Lee Grindinger , Furnituremakers and Woodworkers; Carving Chisel Primer

Selecting Carving Tools

I am frequently asked for advice about getting started in carving. I'm going to address these inquires here, in a public page. I'm going to start with chisel basics, then further down this page I'll give my "Dirty Dozen", the 12 tools that end up on the bench when I'm carving the patterns I carve. Eventually I'll add another page detailing the sharpening of carving tools and after that I'll discuss carving techniques.

Tang Chisels

The Anatomy of a Chisel

There are two basic types of chisels, socket chisels and tang chisels

Socket Chisel

For heavy work like timber framing and large sculptures the socket chisel is the better tool. Socket chisels will endure hard blows and heavy use longer than a tanged chisel will.

The drawback to socketed chisels is that they are heavy. The additional weight of the steel that forms the socket makes it impractical to do a lot of hand carving with these tools. For heavy duty and large scale work choose the socketed chisels. For work like furniture ornamentation the lighter tang chisels are a better choice.

Some manufacturers are eliminating the ferrule on tang chisels. The ferrule is an important player because it prevents the handle from splitting as the tang is driven deeper into the handle. While ferrules are not necessary for delicate hand work they are necessary for long life in a chisel if it's subjected to use with a mallet.

Chisel Sizing

There are two sizing systems used in Western culture, the Sheffield system and the Swiss system. The Sheffield system was developed in, of all places, Sheffield, England and the English chisels like Henry Taylor, Sorby and Ashley Iles use the Sheffield system.

The Swiss, forever neutral, decided to create their own system. Shunning the opportunity to lend common sense to chisel sizing they devised a system just as confusing as the Sheffield system. Two Cherries, Pfeil, and the rest of the German and Swiss chisels are sized Swiss.

It's easy enough to tell which system a manufacturer uses, the tool width will be expressed in inches for the Sheffield system and in mm (metric) for the Swiss.

For those unfamiliar with carving tool sizes, this is how it works. I'll use a gouge we'll call a #7, 20mm. The sweep, described as a "#" refers to the arc of the cutting edge. In this case the sweep is 7. The width refers to the width of the cutting edge. In our example the width of the cutting edge is 20mm.

A #7, 20mm gouge will have a very different arc that a #7, 10mm chisel. There is no rhyme or reason to either of these systems.

In other words, if you have all the widths of one sweep you cannot predict the next size arc given the next width. We do love madness, don't we.

Typical Catalog Page

Did Somebody Ask About Tool Steel?

Tool steel!

This is a topic for zealots! There is no perfect steel for chisels. If there were there would be only one steel out there and those not using it would be in line at the soup kitchen. Harder steel holds an edge better but takes longer to sharpen. Softer steel dulls more quickly but sharpens in a snap. The bottom line is this. Buy from a reputable company. They will all tell you that their tools are the greatest and they may very well have features that are good but in the end, when the chisel meets the wood, there is very little actual difference between major brands in the day to day performance. We all get used to the tools we have. Whether it's a Henry Taylor or a Two Cherries has little impact on what goes out the shop door. Just buy from a major tool maker.

What about handles?

I've seen handles made of just about every imaginable material. Oak, beech, boxwood, hornbeam, mahogany and a host of others. Reputable manufacturers use good woods and again, if there were a perfect wood for tool handles, well, you know...you get what you pay for.

A note about ferrules.

Ferrules are a good thing. I'm not going to name names but a couple manufacturers are eliminating ferrules. A ferrule will help prevent the handle from splitting as pressures are exerted. Remember there's a hole drilled right up the center of the handle to accept the tang and this hole weakens the handle. A ferrule will go a long way in reinforcing the handle.

Mallets

I use a urethane coated mallet. Is it better than a good wood mallet? Probably not but I prefer it for a few reasons. First, it's quieter. I like quiet. Secondly, it's easier on the chisel handles than a wood mallet. Chisels in my box that have never seen a wood mallet show no wear on the tip of the handle. Thirdly, when you strike a chisel with a mallet the force is described as a push. The mallet is pushing the chisel through the wood. The push is longer with the soft urethane head because the head is in contact with the chisel longer.

	Sets!
I am all in favor of starter sets. Learning to carve is largely a matter of learning which tools can do what and as a beginner you will have no idea which tool is needed for which task. A good set will expose the beginner to a variety of chisels and most of the beginner's sets I've seen are good for this purpose.	Lee's Dirty Dozen Click the picture for a larger view, a new window will open.	Lee's Dirty Dozen is comprised of the tools that I use the most when I carve the stuff I carve. No set will enable you to carve every style. Mine is a traditional style so the chisels that end up on my bench will lend themselves to the stuff you see on my website.
Carving Tool Patterns Other than straight, carving tools come in a variety of shapes. Bents, back bents, undercutting, spoon and fishtails to name a few. The reason a carver reaches for one of these is usually a matter of clearance. A backbent will change the angle of the shank to the cutting edge and this can allow the cutting edge to reach places otherwise difficult. There are two tools in my set to expose beginners to the benefits and drawbacks to chisels of different shapes.	No beginner's set can contain fewer than a half dozen carving tools so although I've listed the chisels in the order I'd purchase them from left to right in the picture it really doesn't matter about the first six, you need at least six. Click on the picture for sizes in both Sheffield and Swiss.	Sharpening You'll need a way to sharpen your tools. I use ceramic slips and stones at the bench although sandpaper, natural stones and buffing wheels work just fine too. I have a coarse wheel in my grinder and an oil stone for major work. Sharpening is a huge lesson that needs learning right away. You'll be amazed at how much easier it is to carve with properly sharpened tools. Note that I said "properly" sharpened", a sharp edge is only part of the properly sharpened tool.

That's all for now, folks. I'll try to get the next page on sharpening done soon. E-mail me with questions or comments.

grin@furniturecarver.com