w

21/12/2005 7:16 PM

Is it possible to find mortise chisels which *really* are imperial measure?

I know there are some who will find this question anal, and hell...I'm
not sure I'm not one of them myself.

I would like to acquire a good set of mortise chisels, but so far every
one I've found is sold as both metric and imperial.

Yes, they may market their chisels as imperial, but they are marked
metric as well, and a set of calipers says they actually _measure_
metrically.

Anyone who has any Robert Sorby chisels knows what I'm talking about.

Is there anyone out there who sells a registered 1/2" mortise chisel
that measures 12.7 mm? Or heaven forbid a 3/8" that measures 9.53 mm?

TIA.


This topic has 10 replies

LD

Lobby Dosser

in reply to [email protected] on 21/12/2005 7:16 PM

23/12/2005 12:21 AM

Tom Banes <[email protected]> wrote:

> On 22 Dec 2005 04:59:24 -0800, [email protected] wrote:
>
>>Thanks for the tips, everyone. The Lie-Nielsens aren't available for
>>another FOUR *&^% months unfortunately. But I wasn't aware of the HMGs
>>over at Hartville tool...I'll probably try one of those out first.
>>
>>I appreciate all the help!!
>
> I took advantage of the HT special on the mortise chisels. Wil advise
> on what I find when they arrive.
>
> Regards.
>

GREAT! Try to let us know Before January 10th! :o)

You'll find that they are pretty quick on shipping. I ordered some 3"
casters from them about a month ago and they arrived very quickly. They
also included a catalog with the chisels prominently displayed on the
first page. Until I saw the catalog, I hadn't been looking for chisels.
Then there's the Adria saws and ....

w

in reply to [email protected] on 21/12/2005 7:16 PM

22/12/2005 4:55 AM


charlie b wrote:
>
> Jim Wilson was making them, sold through Steve Knight's site. He
> quit making them but I recall he'd started again. HIs mortise chisel
> page is still up
> http://www.paragoncode.com/toolmaking/mortise_chisels/
> check it out and perhaps ask/beg him to start makig and selling
> them again. Beefy suckers. Get one started and not only does the
> "cutting edge" cut wood, but the edges of the bevel at the sides of
> the chisel cut as well. Yields nice clean sides on the mortises.
>
> charlie b

DAMN..."beefy" is not the word! Those things look like the mother of
all mortise chisels!

w

in reply to [email protected] on 21/12/2005 7:16 PM

22/12/2005 4:59 AM

Thanks for the tips, everyone. The Lie-Nielsens aren't available for
another FOUR *&^% months unfortunately. But I wasn't aware of the HMGs
over at Hartville tool...I'll probably try one of those out first.

I appreciate all the help!!

LB

Larry Blanchard

in reply to [email protected] on 21/12/2005 7:16 PM

21/12/2005 8:25 PM

[email protected] wrote:

> Yes, they may market their chisels as imperial, but they are marked
> metric as well, and a set of calipers says they actually _measure_
> metrically.
>
> Anyone who has any Robert Sorby chisels knows what I'm talking about.
>
> Is there anyone out there who sells a registered 1/2" mortise chisel
> that measures 12.7 mm?  Or heaven forbid a 3/8" that measures 9.53 mm?

I went through that futile search a few years ago. No luck. There was
someone who made custom chisels but, IIRC, he quit doing it - and they
were, as you would expect, quite expensive.

Let us know if you find any true imperial ones.

OTOH, if you cut your tenons to fit the mortise, the actual size makes
no difference.

--
Keep Saturn in Saturnalia!

cb

charlie b

in reply to [email protected] on 21/12/2005 7:16 PM

22/12/2005 1:43 AM

[email protected] wrote:
>
snip
>
> Is there anyone out there who sells a registered 1/2" mortise chisel
> that measures 12.7 mm? Or heaven forbid a 3/8" that measures 9.53 mm?
>
> TIA.

