Dog leg mortise chisel

[NickWelford]

I have recently picked up a dog leg mortise chisel - not sure of it's proper name, but that's what it looks like to me. It's about 2 foot long and 3 pounds in weight - pretty massive. I can't fathom exactly how it is used - can anyone give me some pointers.
Thanks

 

[Colin C]

Hi Nick

Can we have a pic to help :wink:

 

[Alf]

Swan-neck? But given their build, as you say, dog leg is probably more apt... Weedy modern versions. Used to clean up the bottom of mortises with a sort of levering-off-the-side paring action.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Evergreen]

As Alf said, but I found they were not much use unless you had a really big blind mortise. Their honing angle tends to be a poor compromise and you end up scraping the bottom of the mortise rather than cutting out chips.

But eBayers are really hot for them! I sold both mine for a handsome profit.

Regards.

 

[Smudger]

Isn't that a door lock mortice chisel?

 

[Paul Sellers]

I'm afraid there are hundreds of different chisels and whereas many were indeed useful, I'm equally afraid that many were not. Corner chisels are sold to enthusiasts who find little or no use for them after they buy them and so it was the same for swan-neck chisels for most everyday woodworking, but I will concede that if you were working on some other massive mortises of old, they do reach way down to lever those awkward bits from the very bottom of say a six inch deep non-through mortise. They were in fact more levering tool rather than a cutting tool so don't spend too much time sharpening the cutting edge as they cannot be presented at the proper angle without compromising the cut.

 

[jmk89]

I see that Jake Darvall (apricotripper) in Australia is making his own little ones to clean out corners in sash joints etc:

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au ... ht=cranked

He at least seems to find them useful!

 

[IanW]

I see that Jake Darvall (apricotripper) in Australia is making his own little ones to clean out corners in sash joints etc:

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au ... ht=cranked

He at least seems to find them useful!

Those chisels of Jake's are for paring, jmk89 - I don't think they're intended for the same purpose as a swan-neck.

I have a LV 1/4" swan-neck that I find extremely useful for its intended purpose. Don't need to clean out deep blind mortises every single day, by any means, but when I do, it's the bees' knees. And yes, it's a levering, scraping, oafish kind of tool, as mentioned above, no finesse needed for cleaning out a lock mortise! And ceratinly don't make the bevel too acute - at least not if you intend tackling Aussie hardwoods......

Cheers,
IW

 

[NickWelford]

Thanks, guys - I didn't realise it was a swan-necked chisel, although there is a definite corner on there - I'll take a pic tonight and post it tomorrow.
Can't think what I need it for as I just don't do any blind mortices, deep or large. I wonder if I can adapt it to turn with - it certainly has the weight and mass..........

 

[Mittlefehldt]

I have a LV 1/4" swan-neck that I find extremely useful for its intended purpose. Don't need to clean out deep blind mortises every single day, by any means, but when I do, it's the bees' knees. And yes, it's a levering, scraping, oafish kind of tool, as mentioned above, no finesse needed for cleaning out a lock mortise! And ceratinly don't make the bevel too acute - at least not if you intend tackling Aussie hardwoods......

Cheers,
IW

Last year I found myself doing 42 half inch wide by 2 1/2 long and two inch deep mortises, and after the first three or four, jumped into my auto voiture and got mysel up to the local Lee VAlley store and picked up one of those to. As Ian said you wouldn't use it every day but when you do it is just the ticket.

James