Chisel Tricks for Hand-Cut Joinery

[@B0M0A0K]

This has to be the sharpest chisel I've seen. Amazing.

[@MathieuDAVID]

+B0M0A0K they are polish more than sharpened but the wood is soft imo

[@joshuarosen6242]

They are both. He doesn't polish them so they're shiny, he polishes them so they are sharp.

[@MathieuDAVID]

just a personnal choice the polish but not needed at all for a sharpened cisel. anyway this video is only to show useless things. cutting tenon is normally done by saw nothing else if nicely done

[@FineWoodworking]

I'm sorry Mathieu DAVID, can't stand it anymore. You obviously don't know any theory behind sharpening if you think the polish has nothing to do with sharpness, and you think that sharpness in a chisel isn't needed, and you think that these techniques are useless.

[@joshuarosen6242]

Mathieu DAVID This is rubbish. A saw cut is fine for simple joinery but to cut a tenon neatly it's quicker and easier to use a chisel. You should watch Paul Sellers' video on the subject.

[@burntsider8457]

Thank you for appropriately compressing meaningful content into four minutes.

[@TristanJCumpole]

It's always worthwhile padding out the trash can with air-filled plastic so you don't damage any router you throw into it. :-D

[@Maloy7800]

So that you never use it again after the camera is off. :-))

[@Thefreakyfreek]

Prostheta was going to say somting similar but your coment is beter

[@havhavproductions8725]

if u wont use it why buy it

[@Jac70]

God is this some new kind of spam algorithm. Choose a random female name and then comment about how wonderful some book or website is. Guess I am gonna have to report all this crap until KZbin sorts it out.

[@Scubadog_]

These are the weirdest spam bots. I get advertising porn or something, but now they're taking up interest in woodworking!

[@Gluluman]

I am in my late thirties white collars MBA, had a corporate job now I own and operate my own business. And for unknown reasons, I find my self watching hours of wood working clips. I am not certain what draws me to these types of clips, but I love it.

[@dudeguy9943]

Carpentry has been a passion of mine since I was about 16, and I've always loved to watch a master at work ! I feel one cannot ever truly be a master without observing a master.. I love it

[@kh23797]

Philip's principles transfer directly to the kitchen too. By the time you get out the food processor, slice a couple of onions, dismantle it and wash up, you could've grabbed a (very sharp) chef's knife, _chop chop_ and cleaned down. But paramount too is the sheer _sensual_ pleasure of learned knife skills, allowing direct hands-on contact with the materials. This connects us to our Stone Age forebears, in that long evolutionary process so vital to the vast increase in our species' intelligence.

[@rymdalkis]

Watching videos like this I realise why woodwork back in school was so hopelessly hard. The chisels hadn't been sharpened for decades

[@JohnColgan.]

Best sharp chisel work I've seen in a long time!

[@dominicryan5227]

I had the very good fortune to spend a week with Phil a few years ago. For the people questioning the utility of a super sharp chisel, or how sharp his were, I can tell you from trying his that I still have a hard time getting mine as sharp. His could cut softwood and never have tearouts. Paring shoulder endgrain to the line as he showed only works well if the chisel is very sharp. It is too easy to have it ride up or down due to the extra pressure needed in a less than sharp chisel. As to the use in cutting tenons, sure, you can always bang out some tenons with a bandsaw. With a lot of practice you can hand cut with a tenon saw and have a smooth snug fit. What I got from Phil was a more practical and stepwise sense of construction. With a little bit of care, and perhaps an extra step, you can set yourself up to ensure success even when your attention is less than perfect or the wood less than cooperative. The cost of that extra step on many pieces is much less than screwing up tenon and having to start it over. The point in all of this is not that it is the *right* way. Just that there are lots of things one can do to help with the job. Maybe you don't need any of them, maybe you can cut tenons first time, every time, with perfect fit. That's great, keep doing it. I really appreciated his lessons. I was very sad to learn of his passing last year. We lost someone with so much to offer, who already had as well.

[@ManhattanWoodProject]

Good lord, that is one sharp chisel! Great techniques and tips, thanks for sharing!

[@orglee]

I'm really curious how can you sharpen a chisel to that degree. Its so sharp its scary.

