How to Use a Chisel

Use a Paring Chisel

1. 1
   Use a paring chisel for fine light woodwork, such as shaving or sculpting.
   • A paring chisel has a thin blade beveled at an angle of 15 degrees.
   • Paring uses the knife-like edge of a paring chisel to slice off small amounts of wood.
   • When paring, push the paring chisel into the wood while the wood lies flat on a surface.
2. 2
   Secure the woodwork firmly on your workbench or in your vise.
   • The more secure the fit, the more control you will have when pushing with force into the wood.
3. 3
   Position the the blade at a slight slant to the line of the wood.
   • When you pare, you are not taking off large amounts of wood, so you can pare with or against the wood's grain.
4. 4
   Place one hand on the chisel's blade and press it against the surface of the wood.
   • This hand controls the forward movement of the chisel.
5. 5
   Drive the chisel with the other hand placed on the handle.
6. 6
   Raise or lower the chisel handle to control the depth of the cut.
7. 7
   Repeat action and sharpen the blade as needed.

Use a Firmer Chisel

1. 1
   Use a firmer chisel for deeper cuts in both heavy and light woodwork, such as shaping a mortise.
   • The cutting edge of a firmer chisel is straight and square.
   • It is ground and sharpened like a plane iron.
   • The firmer chisel has a heavier blade than a paring chisel, and its angle is 20 degrees.
2. 2
   Keep the flat side flush against the wood.
3. 3
   Use a mallet, not a hammer, to drive the firmer chisel because the mallet absorbs and distributes the impact.
4. 4
   Take thin shavings when cutting or risk splitting or damaging the wood.
   • Give the chisel a sliding or shearing motion when cutting across the end grain of wood.
5. 5
   Raise or lower the chisel handle to control the depth of the cut.
6. 6
   Repeat action and sharpen blade as needed.

Use a Gouge

1. 1
   Use a gouge for fine woodwork, such as carving or sculpting.
   • Gouges have curved points and long handles.
   • There are 8 standards of degrees to the curves, and the gouges come in several widths.
   • Gouges can be used to carve into wood or to remove wood around a design to bring the design into relief.
2. 2
   Firmly attach wood to a surface that will withstand damage when a gouge slip as they tend to do.
3. 3
   Place your forefinger at "tang" of chisel, the place where the metal blade meets the handle.
4. 4
   Use one hand to push gouge forward into the wood.
5. 5
   Raise, lower, or turn the handle to achieve the desired effect.
   • For deeper cuts, hold the gouge perpendicular to the wood and hit handle sharply with mallet.
6. 6
   Gouge with the grain or risk damage to the wood.
7. 7
   Repeat action, change size of gouge as needed for design, and sharpen blades as required.

Use a Masonry Chisel

1. 1
   Use masonry chisels to score, trim, or shape brick or stone.
   • Masonry chisels are broader and shorter than woodworking chisels and are typically made of a single forged piece of metal.
   • Masonry blades are typically duller than those of wood chisels as they are meant to work by force rather than by finesse.
2. 2
   Mark the stone clearly with paver's chalk or dark pencil.
3. 3
   Set the masonry chisel (sometimes called a "blocking chisel") perpendicular to the stone at the mark.
   • A bolster chisel is beveled on one-side of the blade and is used to break off large pieces or sections.
   • A pitcher chisel is beveled on both sides of the blade and is used to cut straight lines.
   • Sculpting or engraving stone requires a wide variety of specialized tools and chisels.
4. 4
   Strike the chisel handle sharply with a hammer, mallet, or sledge hammer.
5. 5
   Repeat the strike along the line drawn until the break occurs.