Morticing by Paul Sellers

[Togalosh]

He made both look easy to me..I have been p£**&&*g around with drilling out the bulk of waste then paring the rest away but I have been annoyed as it 's not so easy.

I was taught something very different at school (my only tuition) which was taking out shallow squares - this is also .

I've some big morticing to do this week & I was planning on getting some mortice chisels so this has come just in the nick of time .

Thanks Corneel

 

[kirkpoore1]

Paul simply shows a variation on one of several ways to chop mortise and whilst not everyone will find this technique to their taste, it's well worth trying. Thor hammers work very well for chisel work and have surprisingly good heft for their size, which tends to remove the stress from wrist and elbow as you allow the weight of the head to power each hammer strike, rather than trying to drive - what often tend to be - larger mallets using more force.

I have no serious issues with his technique (including levering the waste out and the bevel forward), but that mallet wouldn't work for me. I tried one similar to that when doing some mortising, and unless I hit the chisel perfectly it would carom off and hit me in the hand. I use my round carving mallet now when hand-chopping mortises.

Kirk

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Paul simply shows a variation on one of several ways to chop mortise and whilst not everyone will find this technique to their taste, it's well worth trying. Thor hammers work very well for chisel work and have surprisingly good heft for their size, which tends to remove the stress from wrist and elbow as you allow the weight of the head to power each hammer strike, rather than trying to drive - what often tend to be - larger mallets using more force.

I have no serious issues with his technique (including levering the waste out and the bevel forward), but that mallet wouldn't work for me. I tried one similar to that when doing some mortising, and unless I hit the chisel perfectly it would carom off and hit me in the hand. I use my round carving mallet now when hand-chopping mortises.

Kirk

I'd go along with that.

There's an old fitter's saying - "Don't force it, get a bigger hammer". The mass of a bigger hammer does the work, so you don't have to use muscular effort to impart force behind the hammer; you just raise the heavier weight and only need to guide the blow. I'm sure RichardT will know exactly what I mean.

Exactly the same applies with woodworking. A heavier mallet will be less fatiguing to use because you don't have to 'hit' with it. All you need to do is raise it, and guide the mallet down onto the chisel handle. It's weight will impart the energy. It makes your blows more accurate as well, since you're 'guiding' rather than 'forcing' the blow.

 

[GazPal]

Paul simply shows a variation on one of several ways to chop mortise and whilst not everyone will find this technique to their taste, it's well worth trying. Thor hammers work very well for chisel work and have surprisingly good heft for their size, which tends to remove the stress from wrist and elbow as you allow the weight of the head to power each hammer strike, rather than trying to drive - what often tend to be - larger mallets using more force.

I have no serious issues with his technique (including levering the waste out and the bevel forward), but that mallet wouldn't work for me. I tried one similar to that when doing some mortising, and unless I hit the chisel perfectly it would carom off and hit me in the hand. I use my round carving mallet now when hand-chopping mortises.

Kirk

Hi Kirk, I agree it can seem a little like hard work avoiding hammer rash if using smaller faced thor hammers, but I'd tend to err on the side of using a 1.75" faced hammer for the sake of avoiding miss-hits (I have a healthy collection of hammer-rash scars on my left hand from my house bashing days using the side faces of claw hammers to drive chisels to prove it lol). Indeed half of the trick is matching mallet size to technique, but - from what I've seen of commonly available "Thor style" nylon faced hammers - I honestly think most tend to opt for hammers with faces measuring 1.5" and below, as they seem the most commonly available off-the-shelf sizes. Once you become used to the heft of such hammers/mallets the rest becomes plain sailing and a virtually Elastoplast free experience.

 

[Jacob]

Big mallet (not necessarily heavy mallet) means you are less likely to hit your hand and are freer to keep an eye on the pointy end. Not necessary with a nail as the pointed end is already located and instead you keep an eye on the head.
That, and the fact that the targets (chisel handle versus nailhead) are different sizes, is the reason for wooden mallets and/or metal hammers.

 

[kirkpoore1]

Gary:

As Jacob indicated, with mortising as well as carving I'm looking at the business end of a chisel (or gouge) and not the end I'm swinging at. The bigger head simply means I don't miss, while the round surface seems to give me more consistent contact, even if my angle is a little off. I also gave up on all-wood carvering mallets and went to this:

because it won't start chipping and give me splinters. I've got a lignum vitae mallet that has given me worse splinters than any other kind of wood.

Kirk

 

[GazPal]

Gary:

As Jacob indicated, with mortising as well as carving I'm looking at the business end of a chisel (or gouge) and not the end I'm swinging at. The bigger head simply means I don't miss, while the round surface seems to give me more consistent contact, even if my angle is a little off. I also gave up on all-wood carvering mallets and went to this:

because it won't start chipping and give me splinters. I've got a lignum vitae mallet that has given me worse splinters than any other kind of wood.

Kirk

I never look at the striking point unless adjusting my grip, but always focus on the cutting edge when chopping or carving. I've always found there tends to be a sweet spot you tend to strike with when wielding mallet or hammer that's typically evident once a mallet has seen some use (Regardless of head material).

 

[Modernist]

Standing 6'2", I like a taller bench, preferring 38" to the often raved about 34", etc., which seem to be in vogue at present. I find I suffer from far less back fatigue with a taller bench than if using one made to suit one of Snow White's dwarves. :lol:

I lowered my bench from 36" to 34" on the recommendation of Schwarz but I don't think it's for me. The next bench will be higher again. How do you find 38" for hand planing?

I've no problem using 38"-40" high benches and prefer them, but sincerely think the Schwarz could do with re-assessing his bench height recommendations.

I have recently raised my bench from 33" to 36" and it has cured all back problems instantly. As I am 6' tall how about half height as another hypothesis?

 

[Richard T]

Brian, I think, as I said above, it is personal. - height from ground to second joint on index finger with straight arm -or - as John says - Ar$e H6le high ... colourful old gentleman he is... I'm 5'6"

 

[Vormulac]

Wow Kirk, where did you find that much Kryptonite??