[@semerhi]

Sebastian Tarach Check out Paul Sellers' Channel.

[@davidreadbikes]

I was just looking up a reminder video on making mortises - and the person who showed me how to do them years ago popped up on KZbin. We miss you so much Phil.

[@T3hN3wB]

You are an awesome teacher, I learned alot in that 4 minutes

[@salv434]

I am so Fricken jealous of this dude and his ridiculously awesome hand- tools

[@jamessanders7873]

This guys is awesome. And to the people that think machine work is faster it definitely is. It is also faster to not worry about every imperfection. This is fine woodworking being done by and extremely skilled craftsman. I’m sure this guy is really proud of each piece he creates

[@franksalterego]

My power company warned me about people like you. Frank

[@bluesky6327]

That was awesome. This is the first tool I reach for with so many applications...nice to know I’m not the only one.

[@podoclaste]

"Chapeau bas" sir, your skills are incredible, your tool and your eye as sharp as can be. Make sure you pass on your knowledge to the next generations. As a hobbyist I use a mix of electric and hand tools but I know you cannot understand the former if you don't use the latter from time to time. Again, good job.

[@OpinionatedMonk]

Thank you good Sir. Your hard work and contributions do not go unnoticed.

[@JDeWittDIY]

Step #1. Make sure your chisels are sharp.

[@EllisDesignandTradeCo]

+J DeWitt DIY Goodness I know right, I was just thinking wow those are some sharp chisels. If I attempted this it WOOD be a mess.

[@JDeWittDIY]

+Husky Wood Working Yep, learning how to keep your tools razor sharp is one of the best investments of time for a wood worker. I've fallen into the error of thinking it's easier to just struggle with a dull tool than sharpen it, but boy am I 100% wrong when I think that!

[@BlackSwan912]

too true. in fact, I now use a razor sharp old Stanley with a yellow plastic handle for a tremendous amount of paint stripping on my old doors. it is amazing... the more I use it, the more I turn to it.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Man na See Paul Sellers' demonstrations on You Tube, which are nearly all done with pine (using hand-tools.)

[@metusbatmanv7661]

+J DeWitt DIY Extremely sharp chisels in this video.

[@TaenXD]

Is it just me or was this extremely satisfying to watch? :D

[@rahulm7159]

This is one of the most helpful videos for this topic

[@labrat7357]

Thanks for taking the time to make this video. It is a big help to woodworking newbies like me. I had to try this paring technique for myself on some scrap, it is not as easy as you make it look. All the best.

[@Jack_all]

As a new woodworker I had to learn a lot the heard way ( still have tons to learn) but I wish someone would have taught me how to properly sharpen my tools earlier. If you are a newbie take some time now to learn good sharpening practices, invest in a good wet stone and get or make a leather strop to get a fine edge. It will save you tons of headaches and time.

[@OriginalRoadScholar]

I recommend buying 3" x 8" (at least) EZE-lap diamond plates down to the finest grit available. They're fast, they're flat, and last practically forever if you take care of them. That leaves only the last grits to the water stones (which go out of flat quickly) or Arkansas oilstones (which go out of flat eventually), and of course a strop.

[@BrinnaOfficial]

I am sure this is a strong wise man, but I can't keep myself from thinking he is just too adorable. Makes me happy =)

[@Ammani-Yat]

and this is the mastering of old school, well done

[@NeillWylie]

Quality tools and quality workmanship. Very satisfying to watch!

[@TheKoodus]

that is a joy to watch. I hope my skills with a chisel get somewhere near that one day, and my sharpening too. Thank you for sharing.

[@K0ester]

Wow, impressive collection of hand tools behind you.

[@micahhowell4432]

Holy cow that chisel is sharp! Thanks for the great tips!

[@ronin4711]

The chisel is sharp, but the wood was soft. It is said : "be ware of a restaurant that the table ware knives are sharp, usually the steaks are dry and hard"

[@truebluekit]

ronin4711 But Mr. Lowe doesn't run a restaurant. Furthermore, sharp chisels are requisite for getting anything done *well* in the wood shop, and soft woods are perfect to demonstrate techniques with.

