Chisels

[big_swede]

Hi!

I'm planning on making a couple of chisels (out of spring steel ,which I'll harden and anneal) and have some question regarding the fastening for the handle. One broad, one curved and one with a perfect 90 degree edge for making nice square mortises is my plan.

I have seen different approaches to handles, some being tangs (quite sharp, for battoning on a birch handle) and some having a tapering tube-like thing. Which one will give the strongest handle? The plan is to carry the chisels without handles and handle them in situ, to reduce bulk. The tapered thing seems harder to make, but probably with less trouble to handle (i.e. less split handles). Ideally the broader chisel could also be mounted on a longer stick to be used for clearing water holes in ice.

Anybody got any reflections on which kind of handle fastening to be used?

 

[Dave Budd]

make them with a socket. It's the strongest method for chisels that get beaten and they are the easiets type to replace when the handle breaks. Also you can change the length of hte handle to suit your current needs.

not that difficult ot do if you can forge, certainly compared to the pain of keeping the back flat! If you are only doing stock removal then it has to be a short stick tang with a washer to stop it from splitting the handle when you smack the end.

here are a couple of examples of the chisels I make. I only do socketed chisels, though my own ones have bits of stick rather than nicely turned handles!

 

[jojo]

The tapered tube will definitely be the strongest and certainly the easiest way to handle. It will also protect the handles from splitting. All you would have to do to make a handle in the field would be to taper your chosen bit of wood to fit your chisels, something easily done with a knife or an axe. To fix the wood handle to the tapered hollow tang, all you need is to put a hole through the metal and either take a few nails with you or use some hardwood pins, particularly on the one used to clear holes in the ice, to prevent the metal chisel from falling down the hole! For the others, I'd say friction would hold them tight enough.

 

[big_swede]

Ok, I will forge, since the giant springs were given to the guy who owns the smitty. So then I guess it's the tapered tube version.

But, what if you forge a stick tang, and then weld a socket over the sharp tang? Would that make it even more hard wearing or is it hard to get the weld strong enough?

I think my handles won't be turned handles, more like rough axed pieces of birch..

 

[weaver]

A full socket is certainly the strongest and easiest to handle. No need for a tang with the socket and that would make the wood handle weaker.

 

[jojo]

That should also be plenty strong enough, the only problem maybe to put a hole in the handle material first as if the stick tang is big enough to be strong enough, it may well also split your wood before you reach the bottom of the socket.

 

[big_swede]

I've read in a book by Mors that green birch is not prone to splitting (one in four may split). Since you have the socket on the outside, any splitting or expansion would help keep the handle in place (as the extra volume would create extra pressure). At least in my theory The stick tang would be pretty slim and sharp, to reduce the risk of splitting.

The thing is that I don't wan't to use nails or dowels.

 

[big_swede]

A full socket is certainly the strongest and easiest to handle. No need for a tang with the socket and that would make the wood handle weaker.

Good point about weakening the wood. Would a welded socket do? Or is that too weak?

 

[Mike Ameling]

Any time you are pounding on the handle of a chisel, you have to worry about BOTH ends splitting. That tapered socket on the chisel is designed to mostly eliminate splitting at that end of the chisel handle. But the other end can still split/break/mushroom out from hitting it. With a more permanent handle, that end often has a metal band around the end (or even a metal cap) to reinforce the wood. With a temp handle, it's not really necessary unless you are going to be doing lots of work with it.

With that Socket handle, you have two ways to make it. You either forge out the end of your chisel material into a thin flaired triangle that you then roll into that cone shaped socket, or you forge up a separate cone and then weld it to the end of you chisel. Both methods work, and if the welding is done right they both should be as strong. But forging it on the original bar tends to be a little stronger. Altho, it is a lot more work!

If you are going to use one chisel for chipping out a hole in the ice, you might want to consider making a traditional fur trade era Ice Chisel. The cutting edge is forged into a classic wide flair, or into a Skew Chisel point. The other end is forged into a long taper, and the last 1/4 inch or so is bent 90 degrees. To use it, you cut a 5 or 6 foot long pole about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. You mount the Ice Chisel on the side of it. Make a small hole a little ways into the side of your pole about 5 or 6 inches down one side - this is for that bent tang to stick into. Now carve a small groove from the hole on up to the end of the pole. Set your ice chisel into that groove with that bent tang tapped into that hole. Now tie it to the pole. Copper/Brass/Iron wire workes well, as does heavy cord, marline/cod line, paracord, and even the traditional Indian rawhide. The groove does not need to be deep enough for the chisel to set flush with the side of the pole, just enough to help hold it from twisting to the side. And that bent tang helps keep the chisel from sliding back on the pole.

I've made lots of them for Living History people and a number of state/federal parks. And they do work very well for chipping a hole in the ice.

If you need a pick, I'm sure I can dig one up somewhere. There should be some info on Ice Chisels on the Canadian Library's online journal web site http://www.northwestjournal.ca/

I hope this helps.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

p.s. Other chisels can also be attached to a handle just like that fur trade era Ice Chisel.

 

[mr dazzler]

I use socketed, and also stick tang framing chisles and like them both types. If you set up your handle correct you wont need any pegs or nail's to hold it in, friction from pounding holds the handle into the socket type. Its a very ancient method, going back to the iron age in this country I think. They dug up old sickles and so on done that way. And old bill hook's and axes also use that socket technique. But you need to watch out that you get a real neat snug fit, if theres viod's in between handle and socket inside, your likely (almost certain in fact) to get a snapped handle if you lever out chip's and waste vigorously. One good thing with the tang method is you can add a leather washer (I use leather from shoe soles or heel's) to absorb chopping shock if your doing mortice's etc. It makes the work less tiring. I put ferrules at the striking end of all my lerge chisl's.
I believe the shape you describe Mike is a little like the irish turf slane what they use to cut peat fuel?