# Socket chisels



## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

I have a couple of old socket chisels. One has a wooden handle, the other has no handle at all. I want to make a new handle for it, but I also want to be able to use them in my woodworking. 

I assume that, since they have wooden handles, they should only used by hand? 

In other words, I can't use them for mortises where you use a hammer with it, right?

Or another way to ask the question ... if I can't use them with a hammer, how are they commonly used in woodworking?

Last question (for now!) ... what if I made a handle with something like a carriage bolt as the core, then would it be OK to use it for mortises?


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

I have wooden handles on most of my carving chisels. Some ill tap on with a small rawhide mallet and some ill tap on with a larger wood mallet. I also have some cheap chisels that I use for removing a lot of wood by smacking the the chisel hard. Never broke one yet. Smashed the end though, like a mushroom. Lol


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

Post some pics. Most chisels, especially socket style chisels, are good for chopping. Mortise work IS best done with mortise chisels, but you can do it with regular chisels. Especially if you drill out the waste first then pair the walls.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Chris Curl said:


> I assume that, since they have wooden handles, they should only used by hand?
> 
> In other words, I can't use them for mortises where you use a hammer with it, right?
> 
> ...


As Dominick said, I think using with a mallet should be fine.

I have a couple of wooden handle chisels, and use a dead blow mallet if I need more force than pushing by hand. This is plastic.

If you make the new handle out of hard maple, aka sugar maple, you should not have a problem using with a mallet.

The chisels designed for tough service have a ferrule at the top in addition to the chisel end. A picture to illustrate.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=41529&cat=1,41504


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

???

All of my chisels have wooden handles... :huh:

Of course you can whack em! But use a wooden mallet, not a hammer. Paring chisels shouldn't be whacked but bevel edge and mortise chisels are made for that. You can obviously abuse a chisel but the biggest difference between abuse and proper use is technique.

Socket chisels are particularly durable. The socket should not bottom out on the chisel and a hoop at the but helps to keep the wood from mushrooming.

What condition are the sockets in? Its common to find them beat to hell and back from some knuckle head taking a hammer to it after the handle is lost or broken. That has to be fixed before you turn a handle for it.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Not much to add here except that if the chisel is sharpened properly, it shouldn't need a lot of force...either by paring or with a mallet.








 







.


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## Wrangler02 (Apr 15, 2011)

When I received these chisels, they had no handles; so I made these. Nothing fancy, but they work.


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

cool, thanks. now i get to make a handle and a mallet. here comes another new thread ... !


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

If a chisel is sharpened properly, that's good news.
However, pushing wood open at 25 degrees or more is a needless chore. The value of a mallet is simply more control and far fewer overshot strikes. Going into a corner in a carving, you pay dearly for upscrews. 
Wood on wood is OK. My polyurethane-faced carving mallets show no damage in 10 years and I have never broken a carving tool wooden handle yet. You do not know how hard I have tried with a 30oz, lead-core carving mallet.

To be absolutely precise, that is not a lead shot-filled "dead-blow" mallet. Those have a silly, impractical shape for wood work, anyway.


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

ok, so the plan is to make a mallet out of beech. got it.

now the question is, should i use something HARDER than beech for the chisel handles? or is beech fine for the chisels as well?


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

firemedic said:


> ???
> 
> All of my chisels have wooden handles... :huh:
> 
> ...


is either a stanley 750 or a fulton chisel a "paring" chisel? sorry, i don't know the difference.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Beech is fine for the chisels. The Narex line of chisels have beech handles and they do fine. I'm not sure if it's American or European beech (European is considerably denser and harder). 

Any which way though, just be sure not to use a small beech branch... You don't want the heart running through the center of the handle.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Chris Curl said:


> is either a stanley 750 or a fulton chisel a "paring" chisel? sorry, i don't know the difference.


:thumbsup: all you have to do is ask.

Paring chisels are thin and have high bevel angles.

I looked to see if I could find a picture to differentiate and didn't find anything worth a hoot. 

First pic - L to R numbers 1,2&4 are paring chisels. 

Second pic - Top to Bottom it's 1 & 9.


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

hmmmm, these are probably paring chisels then


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Nope, "firmer" chisels. :smile: whack away!


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