[@ronin4711]

Sorry, if you don't get the PUN, I'm not going to invest time to explain it to you, but someone else. A sense of humor is something that either you have it, or NOT.

[@truebluekit]

ronin4711 Ooohh, I'm so hurt that you wouldn't explain it to me. Ooohh, the pain, the pain, when will it end?

[@squirehaggard4749]

truebluekit Gee, from obtuse to sarcastic. Quite a range you have there, sport.

[@Bv791510]

Good, clear instructions and explanations. Great camera work

[@bmedicky]

Great video. I think what some commenters might be missing is that hand tool work is very fast once you know what you're doing. There's no messing with fences, blade height, cut depth adjustments, templates, jigs, etc. You just pick up the tool and get to work almost immediately. A scribe line or pencil mark, and off you go. By the time you factor in all the adjustments power tools inevitably require, you could have done much or even all of the work with a hand tool.

[@christschool]

+Borys Medicky Very true. I'm learning that sometimes, the hand tools are just simply faster and more accurate too, except in a production shop where one might be doing a hundred tenons a day, then the power machines are much faster.

[@thedrummerdamo]

Borys Medicky there's so so many factors you're missing, you have to remember these chisels take ALOT of care to work this well, you have to clean them and sharpen them every time you use them, and if you chip the blade it then takes alot longer to grind it down and get it perfect again, honestly, you're one of the commenters you talk about yourself, it's quite silly. really how hard is it to adjust the height on a router ???? like 5 seconds. I can make one 10 of these joins with a router before 1 is made with a chisel, it's all about method.

[@bmedicky]

Chisels don't chip unless you abuse them, and don't take a lot of work to resharpen if you know what you're doing. There are tons of KZbin video in which chisels are quickly sharpened, with or without jigs, by hand or with some kind of powered abrasive, in no more than 2-3 minutes. And router bits get dull too... sharpening them properly is not easy, since you can only sharpen the flat back and not the actual cutting bevel. So they are never really be sharp except when they are new, and they can only be half-sharpened afterwards. Look, there's nothing wrong with power tools: I use them constantly myself. But if you train yourself with hand tools you can go beyond what power tools limit you to. With a dovetail router jig, you are limited to maybe three dovetail angles, based the router bit you use; with hand tools, there are infinite possibilities. Want to space your dovetails in some strange or irregular way, or mix different pin/tail sizes in one joint? No problem with hand tools; with power tools, you now need a fancy and expensive jig that may or may not be able to do what you want, and if it does it, it requires major reconfiguration. Feel like dovetailing two pieces at a joint angle other than 90 degrees (uncommon, but yes, it can happen)? Impossible with any router jig I know of; with hand tools, fine.

[@thedrummerdamo]

Borys Medicky yeah I understand all of this bro, I've been in civil construction, general construction, cabinet making and worked in a hardwood mill for 7 years, I know everything possible about sharpening blades, bits, saws and anything else in between, the fact is, everything about a chisel is slower, if you know then you know... in saying that, if you don't have anything and you just want to say, make a table, then my first option would be to spend a little on a chisel set rather than alot on power tools, they are more efficient in that way but that's about it in my opinion.

[@jasonb4350]

Borys Medicky chisels are great but if you are doing a ton of work power is helpful like drilling out most of a mortise and then finish it with a nice sharp chisel

[@virgja264]

they are the sharpest damn chisels ive ever seen

[@saigmundur]

Nice video. Using a really sharp chisel to fit pieces together by shaving a tiny bit of at a time is really satisfying! But I do like the efficiency of the power tools aswell! Seems like a lot of people got their feelings hurt though, judging by the comments :)

[@robertthomasadair]

Thank you for a great video always a pleasure watching a skill demonstrated and explained well

[@marciefree]

Lol! You're awesome. If you want to throw away your old router I'll take it. I don't have one. 😢. Just learning how to do stuff and I love love love working with my hands and wood. Thank you for making this video and for passing down your expertise and wisdom. ❤️😇. Marcie Free xoxxxoo

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Useful tips, thanks!

