chisel in a blind hole/excavating a housing/recess (hammer in and then twist out the chip.)

   * Show how to pare with a skewed action and the difference it makes on roey/figured wood.

   * Show how to cut a half-lap (cross halving) joint with handtools - How to pare cross-grain with a chisel. Either this or cut a tee-bridle using the same technique.

   * Cut a fox-wedged mortise and tenon - needs to have the sloped side of the mortice cut with a chisel.

   * Show how to freehand sharpen a chisel **and** a gouge.

   * Use a sharp wide gouge to lift a shaving to blind nail. Glue back down shaving.

   * Cut a recess for a drawer lock using a drawer lock chisel.

   * How to use a chisel to cut the running groove for a handsaw on fine joinery (ie: to cut away the wood next to the cutting knife line to give the saw something to run to.)

   * How to use a chisel to pare a shoulder of a tenon

   * Paring/cleaving 2mm or so off the side of a piece of wood to define a tenon with narrow shoulders.

   * cut a secret mitred dovetail - use chisel to pare mitre

   * cut a secret haunched mortise and tenon - a fair bit of chisel work involved.

   THis is an immediate stream-of-consciousness dump of ideas.

   There may be something useful in here - the key ones relate to the techniques which are not shown/discussed on the internet and are best seen as a demonstration. Those that are self-taught may not even be aware of the technique.

   A lot of the above may fit this - I'll just post this as-is without paring down the list.

   CHeers,

   eddie

1. 
   ptu | Mar 13, 2007 06:07pm | #5

   A good list of questions.
   Pedro

2. 
   MBerger | Mar 13, 2007 06:23pm | #6

   Thanks Eddie. That's an ambitious list of topics to cover in a day's visit but we'll see what we can do.

   I've also received several emails with great questions from other readers. Thanks to everyone for their ideas.

   Matt BergerFine Woodworking

1. 
   eddiefromaustralia | Mar 13, 2007 10:54pm | #9

   HI Matt,On reading through this, it looks a lot larger than I first thought and would be dauntingIt really condenses down to:How to chop out a recess (how to break out shavings when the sidewall doesn't matter)
   How to cut cross-grain (housings/trenches)
   How to chop a mortise/groove/with the grain
   How to cut/pare a splay/bevel
   How to pare.The range of options I mentioned was meant as an aid to kick start others' thinking and maybe, if there was something of use in there, to give a possible teaching option.Trust that this helps.Cheers,eddie

4. 
   Bioman | Mar 13, 2007 08:24pm | #7

   I find many articles I have read focus on processes that work well with Traditional European bench chisels.  Would like to see if he owns and does anything different for Japanese chisels as this is what I have preferred for years.

1. 
   MBerger | Mar 13, 2007 09:59pm | #8

   Thanks Bioman. Great question. Can you send it to me by email and include your name and city/state.

   Matt BergerFine Woodworking

5. 
   MBerger | May 03, 2007 05:00pm | #10

   I wanted to give you all a heads up that we are publishing this 10 Questions video series on our home page this week and next. All the videos are free to view so you don't need a FWW.com subscription to watch them.

   https://www.finewoodworking.com

   Garrett did a nice job answering the 10 questions that came in from Knots. We took some liberties with the questions to make them more general but he covers a lot of info.

   Let me apologize ahead of time if we mispronounced any of the names. I should have asked for pronunciations ahead of time. Is it Stephen with a "ph" or "v"???

   Matt Berger
   Fine Woodworking

   
   

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   Edited 5/3/2007 10:03 am ET by MBerger

1. 
   eddiefromaustralia | Jun 19, 2007 10:42pm | #11

   Hi Matt,I just saw the article in the latest FWW.Looks good - answered a lot of these at an entry level.Thankyou,eddie

1. 
   MBerger | Jun 19, 2007 11:40pm | #12

   Hi Eddie,

   In addition to the magazine feature you mentioned we also did a Web video feature. I have to admit, your question got watered down quite a bit due to time constraints, but I think we managed to covered a pretty wide range of information about chisels.

   Thanks for your contributions.

   Matt Berger