Did I goof???

[walexander]

I got a swan and lakside chisel that look like they would work for the workshop I am about to attend. They are 1.5" long and heavy socket style chisels. Got them for about 30 bucks a piece. I was patting my self on the back. BUT, I did a little researching thereafter and noticed that most timberframers seem to use chisels that are not beveled. So, How bad did I screw up? What does it matter if the chisel is beveled on the top side? I noticed that the workshop specifies a non-beveled chisel. Am I screwed?

[Stumpkin]

Swan and Lakeside are both good chisels. As long as they are heavy duty you will be just fine. The new Barr chisels are beveled. I prefer a beveled chisel, especially for cleaning up dovetail pockets, it allows you to work into the acute angled corner much easier. 30$ each is a great price! Tom

[walexander]

Pheww!

Thats good news. Now I can go buy some new boots for these blistered feet instead of another couple of chisels! Thanks Stumpkin.

[ddan7]

The problem with a beveled edge chisel is that it won't track straight if you're chopping out a mortise with it.  You need a firmer or mortising chisel or pig sticker.  All flat edged chisels.  Bevel edge certainly have their place though and it does sound like a good buy.  url=http:/www.oldtools.com/FW10733.jpg--pig sticker/mortise chisel

[Thomas-in-Kentucky]

Built my house with a 1.5" beveled chisel (from Barr).  Also used a thin, non beveled 1.5" chisel from an antique store ($7).  Didn't notice much of a difference really - both worked great.  I think you will be fine.

I also used a new slick from Barr and an antique ($80) slick.  The Barr slick was sharpened with a straight leading edge (like a chisel), whereas the antique slick was rounded on the front.  The old slick was a lot more controllable, and the Barr slick pretty much stayed on the shelf.  (I'd bet Barr would sharpen a slick with a bowed front if you asked him though).

[Stumpkin]

From Left to right: Barr, Sorby, Douglass, Greenlee Reliance, Ohio Tool, Witherby.

ddan7, the pig sticker looks a little small for timberframing. How did you link to a photo that is not uploaded to the FF image archive?

T-in-K, I couldn't use my Barr slick until I rounded the edge like my old Witherby and Buck Bros. slicks. I now use a tool called a Paddle Flaren.

From top to bottom: Witherby, Buck Bros., Barr, Sorby (chisel converted to slick), Paddle Flaren.
The Flaren is sold by Maggard Ventures Ltd. in Prince George, BC.  I picked mine up at the TF Guild conference in Banff in 2002. It instantly became my favorite. Tom

[beenthere]

Stumpkin
I keep reading this thread, hoping I will run across an explanation of what is the difference between beveled and 'non beveled'. 

Of the 6 named in the pic, which are which?  My imagination isn't working the best at the moment. Seems if the chisel has a sharpened edge, it has a 'bevel' but I'm knowin that ain't what is bein talked on here. 

I had similar thoughts as you about the 'pig sticker' and using it to remove wood (no problem with it as a pig sticker however  ;D )

Great work on the pics by-the-way

[Stumpkin]

Beenthere, The term beveled refers to the sides  or top of the chisel.  The Witherby (far right) is the only one that is not a beveled chisel, it has a rounded top. Tom

[beenthere]

Thanks. Got it now. Now I just could use some help why beveled is not allowed in the class 

One question:  about your avitar.....  Upon looking close, seems to be a totem pole, and I can just make out what appears to be a carving near the bottom of two people.

Could ya post a close-up of the carving (and then might figure out what the white stick is too  ). Just more curiosity here.....

[Stumpkin]

O.K. you asked for it.

The Stumpkin is smoking the new set of plans that the Archadorks sent us (the only joint we could make from them)  :

I have had way too much fun carving "stumpkins", even made the newspaper (Peoria IL) at Halloween in '03.

First I carve them, Then we light them on Fire and feed them all the scraps and offcuts from joinery cutting.




                  CARE AND FEEDING OF STUMPKINS

Stumpkins have large appetites and will devour joinery off cuts like a wood stove with no door and no damper! They will live much longer if not overfed. They are very well behaved socially and like to be the center of attention at parties. They have also been known to consume hundreds of empty Pabst Blue Ribbon cans. Stumpkin feeding is hot work, keep plenty of cold frosty ones on hand.

Stumpkins love small children, and will play with them for hours. They will also mesmerize them and lure them too close to the fire, so please keep an eye on the little ones.

Stumpkins should drink in moderation, more than a fiew shots of their favorite mix (93 octane and two cycle oil , 50:1 ) and they'll explode!

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

Warning: Felling hollow trees to make stumpkins destroys valuable wildlife habitat.

DISCLAIMER

Felling of hollow trees is extremely dangerous! High risk of Kick-Back! The carving of stumpkins involves plunge cutting with a chain saw.
"Stumpkin Floss" is not usually a low-kickback type of saw chain. Wear appropriate safety equipment and USE EXTREME CAUTION.

Work Smart, Be Safe, Have Fun. Tom

[Raphael]

  Tom, in theory linking to a picture could be done the same as linking to a website.
The simple approach: On the posting page click the icon that looks like the world with a document overlay to generate the proper code and simply type or paste in the address of the picture.

  The Forum does place some restrictions on the type of sites you are allowed to link to.  I know that linking to blogspace and other forms of "free" webspace sites are right out, as these are the sites notorius for spam bots.  It's easier to block those URLs then it is to get the entire FF membership to turn off the 'report referring URL' function in their browsers.
  The Forum's protective software is a bit balky at times for example even a casual reference to --Photos MUST be in the Forestry Forum gallery!!!!!-- ("photo bucket" typed as a single word) caused it to get munged when I went to tell you that your "image storage service" is one of the sites they don't want you linking to.

But it's not going have a problem with me saying Tom has bigger versions of those posted here:
http://www.tfguild.org/ubbcgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=45;t=000003

  That's an URL not a link (if it looks like a link then your browser is doing it).  The nice thing about listing an URL rather than creating an active link is that there is no referring URL to be reported or more precisely the referrer is the readers own PC and not the FF.  The negative aspect of not creating a link through the UBB code is that clicking it takes the current browser window to the link rather than the separate window us Forumites have grown acustom to.

Well that took to long... I'll get to the chisel question later. ;)

[Stumpkin]

Thanks Raphael, That makes sense.

Beenthere, I think that the workshop specifies a non-beveled chisel because most beveled chisels made today are not heavy enough for timberframing. Just a guess. Tom

[Dave Shepard]

I will second rounding off the corners on chisels and slicks. I have been buying  a lot of edge tools from a machinist friend who likes to buy and sharpen tools. The only problem is he sharpens in a surface grinder, and all the edges come out perfectly square, and well, just perfect. I don't feel I have a lot of control with these straight edges, so I am going to take just  a smidge off of the corners. But that's a small price to pay becuase his tools are cheap and DanG sharp! I also prefer rounded versus bevelled, but only for aesthetics.


Dave

[Jim_Rogers]

As mentioned "active" links to off site pictures are not allowed.
I modified the post above to remove the active link, you can copy the web page address to your browser to see the item mentioned.....

Jim Rogers
Moderator.....