[@LogicallyCompromised]

looks like spnaish cedar. if i am correct, it helps make the already sharp tool look even sharper as the wood is very soft relative to most. thank you for video and teaching me something today! live long and prosper!

[@periodcraftsmen]

Actually its mahogany from Africa.

[@michaelpage7691]

Well explained....thanks, I'll be putting into practice what you've demonstrated...from down under.

[@Handleyman]

Such a pleasure to watch. Great control and great advice. Thanks so much. Cheers.

[@maciejrostafinski7367]

That was most useful, big thanks for sharing your knowlegde!

[@araibirshad8294]

The crafstmanship is a thing of beauty

[@tube4waldek]

I love that last scene! Made me laugh so much. Super film! Thanks.

[@boblevey]

Thanks for your great videos and instruction.

[@rorylobban4789]

Nothing like a wise material choice to make yourself look like a super hero! That Brazilian cedar is Bonney stuff.

[@periodcraftsmen]

Works on ebony the same way if you know how to sharpen.

[@novacrystalas]

Crazy amount of hand tools behind him. It's like a decorative backdrop.

[@mogbaba]

I love your work. Thank you for sharing your skills and experience.

[@harrypowers9412]

Excellent instruction! THANK YOU.

[@smolboyi]

I am grateful for this information 🙏🏼

[@Foodsofwonder]

respected sir its been fun and pretty well tuto for new learners like me . human skills are demanded on carpenting wooden furnitures i respect thank you sir. beside i feel bad on that rotary tools that u just dump pretty fun to see that happened though lol.

[@RGRGJKK]

Pura vida great technique thanks for sharing .I like how he throws away the router hahhaha I like world with hand tools everytime I could do a woodworking project

[@richis9070]

He makes me laugh he threw the router in trash and minute later puts it back. Expensive thing mate. Lol still love the video. Thanks

[@Noorioioioio]

1st. That is the damn sharpest chisel i have seen in my life 2nd. Why did i not find this video earlier?

[@garyschmidt7320]

Everyone here could benefit from sharp(really sharp) chisels. I have an old " beater" that I use when doing remodeling, etc, but even gets sharpened. ( some) There are several methods to sharpen tools and it should be a primary and crucial part of a woodworkers education. If one method doesn't seem to work for you, pick another. When you get it right you will not want to ever use a dull tool again. Take care of your tools and they will take care of you.

[@rtyankeedoodle]

Wow your chisel cuts wood like butter

[@garyschmidt7320]

Good video Mr. Lowe.

[@karolpuma]

"poor little guy" ;) Amazing channel, thanks for tips

[@robkutner3193]

3:00. 'we don't use these things around here!' LOVE IT!!

[@pedroaraujodesign1]

Awesome Sir. Thanks for that. Greetings from Brazil.

[@melissapacheco3440]

This guy has some chisel skills!

[@markgoddard2560]

It’s possible to get an exact fit with the hinge by scribing first one side, then moving the hinge up to cover the scribe line and then, scribe the other side. Then, on the outside of the scribe line, using a square or some other fence, run a scalpel along the scribe mark to the depth of the hinge. You can get the same tolerance to the leading edge of the hinge by using a shim at the base line. It gives a perfect fit.

[@MrPanohead]

Good tip on how to use the chisel on the mortise and tenon. A bit ironic to say you prefer to use the tool at hand with 25000 planes behind you though.

[@infogirl314]

Watching perfectly cut wood is so satisfying, I think I have OCD lol

[@ef2b]

You showed how to pare the two shoulders. Some tenons have four shoulders, i.e., the tenon is narrower than the rail. In that case, would you still pare the long shoulders first, then cut the tenon to width, and then finally pare the two short shoulders? I have trouble with that final paring of the short shoulders...keeping all the shoulders consistent. Do you have any suggestions for how to pare those two final, short shoulders? Thanks for the video.

[@MM-un3nb]

I am impressed, that’s very skilful

[@Inderjeetsingh-ri7lj]

Iam india (Punjab) you are very nice work

[@ejgane]

One of the very best 🙏

[@artconnolly9519]

You make it look so easy Amazing

[@roar40s]

I thumbed this up 6 years ago. KZbin thought I should watch this again today.

