15 - Sliding Table, страница 24

TECHN E Q U E

Chisel Techniques

It's easy to make precise, controlled cuts with a chisel when you use the right grip and a few simple techniques.

I can't remember when I've built a project without using a chisel. Granted, much of the work is done with power tools. But it seems I'm always reaching for a chisel to make the final paring cuts that get a project to fit together just right.

Whether I'm cleaning up a mortise, paring a tenon, or flattening the bottom of a groove, this means using the chisel like a scalpel to remove extremely thin slices of material.

While a sharp chisel is important, there's more to it than that. The secret is to use a grip that

lets you make a controlled cut.

underhand grip. When i hold the chisel in a horizontal position to make a cut (paring a tenon for example), I use an underhand grip. To do this, hold the chisel comfortably in the palm of your hand and grasp the blade between your fingers, see photo A.

This allows you to lead the cutting edge of the blade into the work exactly where you want it. As you "lean" into the cut, you can stop the blade at any point by pinching it between your fingers.

overhand. Another grip i use to slice doivn into a workpiece

(for instance, when cleaning out a mortise) is an overhand grip. Here again, hold the blade between your fingers. But this time, grasp the chisel with your thumb on the end of the handle, see photo B.

The idea here is to bend your elbow and bring the chisel in close to your body. Then, to make a cut, push down with your thumb as you lean forward.

blade grip. But there are times when I don't hold the handle at all. When using a mallet, I hold the blade of the chisel like a pencil, see photo C. This gives me pinpoint control over where the cutting edge enters the workpiece.

This grip also comes in handy when using the chisel like a scoring knife. For example, when making a slicing cut with the corner of the blade, refer to page 27.

mixed bag. But there's no single grip that works all the time. As you can see in the following examples, I use a "mixed bag" of grips, switching from one to the other to get the job done.

A. Underhand Grip. To make a horizontal cut, grasp the handle of the chisel in an underhand grip. Pinching the blade between your fingers stops the cut.

B. Overhand Grip. When making a vertical cut, an overhand grip lets you pare straight down. To help guide the blade, hold it loosely between your fingers.

C. Blade Grip. Holding the blade of the chisel lets you pinpoint where the cutting edge enters the work. This is especially handy when using a mallet.

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