Sharpening hollow mortice chisels.

[Robbo3]

Your welcome. Just passing on the kindness shown to me by Steve Maskery.

 

[custard]

Bob, this any good? As it's a #1, I think it's for English chisels whereas #2 was for Japanese.

Robbo, you may be right but I'm not 100% sure.

I have the Clico 539 No 1 sharpening set and also the Clico 539 No 2 set. They're both imperial, both cover the same range of 1/4" to 1/2" chisels, but there's a note on the No 1 set to say use it with Sedgwick chisels, and as I have a Sedgwick morticer that's what I do!

So perhaps the No 2 set is for, say, Multico chisels? Only guessing as I don't know.

To make things more complex there's also at least one further Clico sharpening set, designated the 539 No 1J, again I'm only guessing here, but perhaps that's for Japanese pattern, imperial dimensioned chisels?

One final point. Like a lot of cabinet makers I used to be a bit sniffy about using Japanese chisels, swearing blind that properly sharpened Clico tooling gave a better result. Maybe that prejudice was based on cheap Chinese mortice tooling, however I've now had quite a bit of hands-on experience with the Japanese chisels that Scott & Sergeant sell, and I have to confess that they are absolutely superb.

 

[Jacob]

Thanks for further replies.
Re hardness, I was thinking the chisels couldn't be very hard if they can be reamed with the type of tool Robbo pictured. Eric is right that the corners of the chisel in my pic have rolled over - when I've got it sharpened I'll give it a workout and, if it happens again, re-harden.

T.......

Hi Bob, just spotted your mortice chisel thread. Had sharpening prob myself just recently. Been using same (Japanese) set for years just occasionally fettling the auger but not much attention to the chisel, but needing attention now. Sharpened the chisel very easily and cheaply with two diamond cones from Axminster - drill press - chisel in a hole etc to keep accurately aligned in woodwork terms if not precision engineering.
Still didn't cut.
Sharpened the auger.
Still didn't cut.
Auger on it's own cuts really well.
Mystery!
Solved after a lot of examination - the radius of the auger cut is very reduced, (age, wear, sharpening etc) such that it doesn't quite reach the square cut of the chisel. This means the chisel has to cut out much more. In good condition the chisel takes out the four corners of the hole, which fall in and are picked up by the auger, but with a reduced auger it has to take the whole square out, with a hole in it, but it stays firmly in place and stops you dead
So it's scrap, unless I can buy an auger to fit.
Making do with cheapo set from Screwfix, which gets not bad reviews
cheers Jacob

 

[Nick Watermelon]

I realise this is an elderly thread but it seems the most relevant to my question: Could someone who is in possession of a Clico sharpening reamer for English pattern chisels kindly measure what the angle is?

I acquired several Japanese pattern chisels and augers with my elderly Sedgwick and they are easy to keep in good condition. A pair of diamond sharpening cones from Axminster are a perfect fit for the internal bevel on the chisels. I also have one 5/8" English pattern chisel. It's not worth trying to buy a Clico sharpening set even if I could find one (may as well just buy a new Japanese pattern 5/8") but I thought I would have a go at modifying a cheap conical aluminium oxide wheel to the correct angle, which isn't obvious from inspection of the somewhat abused chisel. The photo sent by Robbo3 earlier in the thread gives an idea, but a measurement taken from the actual reamer would be ideal if someone could oblige?

N.B. I don't know for sure that the chisel is a Clico - the first letter is C but the rest have succumbed to patina and polish - but Clico is the only sharpening tool I've heard of so hoping they are all similar.

Thanks in advance.

 

[johnnyb]

Many chisels are to hard to sharpen with the older countersinks. They just skid. Mine only sharpen the ridgeway ones. I'm guessing the clico are harder. I use the Japanese multicos after buying a large Box of brand new chisels. In softwood they rarely need attention tbh.

 

[chaoticbob]

I realise this is an elderly thread but it seems the most relevant to my question: Could someone who is in possession of a Clico sharpening reamer for English pattern chisels kindly measure what the angle is?

I acquired several Japanese pattern chisels and augers with my elderly Sedgwick and they are easy to keep in good condition. A pair of diamond sharpening cones from Axminster are a perfect fit for the internal bevel on the chisels. I also have one 5/8" English pattern chisel. It's not worth trying to buy a Clico sharpening set even if I could find one (may as well just buy a new Japanese pattern 5/8") but I thought I would have a go at modifying a cheap conical aluminium oxide wheel to the correct angle, which isn't obvious from inspection of the somewhat abused chisel. The photo sent by Robbo3 earlier in the thread gives an idea, but a measurement taken from the actual reamer would be ideal if someone could oblige?

N.B. I don't know for sure that the chisel is a Clico - the first letter is C but the rest have succumbed to patina and polish - but Clico is the only sharpening tool I've heard of so hoping they are all similar.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Nick. I measured the one Robbo3 so kindly sent me using a digital protractor. I got 75.2 degrees across opposite cutting edges (ie total angle of cone) and 142.3 degrees between the parallel part of the reamer and a single edge. These are consistent within 0.1 degree (if my trig is correct!) - given the difficulty of lining things up to measure by hand I'm guessing it's 75 degrees.
Bob.

 

[Fitzroy]

I was out in the shed earlier and got the same measurement on my two somewhere between 73 and 77 degrees.

Mine are stamped Multico no 1 and 2

 

[Rewound]

How do you keep them cool when using, I find I get tremendous heat build up. And I have seen chisels others use and they can be very discoloured with heat,

 

[Robbo3]

How do you keep them cool when using, I find I get tremendous heat build up. And I have seen chisels others use and they can be very discoloured with heat,

The original design was intended to be used in a brace, not a battery or power drill, so would generate very little heat.

 

[Nick Watermelon]

75 degrees, many thanks to Chaoticbob and Fitzroy.