[@ahmadbidmeshki]

love your work place and tools. master

[@erniezamora9509]

nice video what type of wood are you using thanks ...

[@AandB1998]

Great video! I had to LOL at you chucking the router in the trash can. I subbed by the way.

[@samterian7694]

give credit to the guy who sharpened that chisel

[@periodcraftsmen]

The user is the one who sharpened it.

[@willemkossen]

Nice instruction. It confirms im on the right track.

[@musiq002003]

When you threw that router the n the garbage is when I clicked the subscribed button lol

[@Be3Al2]

are all chisel set's double beveled? I just got this item and so far i like it but I don't if I can use both sides, as a small test I use a flat chisel and its seems to work on both sides, I hope i'm right, any help is much appreciated please and thank you. This is the set I have, and that for the sharping stone it comes with am I supposed to wet it then use it? Or can I use it dry as well? @t

[@anthonyloy3713]

i was going to ask if you can ship your garbage, but never mind.

[@kevinhibbard5733]

Perfect, hand tools learn to use them and love them.

[@mggcomputers]

what type of marking knife is that. not the marking gauge i can't find it anywere let me know thanks

[@radinsyah1574]

I think the wood he’s using is made of butter.

[@Sidheavonney]

So, I see that I am not the only one that can't cut a straight hollow grind in the tips of my chisels, heh. What is that, a sandvik with a custom handle? Depending on wood type I will also grab a chisel. So much faster a lot of times then setting up a jig and getting the right bit in the router. I want to see you do that on birdseye or rosewood or bubinga 2 instead of mahogany. LOL. Nice technique.

[@ChimeraActual]

Nice vid. I see you flat grind your chisel bevels rather than hollow grinding them. Me too, I'm not sure there's any advantage to flat vs hollow, but it works better with the sharpening system I use, and I don't see any disadvantage.

[@pianostyle1005]

what kinds.of wood are best for chiseling. pine oak or what. i took a good look at how close.and straight a piece i had and it was turning out very good.

[@FineWoodworking]

+James Ready All woods are good for chiselling! Some are easier than others but you certainly don't choose the wood based on how well it chisels.

[@johnk.castillo8202]

>>>The Art And Craft Of Woodworkingggg>> twitter.com/TGe4GCVGV94vghj78/status/801132150066016257 >>>

[@mansoreaa]

Hi , what the marking knife you use? I like it ended!

[@tobyque9399]

Hello, how did he make that tapering at the wood plank at 0:42 ?

[@surfbouy]

That was beautiful.

[@hambone3145]

Great video. Thank you.

[@noreaction1]

What do you use specifically to sharpen your chisels?

[@DEG1985]

Muy buen video gracias... We thank you for such an important video ...

[@Diozark]

Is there anything wrong with making the shoulder go all the way around the joint ?

[@738polarbear]

Excellent hand control .but wouldnt a shoulder plane be more accurate?

[@christopherdavid3587]

this video is sooooooo amazing

[@adrianpawlik6616]

wooow what a chisel where did you get one that cuts so good?

[@pauldixon6654]

Greetings sir. That was very entertaining I must say. Have now sub your channel cant wait to see the rest of your video. thanks for sharing.

[@reason43poole37]

Thank you very interesting and so clear.

[@shezpaul]

damn that's 1 sharp chisel. do you have a video on sharpening if you don't id like to see 1 so I can try and replicate the capability of your chisel. theres nothing more dangerous than blunt tools. thanks for sharing

[@FineWoodworking]

+shezpaul If you go to www.finewoodworking.com you'll find dozens of videos about sharpening!

[@atomicpsycho1589]

Amazing! good video thanks!

[@TheAshanks15]

would you be willing to do a video on how you sharpen your chisels?

[@joshuabinet3017]

best video ever

[@Stratofennder]

How you sharpening the chisel? 😀

[@sudo_nym]

Are chisels good for opening paint cans?

[@periodcraftsmen]

No.

[@sudo_nym]

Wine bottles?

[@sudo_nym]

Maybe you should insert a sense of humor. Dumbass.

[@motorcyclelad]

Sudo Nym I got the joke:)

[@Hasy84]

Being sharp and neat is the secret.