Chisel

A chisel is a tool with sharp edges and is used for carving or chipping wood. It is also used for removing rough wood from the joints and make a clean cut or a notch.

Chisels come in a variety of lengths, widths, thickness, and edge design.

Most used Chisels

Bench Chisel

A bench chisel is 4 to 6 inch long and has a bevel angle of 25 degrees. These chisels can be struck with a mallet.

These chisels can be used for chopping or removing excess rough wood.

Paring Chisel

A paring chisel has 6 to 10 inch long blades and a bevel of 20 degrees. Most of these chisels have tang-style construction between chisel and handle.

A paring chisel should not be struck with a mallet. It is used for hand-guided work.

As it has a slender and long blade, it is used for reaching deep into the joints. It is used for removing or slicing thin layer of wood as you fine-tune a joint.

Chisel Blade and Handle Style

Socket Chisel

A socket chisel has a tapered hollow socket that slips over the handle.

Tang Chisel

A tang chisel has a tapered tang milled end which is embedded in the handle.

Bench Chisel vs Butt Chisel

Bench Chisel

A bench chisel has bevel edges and a flat back. It is longer and a vast majority of the work can be accomplished using this chisel.

Butt Chisel

A butt chisel also has bevel edges but have shorter blades and handles. This works great where the longer bench chisel is obtrusive in smaller areas. These are good for small joinery work such as in jewelry boxes or toys.

Specialty Chisels

Mortising Chisel has a sharp pointy end and is used for cutting holes through the material.

Crank Neck Chisel functions between a block plane and a paring chisel. It has a bent handle that lets you rest the chisel blade flat on the workpiece. The excess or uneven material can be scraped off by working the chisel on the workpiece.

Skew Chisel is a kind of pairing chisel with an angled cutting edge. It is used for pairing dovetail joints. It is best to have both left and right facing cutting edge for opposite sides of a socket.

Do-it-Yourself Woodworking

Most of the woodworking tasks can be accomplished using a few common bench chisels.

A chisel set of widths varying from ¼ inch to 1 inch is a handy tool for your woodworking toolbox.

Good quality chisels maintain the sharpness of its edges longer and are more effective.