Types and Applications of Chisels

Chiseling is cutting operations involving a hand tool known as a chisel. This performance is quite common in woodworking (carpentry) to give an actual shape to the wood. Whoever; the chiseling operation is also frequently used in shaping metals (Metalworking) and stones/bricks (Masonry). The cutting tool, Chisel, is a metallic blade with a sharp edge. In the chiseling procedure, the blade is forced into the workpiece to cut/shape it. In this article, we will learn more about chisels, their types, and their applications.

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.