Popular Woodworking 2005-02 № 146, страница 78

Chisels

Old chisels can be brought back to life using these simple steps.

If ever there was a type of used hand tool that was a good candidate for restoration, it's a chisel. Lots of good deals on old chisels can be found at flea markets, garage sales and auctions. And while many old tools - such as kinked hand saws or badly warped planes - may be hopelessly damaged, it's usually not hard to bring a chisel back to a working life.

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With chisels, it's not hard to turn junk into a jewel. It took less than an hour to convert an abused tool like the one on the eft side of each picture into a stunningly sharp specimen like the one at right.

The process of restoring a chisel back into working order involves four basic steps:

1) Flattening and polishing the back

2) Grinding the edge square to the sides

3) Grinding the bevel

4) Honing the bevel

These steps ensure that the cutting edge will consist of two polished intersecting surfaces, which is the essence of any sharp, durable edge. And a flat back is important because it serves as a directional reference in many paring and chopping operations.

In this article, I will take you through these processes step by step, including the nuances that can make all the difference in getting a frighteningly keen edge. Although the following approach - arrived at after years of teaching sharpening and testing products - is certainly not the only way to sharpen, I think you'll find that it yields great results. For most chisels, it's the blade that needs work, not the handle. Most wooden handles can be sanded and refinished. Ifyou need to replace yours, I recommend you read "Making Your Own Chisel Handles" from the February 2002 issue of this magazine.

by Paul Anthony

Paul Anthony is a woodworking author and teacher living in Riegelsville, Pennsylvania.

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Popular Woodworking February 2005