Jim Wilson was making them, sold through Steve Knight's site. He
quit making them but I recall he'd started again. HIs mortise chisel
page is still up
http://www.paragoncode.com/toolmaking/mortise_chisels/
check it out and perhaps ask/beg him to start makig and selling
them again. Beefy suckers. Get one started and not only does the
"cutting edge" cut wood, but the edges of the bevel at the sides of
the chisel cut as well. Yields nice clean sides on the mortises.

charlie b

Aa

"AAvK"

in reply to [email protected] on 21/12/2005 7:16 PM

21/12/2005 10:08 PM


>I know there are some who will find this question anal, and hell...I'm
> not sure I'm not one of them myself.
>
> I would like to acquire a good set of mortise chisels, but so far every
> one I've found is sold as both metric and imperial.
>
> Yes, they may market their chisels as imperial, but they are marked
> metric as well, and a set of calipers says they actually _measure_
> metrically.
>
> Anyone who has any Robert Sorby chisels knows what I'm talking about.
>
> Is there anyone out there who sells a registered 1/2" mortise chisel
> that measures 12.7 mm? Or heaven forbid a 3/8" that measures 9.53 mm?
>
> TIA.
>

That's been my thoughts, I think the Henry Taylors do measure properly in inches.
I bought the set of four from Traditional Woodworker, a great price, sharpened
two of them very well, only to find the steel is rather poor. Didn't take much for
there to be a flat on the cutting edge so I sent them back. And this was after much
hype about them in this ng.

I have learned about Japanese chisels as being very easy to sharpen and that they
hold an edge really well because they make their steel masterfully, so I believe it
would be easy to simply buy one at a metric size that is just larger than any given
imperial (SAE?) size and use the 'scary sharp' way to carefully grind down the
sides to the desired size. Because of prices compared to quality these are the ones
I decided on but haven't done it yet:
http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=MS-JACHC33.XX&Category_Code=TBBCND
With all the comparisons I have done, this is the price. As well, for the same
general price range, Lie-Nielsens are sized imperial: http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?grp=1291
These shoud be superb but take longer to sharpen as they are made of A-2 steel.

--
Alex - "newbie_neander" woodworker
cravdraa_at-yahoo_dot-com
not my site: http://www.e-sword.net/

LD

Lobby Dosser

in reply to [email protected] on 21/12/2005 7:16 PM

22/12/2005 10:48 AM

[email protected] wrote:

> I know there are some who will find this question anal, and hell...I'm
> not sure I'm not one of them myself.
>
> I would like to acquire a good set of mortise chisels, but so far every
> one I've found is sold as both metric and imperial.
>
> Yes, they may market their chisels as imperial, but they are marked
> metric as well, and a set of calipers says they actually _measure_
> metrically.
>
> Anyone who has any Robert Sorby chisels knows what I'm talking about.
>
> Is there anyone out there who sells a registered 1/2" mortise chisel
> that measures 12.7 mm? Or heaven forbid a 3/8" that measures 9.53 mm?
>
> TIA.
>
>

Hartville has some German chisels they claim are True Fractional.
Manufactured by MHG Messerschmidt. Don't have any, but the price is right
and I'm cogitating on it.

<http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11707>

TB

Tom Banes

in reply to [email protected] on 21/12/2005 7:16 PM

22/12/2005 5:11 PM

On 22 Dec 2005 04:59:24 -0800, [email protected] wrote:

>Thanks for the tips, everyone. The Lie-Nielsens aren't available for
>another FOUR *&^% months unfortunately. But I wasn't aware of the HMGs
>over at Hartville tool...I'll probably try one of those out first.
>
>I appreciate all the help!!

I took advantage of the HT special on the mortise chisels. Wil advise
on what I find when they arrive.

Regards.

As

Australopithecus scobis

in reply to [email protected] on 21/12/2005 7:16 PM

22/12/2005 6:53 PM

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 00:21:15 +0000, Lobby Dosser wrote:

> also included a catalog with the chisels prominently displayed on the
> first page. Until I saw the catalog, I hadn't been looking for chisels.
> Then there's the Adria saws and ....

I got my first HT catalog a couple of days ago. Those MHG chisels and
gouges do look interesting. I love the racy black lacquer on the gouges.
Who was the clever lad who suggested that one needed more than just
one set of chisels?

--
"Keep your ass behind you"
wreck20051219 at spambob.net

Aa

"AAvK"

in reply to [email protected] on 21/12/2005 7:16 PM

22/12/2005 7:16 AM


> Thanks for the tips, everyone. The Lie-Nielsens aren't available for
> another FOUR *&^% months unfortunately. But I wasn't aware of the HMGs
> over at Hartville tool...I'll probably try one of those out first.
>
> I appreciate all the help!!
>

I saw the page of them at Hartville, the sale of 5 in inch sizes for $109. At RC 61 and with
hornbeam handles (Hoffornbeam, european ironwood), serious good deal. I will consider
it myself, poor as I am, it's good til 01/10/06.

--
Alex - "newbie_neander" woodworker
cravdraa_at-yahoo_dot-com
not my site: http://www.e-sword.net/


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