Chisels for Grinding

Beveled Chisels

• A bench chisel comes with beveled edges along both sides. It allows the most access to dovetails and works well for various types of jobs. Some bench chisels have a hooped handle to help make the handle stronger when used with a mallet, while others have a basic round handle. It generally is the first set of chisels for beginners in a shop. Another type of chisel is the heavy-duty beveled chisel. It works well when building a boat. Some people opt for this chisel in projects that have large and complicated joineries.

Mortise Chisels

• Traditional mortise chisel works in combination with a mallet to remove the excess material in mortise. Unlike bench chisels, mortise chisels withstand the abuse of a pounding mallet. Home improvement stores carry an array of mortise chisels, ranging from lightweight to heavy-duty. A sash mortise chisel work wells in projects where you need to clean or chop shallow or deep mortises.

  Another type of chisel is a general-purpose chisel. These chisels have square or round handles, which makes using them in some projects more difficult than mortise chisels, since many mortise chisels have hooped handles. General-purpose chisels are less expensive than other chisels.

Paring Chisels

• You do not need a mallet with a paring chisel. It is a lightweight, slender and long type of chisel. Since it is long, you have better control when working on projects. This type of chisel works well in joinery. It also comes in handy with cleaning a mortise after chopping it with a mortise chisel. When using a paring chisel, use one hand to push the tool forward and place the other hand near the blade to help guide the tool as you cut.

Japanese-Style Chisels

• Japanese-style chisels are similar to Western bench chisels. However, manufacturers make Japanese-style chisels with laminated steel. These chisels are high-quality hand tools designed with hooped handles, hollow ground backs and have stronger and harder edges than western chisels. Japanese-style chisels work well for cutting softwood without the wood crumbling. Another type of Japanese chisel is a version of a dovetail chisel that works well for wood projects. It is a triangle-shape chisel with narrower edges compared to a Western chisel.