How to check if a chisel (or angled cut) is square

[shed9]

Surely all of this is moot in terms of long term use? Most of us would eventually square any anomalies out in the multiple sharpening of the 'offensive' edge over time anyhow. Whilst I wouldn't lose sleep over out-of-squareness I'm not going to retain it on purpose.

 

[Paddy Roxburgh]

I completely agree with the Woodbrains and shed9. I started the thread as an aside to Petey83's thread about his Ashley Isles chisels being out of square out of the box. Until I'd read that thread I had not tested my chisels with a try square either. However when I did it reminded me of a problem I'd encountered many years ago checking some small bevelled pieces of wood for square in the non bevelled direction, you don't want to do this with the bevel facing you. If for some reason you did want to check your chisels for square the same would apply.
Paddy

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

I was going to post on the original thread about Ashley Iles chisels, but decided the OP was getting too much of a hard time already, but I got some unhandled chisels from the same and have to say, they are the best you can buy for the money. Needless to say, i didn't measure for square, but there are subtle details in these chisels that the inexperienced would miss.

The most important thing is the thickness of the tool. It hasn't been made thicker so the lands can be ground thinner right up to the shank. This is significant; LN has made the tool thicker to enable their CNC milling machine to thin out the lands, making the tool a little unbalanced. AI on the other hand grind a subtle helical section on the bevels so the tool can be kept thinner and better balanced but still have negligible lands. They achieve this with the skill of their craftsmen grinding the tools by hand and eye coordination. A missed opportunity in owning such a well conceived tool by some, it seems!

Mike.

 

[Peter Sefton]

I always advise my students to back off and the regrind new chisels, I find this improves the edge and you know that they are square and chip free and the correct angle.

By the way doing this with an O1 Ashley Iles is a lot quicker than a hard A2 Lie Nielsen, although the LN come with the backs pre done we like to finished them off.

Cheers Peter