4 essential chisel skills

It pays to approach every chisel task knowing the most-appropriate method before you put steel to wood. These techniques will get you through virtually every job involving a chisel.

1. Chopping

This skill entails removing a lot of waste quickly, such as when cutting mortises or dovetails. It requires the considerable force of striking the end of the chisel's handle with a mallet. Though many fancy wood mallets exist, I prefer a plastic dead-blow mallet for chopping—it won't mar the chisel handle and can deliver plenty of force.

For a good chopping grip, wrap all your fingers around the handle. Always chop with the workpiece clamped to a rock-solid surface. Hold the work stationary between bench dogs, secure it with a holdfast, or clamp it to a board held in a vise. Don't try to hold the workpiece between vise jaws—it will move with each mallet strike.

2.  Paring

For refined work, such as cleaning up mortise side walls, tenon shoulders, dovetails, or even small miters, use hand force only to drive the chisel forward, removing no more than 1⁄32" at a time. Again, always clamp the workpiece; never hand-hold it.

For best results, use a classic paring grip. When paring tasks call for extra downward pressure, such as cleaning up tenon shoulders, try a modified chopping grip, with your thumb over the end of the chisel handle, using your other hand to guide the blade.

3.  Slicing

Use this method to cut pegs, dowels, and other projections flush with surrounding wood. Hold the chisel in a paring grip and use the other hand to hold down and pivot the chisel. Again, don't try to remove too much at one time.

4. Scraping

A sharp chisel works great for cleaning up glue or evening up surfaces in tight areas. Hold the chisel handle with a modified chopping grip and use your other hand to pull the chisel blade toward you—hold the blade low to prevent chatter.

REXBETI 4PCS Wood Chisel Set for Woodworking About this item 4 piece wood chisel set - Contains: 1/4in (6mm), 1/2in (13mm), 3/4in (19mm), 1in (25mm), perfect for the beginning woodworker or for those who need to replace or upgrade their current equipment CR-V steel blade - Heat-treated, chrome vanadium steel alloy blades with narrow side bevels. These blades feature improved edge retention, meaning that they will serve you longer than the usual blades Strong grip handle - Thickened rubbery handles allows for improved comfort and maximum control. These features ensure comfortable yet secure grip giving you complete control, Heavy-Duty metal striking steel end cap for repeated striking use with a mallet or hammer Beautiful gift box can be a gift for for beginners and also meet professional needs for woodworker pro, housekeeper, DIY home activities.

REXBETI 25Pcs Metal File Set About this item all the 16 pieces file are made by T12 Drop Forged Alloy Steel, the long lasting teeth were deeply milled tempered and coated for durable cutting and filing performance 25 pieces file set comes with 4 large files - flat/triangle/half-round/round file and 12 pieces precision needle file, 6 piece sanderpaper,a pair working gloves, a metal wire brush and carry case all files are packed in a rugged, compact carry case for storage and portability. Each tool fits snugly into its respective place to prevent moving around and scraping long and soft handle - rubbery handle with long length to bring your comfortable handling that will allow for hours of use buy with confidence - handy tool bag with a wide variety of files will allow you easily finish and enjoy woodworking buy with confidence - handy tool bag with a wide variety of files will allow you easily finish and enjoy woodworking