Who said Marples chisels are any good???

[Bay Area Dave]

bought bench chisels. this webpage says what you can use them for.

dave

C> Bay Area Dave wrote:

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

Mike, How flat was the back of the two cherries when you got them? They look good, and I'm thinking of picking some up myself.

Thanks, Barry

[Mike in Mystic]

I spent a fair amount of time flattening them with some 150 grit wet/dry sandpaper. I didn't time it exactly, but let's just say it took more than

30 seconds but less than 5 minutes. As these things go, I'd say that they were pretty flat right out of the box. Keep in mind, I only flattened the 1-2 inches right near the edge.

Mike

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

Sounds like that to me, as well.

As is all you need to.

Thanks! Barry

[Jim Wilson]

They might not be discolored because oxidation colors are easily removed by abrasion -- grinding, polishing, honing or other normal tool finishing practices. They may also have been tempered in a controlled environment (inert atmosphere or vacuum) that prevents the oxidation that causes the coloring.

However, if heated in air, the tool steel used in Marples chisels will certainly discolor before it softens beyond its intended use hardness. In fact, it discolors if heated to its normal tempering temperature in an oxygen-bearing atmosphere.

Jim

[dave]

No what you got was a cross between a bench chisel and a butt chisel. Both have bevel edges, Butt chisels tend to be shorter and are designed for abuse. Bench chisels are more for clean-up type work, glue-lines, stray trash on edges, things like that. In a pinch they can be used as a paring chisel to clean up dadoes or dovetails, but they really aren't as good as the longer and thinner paring chisels. Firmer chisels look like Bench chisels but the sides are square to the faces, Mortise chisels are thicker top to bottom than they are side to side, but are also square to the faces. Does that help? Take a look on the net or in an antique shop for a much better idea. Once you see them and can handle them it'll be satori.

Dave in Fairfax

[dave]

You're making me crazy. I NEVER SAID THAT YOU SHOULDN'T USE A MALLET! Paring chisels shouldn't be struck, bench chisels probably shouldn't be but sometimes are butt chisels frequently are and mortising chisels must be. Someone else told you not to strike chisels because of his training, which I tend to agree with BTW but even he wouldn't tell you not to strike a mortising chisel. What you have there is the bastard son of a butt and a bench chisel. Furthermore it isn't a great quality chisel, that's why I said that I consigned them to my crappier jobs. I believe in mallets, read the posts, I don't believe in hammers except for nails. Before you get upset about what I've said, please make sure that I said it. Thenkew, Dave in Fairfax

[Lowell Holmes]

Knowing the kind of wood work that you do, I doubt it. I really was trying to make a point to others. I learned to use hand tools at Homestead Heritage and I use the techniques they taught me along with other things I've picked up. I really am a duffer, but occasionally I turn out something nice. We all are more comfortable with the techniques we know, but that doesn't mean one is necessarily better than others. I would hesitate making something out of mesquite. I suppose I will have to try. I make Shaker style candle boxes because it gives me practice in making dovetails. The females in my family and acquaintances seem to appreciate them, so the boxes never just sit around. Ladies it seems, really like little boxes almost as much as young boys do. :-) I wonder if I could do one using mesquite ? . . .

[Andy Dingley]

Why not ? Not unreasonable for an old cast iron hinge.

If I were using plastic-handled Marples chisels (which I would hope not to be, as they're low-end rubbish) then I'd expect a light hammer to be the appropriate thing to drive them, and I wouldn't worry too much over the bevel-edge / mortice chisel distinction.

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods

[Tom Watson]

Yes, it would be one hell of a hinge and this would be the mark of a hinge made by someone who gave a damn about how hinges should be made.

I've had the pleasure of working with a few mongers who grew such hinges and they are a rare pleasure.

Thomas J. Watson-Cabinetmaker (ret) Real Email is: tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet Website:

[David Binkowski]

This is really bumming me out. My Marples chisels ARE my good chisels. I bought them to use instead of my Stanley's, which are probably just as good.

[Bay Area Dave]

sorry to drive you nuts, Dave! :) I THOUGHT you had said that I was using a mallet on a chisel type that shouldn't be struck with one. If I got you wrong, I'm sorry.

There IS the possibility that I got one really crappy sample of a Marples chisel, too, and had I tried another it might have fared better. In any event, it wouldn't work for MY intended purpose so it's just as well that I returned it.

dave

[e-mail] wrote:

[Bay Area Dave]

not to worry, David. the pundits here think it's MY fault the edge fell apart. and I didn't get the Blue Chip chisels.

dave

David B> This is really bumming me out. My Marples chisels ARE my good

[Bay Area Dave]

Interestingly, Robert, over in the woodturner's group, complained about the Marples not holding an edge, AND he prefers his Sears chisels... :)

dave

Bay Area Dave wrote:

[dave]

Fair enough. I've got a couple sets of the Blue chips and haven't had any problems with them. From the responses it sounds like the quality control is slipping and they turned out a bad batch. I've got an old st of Bucks (mad in USA) that are nice too. Makes me wonder if the slip in quality had to do with the Record or with Rubbermaid. Record's used to metal, hmmm. Dav in Fairfax

[Conan the Librarian]

I don't see why not. Mesquite is such a joy to work (well except when you're working from a log and you've got to deal with all the dirt that gets into the wormholes). It's dead stable, smells nice when working, is hard but not splintery, and has just enough grain reversals to keep things interesting. :-)

If you learned at Homestead Heritage, I daresay you've learned some excellent technique and it's no accident that you turn out nice things. Do you have any pics of your candle boxes? That might be something fun to try as a gift for SWMBO. I think she's getting tired of me giving her jewelry boxes. ;-)

Chuck Vance

[Conan the Librarian]

Fine. Buy Sears chisels then. Some of us will continue to use our Marples chisels. And guess what? We will post about our own experiences with them. And guess what? We might not agree with you. Get used to it.

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I assumed that you must, seeing how often you you beg for it.

I know that. My mistake to include the words "Blue Chip" in my previous post. But I have Blue Chips. And guess what? They're made by the same company. And guess what? They perform about as well as I would expect for a set that runs less than $30.

Not nearly as much as you seem to think they do.

Chuck Vance

[Bay Area Dave]

I can't buy Sears chisels in the sizes I want and who would expect them to be the equivalent of their tools from 30 years ago anyway?

Peace, Chuck.

dave

C>

[Mike Hide]

I have been using blue chip for 30 years and am quite happy with the product. My projects being rudimentary probably are not so demanding of my chisels as they are of Dave's..

I suppose Marples must be either fooling a bunch of people or at least producing an acceptable product, after all they have only been doing it for a hundred years or so ....mjh

[Bay Area Dave]

perhaps the quality of the one ProTouch that I purchased isn't the same as your 30 year old blue chips, Mike.

dave

Mike Hide wrote: