What is the difference between a mortise chisel and a regular chisel?

Mortise Chisel This chisel is meant for making mortises or cutting holes in wood. You’ll notice the mortise chisel is much fatter than the paring chisel. That’s because the mortise chisel is build to be reamed on with a hammer and really worked hard by prying wood.

When would you use a mortise chisel?

Mortise chisels are specialized chisels for chopping out a mortise. They are designed to withstand heavy blows with a mallet, and can be used for cutting directly across the grain, as well as for levering out waste material.

Why is it more preferable to use a mortise chisel for mortising?

The blade of the mortise chisel is much thicker, providing more strength but also more weight. I think a heaver chisel can cut deeper at one stroke due to the extra inertia. The extra thickness also results in an extra-long bevel, which acts as a ramp for chips as you pop them out of the mortise.

What is the difference between a chisel and a mortise chisel?

A chisel is one of the oldest tools around. The firmer and mortise chisels are two different styles, with a thick blade designed to be used in combination with a mallet. The difference between a firmer and a mortise chisel is the cutting edge angle, among other details.

Do I really need a mortise chisel?

In my opinion, every craftsman should have two sizes of bench chisels and one mortise chisel. However, a lot of bench chisels are fat enough that you can get away with cutting out mortises for quite a while before needing to invest in a mortise chisel.

What is the most common size mortise chisel?

However, you will find them very easy to handle and a joy to use. Now available in sizes 1/8″ – 1/2″ by 1/16″. It is perfectly acceptable to just have one mortise chisel ( 1/4″ or 3/8″ being the most common) and size all your mortises accordingly.

Can a mortising chisel be used in a drill press?

Mortising attachments are available for almost every drill press. Although they vary in appearance, they all have three basic components: a fence, a chisel holder and a hold-down. Upgrading these parts to stabilize the workpiece and operating the drill press at the optimal speed are the keys to success.

What are the advantages of mortise?

Strength. Mortise and tenon joints are one of the strongest joints you will find. The flush-fitting design means that they are extremely difficult to separate once put together.

Can you use a mortise chisel in a drill press?

A drill press by itself cannot hold the chisel in a fixed position, while the chuck spins the bit inside of it. You need a mortising attachment for a drill press to cut mortises. A drill press without a mortising attachment has no way to hold both the drill bit and the mortising chisel.

Which mortise chisel is best?

A great place to start is with a ¼” and a 3/8” chisel. These are the most commonly used and can be used for a wider range of projects. If you work with wider stock items like dining room tables, the 1/2” mortise chisel may be a good option for you to add.

What is a carpentry chisel called?

Wood Chisel: Wood chisels are for carpentry or furniture work. They include bevel-edged, butt, framing, mortise, dovetail, corner, skew, parting, Japanese, carving, and flooring chisels. Metal Chisel: Cold and hot chisels are the two main chisel types that shape and cut metals.

Why is a cold chisel called a cold chisel?

The name cold chisel comes from its use by blacksmiths to cut metal while it was cold as compared to other tools they used to cut hot metal. Because cold chisels are used to form metal, they have a less-acute angle to the sharp portion of the blade than a woodworking chisel.

When would you use a mortise and tenon joint?

Thanks to their tensile strength, they are favoured for items such as windows, doors, beds and tables – typically where a sturdy frame is required and wood needs to be joined at 90 degrees. The mortise and tenon joint gives such a secure join in these circumstances that it is key to the longevity of the furniture.

What is the use of mortise?

The mortise and tenon joint is the oldest and strongest joint used in woodworking. It is used to fuse two individual pieces of wood, typically at a 90-degree angle.

What is the chisel most commonly used for?

A chisel is a tool with a characteristically shaped cutting edge of blade on its end; for carving or cutting a hard material such as wood, stone, or metal by hand, struck with a mallet, or mechanical power.

What is a chisel mortiser machine used for?

A mortiser or morticer is a specialized woodworking machine used to cut square or rectangular holes in a piece of lumber (timber), such as a mortise in a mortise and tenon joint.

Should you use a screwdriver as a chisel?

Generally, screwdrivers should not be used as chisels. They may slip and puncture a worker’s skin. If the tip of the chisel is used as a screwdriver, it may break the skin. When these tools are stored in pockets, they may injure someone who has fallen.

Can I use a normal chisel on a lathe?

Normal chisels are not made to take the forces of a lathe. You risk getting a catch, and with a handle as short as regular chisels, the tool will be ripped from your hand and possibly thrown across the room.

What is the best size chisel for beginners?

Most threads recommend starting with 1/4”, 1/2”, and 3/4”. This article https://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/whats-wrong-with-the-standard-set-of-chisels/ recommends slightly smaller 3/16″, 5/16″, 7/16″ and 9/16″.

How deep should a mortise be?

3) For a blind mortise, the mortise depth should be 2/3 the width of the board being mortised.

What is the best drill bit for mortise?

The best style of drill bit for this operation is a Forstner bit (see Sources). Forstner bits, unlike brad point or twist bits, are very good at drilling overlapping holes; the precise characteristic we need for making a mortise.

Can you chisel with a hammer drill?

If you need to use the hammer drill for chiselling, make sure that you pick a device that has a switch to turn off the rotation. Then, instead of a drill bit, insert a chisel into the SDS socket of the hammer drill, and the tool essentially becomes an electric chisel.

Why is it called mortise?

Etymology. The noun mortise, “a hole or groove in which something is fitted to form a joint”, comes from c. 1400 from Old French ‘mortaise’ (13th century), possibly from Arabic ‘murtazz’, “fastened”, past participle of ‘razza’, “cut a mortise in”.

Why should the mortise always be cut first?

Always cut the mortise first and then size the tenon to fit snugly. It’s quicker and easier to adjust the dimensions of a tenon (as we’ll show later) than to change a mortise. Establish the mortise width at 1⁄ 3 the workpiece thickness.

What is the strongest mortise joint?

One of the most common and strongest joints is a mortise and tenon joint, an extremely old woodworking technique that has stood the test of time and is still used today. In its most basic form, a mortise and tenon joint is simple, extremely strong, and the technique can be scaled up or down in size with great success.

What is the honing angle for a mortise chisel?

Using the Mortise Chisel Jaw Pair increases the honing angle approximately 5 degrees. For example, setting a blade in the Mortise Chisel Jaw Pair at 1-5/32″ for 30 degrees, will result in an angle closer to 35 degrees.

Mike Walker

Repair and Construction Expert. WoodiesDIY.tv Owner