Here's another tool found at a thrift store, initially it seemed like a useful chisel that would suit my "hack" woodworking skills, a cranked chisel intended to be used with a hammer.
But immediately I discovered that it won't keep an edge, which reminded me of why Craftsman chisels weren't known for their quality back in the day... I can still use it for a wedge, I guess.
I have the 1/2 version and you're right; it doesn't hold an edge. But with that slight crank (or curve) it's redeeming quality is it works well as a "glue chisel;" I use it to sneak up on dried glue squeeze-out around dowels or other protrusions. The one-incher though might be a bit big for that.
ReplyDeleteAnd they look nice all polished up too.
I worked for an "old school" plumber when I was a teenager, he called these "ripping chisels" for the proverbial "hatchet job" type of work we did. Sometimes it's better to have a softer tool that you can put an edge back on with a file on the job site than a chipped edge on a harder tool that needs grinding Just my 2 cents
ReplyDeleteI thought you were gonna say he used one to stuff caulking into cast-iron pipe joints. The tool to finish those joints looks a lot like that chisel. I actually thought mine was a rivet buster, until I tried to shear off the head of a rivet and ended up with just a divot in me chisel. But like you said, it's easy to make sharp again.
ReplyDeleteDave, that's the way I see this one. Rough carpentry work- like hacking holes for plumbing etc. as Meddleshop says. A poundable chisel is a useful thing, even with the cranked blade.
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