Chisels : Paring

[pam niedermayer]

Oh dear pam, looks like I will not now be at peace until I have tried a Tasai.

Yep, time to email Tomohito, or maybe So.

Pam

 

[pam niedermayer]

Pam
Do you pare the full bed width in one go?
Philly

Not usually, but I get about half of the larger standard sizes. I suppose I could buy a 70 mm thin chisel, but that's impractical and certainly not necessary.

Pam

 

[EdK]

Thanks for all the info - Pete I reckon that is a bit beyond me and I normally just sling a few burgers on the barbie !

The Japanese ones sound good but I went for a sorby 3/4" to start with.

Am I right in thinking that the LieNelsen bench chisels with a longer paring handle are a compromise ? No doubt that they are nice chisels but I was wondering if it was better to keep the standard handle and look for a dedicated paring chisel ?

Ed

 

[David C]

Ed,

I find the chisels work very well for paring and chopping.

I just have some long handles and change over as required...!

You can turn your own handles, any shape, to suit your taste.

David

 

[EdK]

Thanks David - I know that you are a proponent of this approach )perhaps the instigator ?!) but was wondering what the historical reason was then for longer thinner chisels ?

How do say a Blue Spruce paring chisel compare to the LN's with long handle ?

More flex in the thinner longer paring chisel ? Guess I'll find out when the Sorby arrives

Cheers Ed

 

[David C]

Yes thank you Ed,

It was my idea and Bob Seymour, Photographer and Windsor chairmaker friend, turned the original prototype ;-)

http://www.appledorecraftscompany.co.uk/bs.html

http://www.dolessandseymour.co.uk

The L-N with long handle becomes very similar to a Japanese long paring chisel.

The traditional Sheffield long Paring chisel has a much longer and thinner blade. I am not particularly knowledgable on History, but guess that the length might have been essential in the Patternmaking shop, where some of the work would have been of considerable size.

best wishes,
David

 

[Woody Alan]

I have just been fitting some oak skirting using the screw and plug method. I flush cut the plugs with a "flush cutting bendy saw" and "pare the plugs flush with a LN chisel. They are only just long enough blades for this and it's only a 5" skirting, and that's if it is done directly from above. So I see a very real use for a long blade parer but don't have one :-(

Alan

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Alan

For that job you want either a chisel plane or cranked paring chisels. Or even a block plane.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Woody Alan]

For that job you want either a chisel plane or cranked paring chisels. Or even a block plane

Derek with respect certainly not a block plane it would be too easy to mark the surface around the hole and I have already prefinished the wood. I tried a chisel plane and with the oak there is a real problem with tearout because it hits flush. With a chisel I can do controlled sideways actions to gradually reduce the material. Cranked parer yes that would work and get the handle further away from the wall.

Alan

 

[David C]

Some Japanese long paring chisels have enough lift in the handle to clear a wide surface, but by no means all....

David

 

[Anonymous]

How do say a Blue Spruce paring chisel compare to the LN's with long handle ?

I have both (the Blue Spruce have short handles) and both are superb althoguh the Blue Spruce possible take a slightly sharper edge as far as I can tell.

For control, I love the long handled LNs

 

[EdK]

Right.... I have the Sorby 3/4" and sharpened and flattened it last night. Surprisingly not too flat on the back.

I was paring a 12mm deep trench in part of my stairs and noticed that the edge breaks down quite fast.

Perhaps this is my poor technique - I was chopping straight down and then with very little pressure leavering out the last mil or so. I've done this with an LN bench chisel and the edge was fine for two sides of a staircase (undercutting a bit as I wanted a tight fit) - the Sorby lasted about five minutes before the edge started chipping...

Guess it's my poor technique and I shouldn't lever the last bit but I guess if I stuck to A2 steel (long handled LN or BSpuce paring) I might get away with more 'abuse'.

Hmmm... interesting though and the long paring blade is defininetly more comfortable than messing about with bench chisels (for me at least).

Cheers
Ed

 

[pam niedermayer]

Right.... I have the Sorby 3/4" and sharpened and flattened it last night. Surprisingly not too flat on the back.

I was paring a 12mm deep trench in part of my stairs and noticed that the edge breaks down quite fast.

Perhaps this is my poor technique - I was chopping straight down and then with very little pressure leavering out the last mil or so. I've done this with an LN bench chisel and the edge was fine for two sides of a staircase (undercutting a bit as I wanted a tight fit) - the Sorby lasted about five minutes before the edge started chipping......

This is not paring. You need to choose another chisel type.

Pam

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Ed

I agree with Pam - that is chopping not paring. I understand paring to involve pushing rather than using a hammer.

Try a mortice chisel, or even a firmer type. Not a Japanese chisel, please - you want something that you can lever chips.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[EdK]

Hi Derek & Pam - should have clarified that ! I cut the trench with a router and then wanted to trim a tiny tiny tiny amount out for a very slight undercut - so I used a paring chisel without a hammer naturally !

I guess this is paring ?

If I hadn't have used the router then yes I would have gone for a mortise chisel maybe and a hand router to tidy up.

It's a Sorby (English) rather than a Japanese chisel.
Cheers
Ed