vintage chisels

[pgrbff]

I would like to buy a 1/2" mortice chisel but know nothing about vintage tools.
would a Shamrock’ Marples 1/2” mortise chisel be a good buy? how old might it be?

 

[D_W]

Which style of monetise chisel and how big will the mortises be?

 

[pgrbff]

Small mortices, 1/2" x 2". It would be used mostly for squaring up routed mortices in hardwood. I'm not into cutting mortices entirely by hand. I'm using a decent oire nomi at the moment but thought I'd give a relatively inexpensive old mortice chisel a try.

 

[Jacob]

Small mortices, 1/2" x 2". It would be used mostly for squaring up routed mortices in hardwood. I'm not into cutting mortices entirely by hand. ....

Any 1/2" chisel would do, but firmer would be better than bevel edge.
A dedicated oval bolster mortice chisel would be a bit wasted on just tidying up, but there is an in-between option - the sash mortice chisel, which would be best.
My first mortice machine was a slot morticer on the side of a PT. I did 100s of 1/2" mortices - then squared up with a 1/2" sash mortice chisel, perfect for the job.

 

[D_W]

Small mortices, 1/2" x 2". It would be used mostly for squaring up routed mortices in hardwood. I'm not into cutting mortices entirely by hand. I'm using a decent oire nomi at the moment but thought I'd give a relatively inexpensive old mortice chisel a try.

All you need is a bevel edge chisel. There's not enough purchase left at the end of a routed mortise to use a mortise chisel. Mortise chisels are intended to ride their bevel into the work and scrape the side of a mortise as the bevel is ridden, but there's nothing really left to do that.

A bevel edge chisel with a bit finger of a corner can work more neatly into the corner, alternating sides of the right angle to get into a corner.

 

[pgrbff]

All you need is a bevel edge chisel. There's not enough purchase left at the end of a routed mortise to use a mortise chisel. Mortise chisels are intended to ride their bevel into the work and scrape the side of a mortise as the bevel is ridden, but there's nothing really left to do that.

A bevel edge chisel with a bit finger of a corner can work more neatly into the corner, alternating sides of the right angle to get into a corner.

You are of course right, a mortice chisel is not strictly necessary. But I saw this on Finewoodworking, and it seemed a good idea. the depth of a pig sticker in the mortice to line up the chisel, rotate upwards and you're in exactly the right spot. Seemed to work well in the video.

 

[D_W]

I think you want to make this cut in a couple of steps with a bevel edge chisel. That will allow you to see the behavior of the wood, and the last cut will be thin and accurate.

other than perfectly tidy outsides of a mortise, though, I think opportunity is lost not cutting these by hand if they have any depth, but that's something I haven't been able to convince many people of.

The tall design of these chisels is intended to take fairly large amounts of wood bevel down in heavy mortising, and then rotate fairly deep. I think this looks good in a magazine, but don't see the advantage of it vs. a bevel edge chisel or firmer.

I used a chisel with similar cross section (but socketed) to cut about 7 feet of mortises (2" deep) friday afternoon and saturday - they excel with what they're designed for but are a bit awkward at the end of a mortise if little bits are left to trim out.

 

[Jacob]

You are of course right, a mortice chisel is not strictly necessary. But I saw this on Finewoodworking, and it seemed a good idea. the depth of a pig sticker in the mortice to line up the chisel, rotate upwards and you're in exactly the right spot. Seemed to work well in the video.

That looks like a sash mortice chisel. Usually about square in cross section.
Right tool for the job, but anything will do if you haven't got one.
Not sure what he's fiddling about at - probably trying to make it mysterious and sound clever!.
The normal way would be one vertical cut with face to the line and then lever out the bit of waste.
There's nothing much to it really - they do like to overthink things!

PS "Shamrock’ Marples 1/2” mortise chisel" on ebay looks perfect.
Quite a lot of them about including Marples Red/Yellow splitproof plastic handled.

 

[thetyreman]

yes the old marples steel is great, my only mortise chisel is an old marples one that a member on here sent me and it's become a favourite of mine.

 

[Seascaper]

I would like to buy a 1/2" mortice chisel but know nothing about vintage tools.
would a Shamrock’ Marples 1/2” mortise chisel be a good buy? how old might it be?

Hello
I have one which I don’t need but you are along way from me. Mine is an old vintage chisel.
Regards

 

[Withy]

Mortise chisels are designed for striking with a mallet - more metal for blade and tang, and ferrules to stop the handle splitting at top or bottom. So, it will also depend on the toughness of the timber and the depth you wish to go.

 

[Orraloon]

With vintage chisels its likely to be good steel if it has Sheffield stamped on it. Most old British chisels will be good quality. As to squaring up mortice ends that are routed its actually quicker to round the corners of the tenon with a rasp instead.
Regards
John

 

[pgrbff]

With vintage chisels its likely to be good steel if it has Sheffield stamped on it. Most old British chisels will be good quality. As to squaring up mortice ends that are routed its actually quicker to round the corners of the tenon with a rasp instead.
Regards
John

It may be quicker but these are decorative through tenons.

 

[D_W]

It may be quicker but these are decorative through tenons.

I think you'll be better off with a bench chisel. You could potentially find an ideally sized and crisp mortise chisel, but it'll cost a lot for what you get here, and it'll be one trick unless you're going to cut a bunch of big mortises later.

Also fair chance on older chisels that you'll find something with a lot of wear.

If you have a bench chisel that's just shy of the width of the mortise, you'll be able to make one cut nearly back to the baseline and then cuts out to the side. You can, of course, actually cut laterally with a chisel and get away with it, just only a little at a time. This is how you would work into the corners of something - riskier cuts at first and then a couple of light cuts until you hit the corner, stopping with the cuts along the long grain and with much deference toward the top of the mortise that will show - a little less underneath.

 

[Orraloon]

It may be quicker but these are decorative through tenons.

Ok See your point. That's the exception.
Like a few of the others are saying bench chisels will be fine for the job.
Regards
John

 

[Jacob]

......
If you have a bench chisel that's just shy of the width of the mortise, you'll be able to make one cut nearly back to the baseline and then cuts out to the side. .....

Almost the whole point of the mortice chisel, sash or full OBM, is that you don't need to clean the sides, they do it in one. A firmer would do. Bevel edge would do but is worst option, not that there's much in it just squaring up the ends