Have you thought of having your own forged wood chisel? Follow the steps below to learn how to forge a wood chisel.
A wood chisel is a tool used in chipping woods into different sizes and shapes, and a wood chisel is a handy tool in carpentry and carving. It is the most used tool of a carver or sculptor. This tool comprises a handle; a wooden, plastic, metal, etc. and a blade used for cutting woods.
It can also work on stones and metals, and a mallet or hammer hits the wood chisel. You can even beat the wood chisel using mechanical power or means.
There are different types of wood chisels ranging from the bench chisels to the mortise chisel, paring knives, etc. all classified by the task they perform.
There are different ways of forging a wood chisel, but all require specific steps. These steps define the organization and coordination of the method of forming. Below are some steps to reproduce a wood chisel.
Instructions on How to Forge a Wood Chisel
Step 1: Get Your Tools and Materials
The first thing you have to do is to get your tools and materials ready. Arrange them and get them close to you to make your work easier. The material mostly used to forge a chisel is the alloy coil spring.
Step 2: Get A Piece of Your Material
After acquiring your material, you should cut out a piece of your material. The length of the material you cut should be enough for the size of the chisel you want. You can either cut out the piece from a coil spring or any other alloy metal.
Step 3: Forging
This step comprises other different stages that are vital to forging a wood chisel. You should follow these steps to achieve an excellent forging result.
If you are using a flat bar, the first step is to heat the flat bar and roll a side of the bar using a rolling mill to the thickness of your desired chisel. But, if you are using a coil spring, you should heat the coil spring, cut open a side using a hacksaw, and then flatten it.
You should then form a socket by hand forging using a handheld chisel, hammer, anvil, and a steel cone to ensure precision while straightening and shaping the cavity.
Step 4: Heat Treatment
Heat treatment is an essential step in blacksmithing. It is because heat treating a metal increases its strength and durability.
Pro Tip
It would be better to slowly heat the metal to a temperature as high as 820℃ and this should be maintained for about 10 minutes. It helps to transform the structure of the steel into austenite.
Step 5: Quenching and Reheating
After heating and maintaining the temperature of the chisel for a while, you should quench the tool in oil. Oil is preferred to water as it helps keep the uniform structure and also makes the chisel transform slowly into martensite.
You should then heat the chisel to a temperature of 180℃ for over an hour. This procedure will help make the chisel tougher and harder.
Step 6: Grinding and Sharpening
To grind and sharpen your wood chisel, you should take note of the following.
Quick Steps
You should grind the steel by profiling it to an angle of 25 degrees when forging a wood chisel.
- You can sharpen the chisel using a stone grinder.
- Ensure that you grind the tool till a sharp edge emerges.
- You should also flatten the backside of the chisel on a belt grinder.
- You should also sharpen the side of the chisel using a whetstone.
Step 7: Polishing
You should polish the chisel with a green chromium oxide compound using a buffing wheel. It would be best if you polished the chisel until it has a razor-sharp edge and a glazing mirror-like finish.
Step 8: Fitting into the Handle
After polishing the chisel, you are clearly through with forging the blade. You should now insert the blade into the handle. The handle can either be wooden, plastic, metallic, or made from ceramics.
Fit the blade into the handle, and you are good to go with your forged wood chisel.
FAQs on How to Forge a Wood Chisel
Question
Can you use a screwdriver in place of a chisel?
You can use a screwdriver in place of a chisel but not in all cases. Screwdrivers make an excellent chisel, but when it comes to carving out woods, screwdrivers might be a little bit useless.
The screwdrivers are reliable and versatile when it comes to acting like a chisel but lose their versatility when it comes to carving out woods or harder substances.
Question
Are there different types of wood chisels?
There are different types of wood chisels. The different types of chisels have different functions and areas of specializations. The types of chisels include the mortise chisel, paring chisels, dovetail chisels, fishtail chisels, woodturning chisels, bench chisels, carving chisels, gouges, Japanese chisels, etc.
Question
What is the difference between a cold chisel and a wood chisel?
Cold chisels are hardened types of chisels. They are very thick and are useful in cutting raw metals. It comprises of a 60-degree hardened tip.
The wood chisel is relatively not a thick type of chisel, and it comprises of a 30-degree hardened tip. It is made of a softer type of steel. The wood chisel is mainly useful in cutting woods.
Video On How To Forge A Wood Chisel
Warnings
Some of the precautions to take when forging a chisel include;
- Make sure you put on safety wear.
- You should be conscious and careful when using the grinder so as not to injure yourself.
- Use the appropriate tools for the job.
- You should make use of tools in perfect condition.
- When polishing, be careful so you won’t ingest or inhale then chemical.
- When heating, you should be cautious so you won’t burn yourself.
References
1. https://www.instructables.com/id/HAND-FORGED-Cold-Chisel-From-a-Rusty-Old-Coil-Spri/
2. https://www.instructables.com/id/HAND-FORGED-Cold-Chisel-From-a-Rusty-Old-Coil-Spri/
3. https://woodandshop.com/woodworking-hand-tool-buying-guide-chisels/
4. https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/hand_tools/chisels.html
5. https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/13442-making-woodworking-chisels/
6. https://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?/topic/35307-forging-a-wood-chisel/