Definition
of Chisel:
The
term Chisel is getting from the French word chisel or Latin cast which means to
cut. A chisel is a hand tool with two parts; a handle and a blade. The handle
is generally made of wood and the blade is made usually of steel. These are
available in different sizes and hardness depending on the specific
applications.
A
chisel operates by forcing its blade into the workpiece with a certain force
exerted by hand, hammer, hydraulic ram, or trip hammer. The exerted force helps
the sharp chisel edge to cut or carve the workpiece. A chisel usually has the
following main parts
·
A sharp cutting
edge
·
A Body
·
A head/tang that
is inserted into a handle
Applications
of Chiseling:
As
already mentioned the chiseling procedure is prevalent in the woodworking
industry. Other industries that used a chisel for carving or cutting are:
·
Metalworking
·
Masonry
·
Stone cutting
·
Leatherwork
·
Lathe work, etc.
Types
of Chisels:
Broadly,
Chisels are classified based on the industry when being used. Depending on the
applicable industry they are categorized as:
·
Woodworking
Chisels
·
Metalworking
Chisels
·
Stone Chisels
·
Gouge Chisel
· Masonry Chisels
Woodworking
Chisels:
This
type of chisel is used for cutting or shaping wood and hence the name.
Woodworking Chisels range from small hand tools to large chisels for removing
the big wood sections. Chiseling work in woodworking usually starts with huge
chisels and continuously progresses to smaller chisels for making finer
details.
These
are various different kinds of woodworking chisels that are available and used
across industries for specific occasions as listed below:
Slick
Chisel:
A
very large kind of chisel driven by manual pressure, used and found in wooden
timber frames and in the shipbuilding construction industry. Their main feature
of they never got struck during work.
Firmer
Chisel:
They
have a thick rectangular cross-section blade to produce them stronger. Firmer
chisels are generally used on tough and heavy work.
Mortise
Chisel:
This
kind of chisel consists of a thick, rigid blade with a straight cutting edge.
These are widely used for cutting deep holes in wood.
Paring
Chisel:
These
chisel kinds have a long thinner blades with longer handles. Paring chisels are
ideal for growing grooves and accessing tight spaces. They work using the body
power of the user.
Bevel
Edge Chisels:
With
their beveled edges, bevel-edge chisels are suitable for producing acute
angles.
Skew
Chisels:
With
their 60-degree cutting angle, skew chisels are extremely used for trimming and
finishing across the grain.
Dovetail
Chisels:
These
kinds of chisels are specific for cutting dovetail joints, and allow easier
access to the joint.
Some
other types of woodworking chisels are
Butt
chisels for creating joints.
Carving
chisels for intricate designs and sculpting.
Corner
chisel for cleaning square holes, mortises, and corners with 90-degree angles.
·
Flooring chisel
·
Framing chisel
·
Drawer lock chisel
·
Bench chisel
·
Tank chisel, etc.
Metalworking
chisels are used for metalworking projects. These are two types of metalworking
chisels. These are:
·
Hot chisels
·
Cold chisels
Hot
Chisel:
A
hot chisel is used to split the pigging up and soft forge metal. These are
widely used in blacksmithing to cut and shaped hot steel workpieces. A
representative example of a hot chisel is the hot cut hardly chisel which is
used in an anvil hardly hole. These kinds of chisels are not used tempered or
hardened.
Hot
chisels feature a 30-degree angle cut blade. A hammer is usually to drive the
chisel into the workpiece. Often, these kinds of chisels are used in
combination with a “top fuller” kind of hot cut when the workpiece is
particularly huge.
Cold
Chisel:
When
a metal piece cannot be cut with a saw or shears because of limited space, Cold
chisels are a good another. They are widely used for repairing the jobs like
cutting off rivet heads, removing rusted nuts and bolts, and other heavy work.
Made
up of hardened tool steel, cold chisels find extensive applications in general
engineering work to cut away excess material from casting or other
manufacturing procedures. Various kinds of cold chisels are:
·
Round nose chisels
to cut semi-circular grooves.
·
Cross out chisels
for cutting grooves and slots.
·
Diamond point
chisel to remove unwanted debris and material from corners.
·
Flat chisels to
cut bars, sheet metals, and rods.
Stone
Chisels:
Stone
chisels are used to cut or carve stones, bricks, or concrete slabs. There are
various kinds of stone chisels that are used. Some of them are
Spoon
chisels with bevels on both sides.
Brick
bolster chisels with a wide and flat blade.
·
Claw chisels
·
Roundel chisels
·
Point chisels
·
Flat chisels
Masonry
Chisels:
Masonry
chisels are heavy chisels with dull heads that wedge and break. These are used
as demolition tools. Common kinds of masonry chisels are.
·
Point chisels
·
Clay spade
·
Flat chisels
·
Flexible chisels
·
Asphalt cutters
·
Tamper
Gouge:
A
gouge is smaller than a chisel without a flat blade edge. The cross-section of
the blade edges is used as curved or angled. A large variation of gouge chisels
is found in use.
Sharpening
a Chisel
When
a chisel tip becomes blunt, it must be sharp to get optimum results. There are
various ways by which these chisels can be sharp. The common chisel sharpening
methods are:
·
By using a
sandpaper
·
By using a grinder
·
By using a
whetstone
Use
a Chisels:
For
optimum working conditions, the chisel selection must be appropriate for the
specific job. Chisel size and blade kind must be properly decided. Before the
job, the chisel must be inspected to ensure it is in the best working condition
with the required sharpness.
