Replies

1. 
   SCFrankland | Apr 15, 2002 03:51am | #1

   You can use just about any chisel for cutting dovetails. Though a sharp chisel will make life a whole lot easier.

   Scott C. Frankland

   Newfoundland Wood Worker

1. 
   builderrick | Apr 15, 2002 05:22am | #2

   Thank you for your reply.  Let me start by saying I watched a short video by Time Life

   (shop Secrets from master craftsmen) ... where Frank Klausz  demonstrates  his way

   of making handcut dovetails.  Good short video, but  he doesn't tell you what type

   of chisel he is using.  I understand the chisel needs to be flat, sharpened and honed

   to a razor edge.  As you know there are many types of chisels that are made to do

   different tasks.   I have a set of R.Sorby Gilt Edge chisels  and  according to FWW

   #139  (Bench Chisel review)  these expensive chisels did not rate good at all.   Guess

   what , they were right.  I made sure the 1/2" was totally sharp, and decided to test

   some dovetail cuts in some pine boards first.   I was not happy, because the cuts

   did not seem to be smooth, but ragged .   I have a router slide table from jessem  to

   make  through dove tails, but have this desire to cut them by hand and not be

   restrcited to a certain lenght.  The #1 chisel in the FWW #139 review was a      

   Japaneese chisel (white steel) .  I guess I need to find out if Frank Klause has a web

   site, so I could know what he was using in the video.  (bench chisel, bevel chisel,

   paring chisel, mortise chisel, etc...)  I just don't want to make another bad buy, and

   would like to have the right chisel for cutting out dovetails.

   Thanks in advance

   Builderrick 

1. 
   DonStephan | Apr 15, 2002 06:44am | #3

   The usual suggestion I have seen for chopping dovetails is a chisel with beveled edges. If my understanding is correct, paring chisels are thinner and more flexible for making very fine paring cuts - might flex too much for dovetailing? Mortising chisels are very thick and stout - probably too heavy to hold upright with a couple fingers. My personal preference is a chisel with overall length of about 10-12" - easier for me to find the handle with a mallet than a longer chisel - but very few chisels are that short. The price is very friendly and they are at least adequate, so there are scads and scads of Blue Marples chisels in use.

   If chopping across soft grain, such as pine, there usually is some "roughness" (can't think of the term I need) due to crushing of the wood. This won't show in the finished joint. In large part, almost any chisel can be honed to a razor edge - lower quality chisels will have to be re-honed more often to maintain that razor edge. (I now keep a leather strop on the bench and use it often with chisels.)

   Every time I watch Frank Klaus I seem to pick up another gem. But I am more interested in his technique and movements than the brands he uses.

   Good luck and keep plugging away. Took me a long time to chop acceptable dovetails.

2. 
   sbonder | Apr 15, 2002 06:15pm | #6

   this chisels you have are fine -don't go buying more unless you are a tool hound (like me).  Others have already warned you of pine -so I won't do it again.   beware the Japanese chisels.  if your technique is as bad as mine, you may find yourself chipping them.  you should not use them to pry chips out. 

2. 
   GregB126 | Apr 15, 2002 07:48am | #4

   Practicing with pine isn't going to tell you what you want to know, unless the question is whether you honed perfectly this time.  It is so soft, you need to be constantly mindful of not crushing the fibers.  Chisels which will move so smoothly through walnut, for example, will still crush pine pretty easily.  When the honed edge is in actual contact with the fibers, their softness causes them to bend a bit.  This essentially begins to break the fibers behind, before they even come in contact with the tool's edge.  Sharpness, amount of pressure, thickness of chip and angle of attack also figure into working with such a soft medium.  As for chisels, the top quality japanese white steel chisels have some amazing characteristics.  They need to be handled very carefully, though, as they will chip.  The blue steel ones are a bit of a compromise, in terms of how forgiving they are abuse-wise, and a bit less expensive, too.  There are japanese dovetail chisels also.  They look kind of pyramid-like in cross section, allowing you to pare a bit closer to the base of your tails.  Unfortunately, this shape makes them much more difficult to secure them into a honing guide.

3. 
   Azeddie | Apr 15, 2002 05:20pm | #5

   A good set to learn with would be Marple's I have used them for yrs...now I am sending away for a better grade chisel, the brand is Two Cherries (German MAde). They outperformed marples and have heard others online who recommend them.

   Also I have a 1/2" SORBY paring chisel, I regret buying it (cant hold an edge worth a DAm)

4. 
   Alan | Apr 15, 2002 09:03pm | #7

   Builderrick,

   As others have said you should have bevel-side-edge chisels so they can get into the bottom corners of the tails.  I won't enter the brand debate.  I have an old set of (supposedly) second-tier quality chisels I bought a couple decades ago and have never felt the need to replace them.

   One thing I haven't seen anyone mention is that you might want to pick up a pair of skew chisels.  These make it possible to easily cut the pins on half-blind dovetails; they go where regular chisels will not.  They are also useful on soft woods, such as pine.  The skewed cutting edge cuts the end grain of soft woods with less crushing than a regular chisel.

   Alan

1. 
   triswhite | Apr 16, 2002 01:10am | #8

   There was a tip in the last issue of FWW ( I think) that took a normal bevel edged chisel and reshaped it along its width to make it easier to get into corners for dovetailing.  I haven't tried it but it seems like a good idea. 

   As far as chisel brands go I have used the marples blue chip for a couple of years now and I have no complaints. 

   Tris

5. 
   handtool1 | Apr 16, 2002 05:52pm | #9

   high! take the advice of others. pine is not a good wood to start learning dovetails. hardwoods are much better there is less chipout and crushing of the fibres. certainly i read some where about the the 5 minue dovetail (one of the FWW book on joints) this would allow you to try different woods to make a single joint to see which wood is good for you to learn on. the chisels you choose are important only in terms of making sure the back is lapped flat and the chisel is well sharpened. certainly bevelled edge chisels are more suited to dovetails. I use stanley contractor grade chisels which work fine. they also have butt chisels if you want a shorter blade.  good luck

6. 
   Danford_C_ | Apr 16, 2002 06:05pm | #10

   As a direct answer to your question; paring chisels are the type you are looking for.  Having a skewed paring chisel or two is also a good idea.

   I do take exception with the advice on not practicing with Pine.  A chisel is properly honed when it will take a sliver off the end grain of Pine.  Furthermore, mortises are chopped, dovetails are cut; hence the use of paring chisels.  FWIW.

   Dano

   "Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright