[don]

Rick, is this because the chisel is beveled on both faces requiring a higher angle of attack or because of a tendency for one corner or the other to dig in and ruin your flat surface? Don

Originally Posted by rick-in-seattle

Marci,
The chisel is not the preferred tool for making surfacing cuts; a #2,#3 or#4 gouge works much better.

[rick-in-seattle]

Don, to surface a piece of wood, the chisel must be flat on the wood.
As soon as you start to cut, you have both edges under the wood.
The result is like spliting wood rather than cutting it.

Most carving tools should never have their edges beneath the surface of the wood; I know it happens sometimes while roughing a carving, but it is not a good practice. Your cuts will be cleaner and your tools will not break as often if you avoid it.

[Marci MN]

Thank you again Rick. I'll go play and see if I can do this according to your description.

Heres a thought.. how about putting some 'how to use the tools' pictures on your site? Especially for the beginners kit.

Some of us are more visual..

Thanks again. Marci.

[AlArchie]

Marci,
that skew is a little more useful than has been brought out, but it is still a
"limited use" tool.

It can be used much as a straight chisle, except it is a lot easier to push through the wood, because the "skewed" angle blade slices it's way through, rather than having to be forced straight in as with the straight chisle.

It also works wonders getting into tight corners and even working around circular cuts such as where wheels, barrels, or other round features in relief carvings are needed.

There are also "dog-leg" skews with right and left hand lays, that are great for relief carving. they can be found in palm and full sized tools.

As far as those straight chisles go, I even have a set of 4 "carpenters" chisles that I use quite a bit on relif and larger carvings. They are in 1/4 inch, 1/2", 3/4" and 1" widths. They are relatively innexpensive, and can be purchased at any hardware store. They will need some final honing to bring them up to "carver's" specs, but believe me they can be quite useful, too. One drawback with the carpenter's chisles is the relatively short shank, which limits their reach.

Some chisles have double bevels and some only one. Carpenter's chisles have only one, and need only be sharpened by honing the back flat, unless of course you chip the darn things.

The chisles are used in much the same way as a gouge, not to be driven into wood to make stop cuts. They work great on OUTSIDE radii.

Don't be afraid to experiment with these two tools, and heck, give some others a try, too.....draw knives, spoke shaves, scorps, inshaves, adzes, both straight and gutter, and even farrier's tools.

And don't forget the lowley pocket knife. Properly sharpened up, and honed, they make marvelous "carry-around-with-you" whittlers, opening up whole new areas of carving....walking sticks, whimseys, wood spirits, even the occasional "hooey stick".
Whatever, whenever, wherever for the pocket knife!

Al

[rick-in-seattle]

Marci,
that is a good idea. Thanks

[don]

Thanks for the answer Rick. I like to use my flat chisel to remove some of the knife marks on rounded carvings because then I don't have to worry about where the point of knife is but I'm just using the center of the blade then so the edges don't go below the surface. This is usually a bent flat chisel. Would there be a better tool for this job?

Originally Posted by rick-in-seattle

Don, to surface a piece of wood, the chisel must be flat on the wood.
As soon as you start to cut, you have both edges under the wood.
The result is like spliting wood rather than cutting it.

Most carving tools should never have their edges beneath the surface of the wood; I know it happens sometimes while roughing a carving, but it is not a good practice. Your cuts will be cleaner and your tools will not break as often if you avoid it.