Woodwork Post

[Scritch]

I recently finished removing (4) 1/2" layers of fir from a pair of glulam
beams (for my workbench, but that's another story). I did this by making
lots of 1/2" deep saw cuts across the beam faces, then using some bench
chisels to waste away the majority of the wood. Lots of pounding involved.

My query revolves around the durability, or lack thereof, of the leather
shock washers on the striking ends of the chisel handles. I need to
preface my question by noting that the chisels have been passed down to me
from my great-grandfather's toolbox. He was a carpenter who built his own
house in 1906 in California. The chisels have the original handles and
leather shock washers, and most likely date back to somewhere around 1900.
Unfortunately, even though I was using a wooden mallet, I destroyed one of
the washers before I noticed, and the second chisel's washers are pretty
beat up, too.

I thought the washers were supposed to protect the handles. Were they
falling apart because they're 100 years old, or because they do that
anyway?

Now I need to replace the washers. Should I use some kind of leather
again, or maybe switch to brass rings? Metal rings might protect the
handles, but would beat up the mallet. Any idears? Also, if leather is
correct, what is the best kind? I possibly have a source of free shoe sole
leather scraps, which would seem to be ideal, being fairly hard and tough.

[nailshooter41aol.com]

On Nov 20, 9:18 am, Scritch wrote:

> Now I need to replace the washers.  Should I use some kind of leather
> again, or maybe switch to brass rings?

Personally, if I had a "heritage" tool, I would restore it to as close
to original condition as I could. I would go with the sole leather.
Glue the leather first, then a light oil of neatsfoot on the leather
tip should do it. Make sure you oil it; dry leather is brittle
leather.

I am not being ugly here, but why were you using nice chisels to do a
nasty chore like table top removal? For something like that, the old
beaters (you probably have) sharpened on the grinder would have worked
better as you could have used a regular hammer and beat the * out
of them.

Just wondering...

Robert

[-MIKE-]

Scritch wrote:
> I need to
> preface my question by noting that the chisels have been passed down to me
> from my great-grandfather's toolbox. He was a carpenter who built his own
> house in 1906 in California. The chisels have the original handles and
> leather shock washers, and most likely date back to somewhere around 1900.

I don't have an answer to your question, nor do I really care...
but that is the coolest thing ever.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com/
mike@mikedrumsDOT.com
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

[Ed Pawlowski]

"Scritch" wrote in message
news:Xns9B5C4A439FD90capeflatterycomcastn@194.177.96.78...
>I recently finished removing (4) 1/2" layers of fir from a pair of glulam
> beams (for my workbench, but that's another story). I did this by making
> lots of 1/2" deep saw cuts across the beam faces, then using some bench
> chisels to waste away the majority of the wood. Lots of pounding
> involved.
>
> My query revolves around the durability, or lack thereof, of the leather
> shock washers on the striking ends of the chisel handles. I need to
> preface my question by noting that the chisels have been passed down to me
> from my great-grandfather's toolbox. He was a carpenter who built his own
> house in 1906 in California. The chisels have the original handles and
> leather shock washers, and most likely date back to somewhere around 1900.
> Unfortunately, even though I was using a wooden mallet, I destroyed one of
> the washers before I noticed, and the second chisel's washers are pretty
> beat up, too.
>
> I thought the washers were supposed to protect the handles. Were they
> falling apart because they're 100 years old, or because they do that
> anyway?

Sounds as though you were abusing the chisels.

The leather may be under warranty though, Check with the manufacturer.

[J. Clarke]

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> "Scritch" wrote in message
> news:Xns9B5C4A439FD90capeflatterycomcastn@194.177.96.78...
>> I recently finished removing (4) 1/2" layers of fir from a pair of
>> glulam beams (for my workbench, but that's another story). I did
>> this by making lots of 1/2" deep saw cuts across the beam faces,
>> then using some bench chisels to waste away the majority of the
>> wood. Lots of pounding involved.
>>
>> My query revolves around the durability, or lack thereof, of the
>> leather shock washers on the striking ends of the chisel handles.
>> I
>> need to preface my question by noting that the chisels have been
>> passed down to me from my great-grandfather's toolbox. He was a
>> carpenter who built his own house in 1906 in California. The
>> chisels have the original handles and leather shock washers, and
>> most likely date back to somewhere around 1900. Unfortunately, even
>> though I was using a wooden mallet, I destroyed one of the washers
>> before I noticed, and the second chisel's washers are pretty beat
>> up, too.
>>
>> I thought the washers were supposed to protect the handles. Were
>> they falling apart because they're 100 years old, or because they
>> do
>> that anyway?
>
> Sounds as though you were abusing the chisels.
>
> The leather may be under warranty though, Check with the
> manufacturer.

Uh, what part of "100 years old" did you miss?

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

[Lee Michaels]

"J. Clarke" wrote

> Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>
>> Sounds as though you were abusing the chisels.
>>
>> The leather may be under warranty though, Check with the
>> manufacturer.
>
> Uh, what part of "100 years old" did you miss?
>
Ed has been known to exercise some dry wit from time to time.

[Upscale]

"Lee Michaels" wrote in message
> >> The leather may be under warranty though, Check with the
> >> manufacturer.
> >
> > Uh, what part of "100 years old" did you miss?
> >
> Ed has been known to exercise some dry wit from time to time.

Well, if it's dry wit, it's so dry that it's thoroughly mummified.

[Jeff Gorman]

"Scritch" wrote
>
> I thought the washers were supposed to protect the handles.

I fear that this is a very well-known old wive's tale.

I have it on the authority of a chisel manufacturer that the difficulty of
* a handle so that it perfectly abuts the flange of the tang is so
great that a leather washer is inserted to accommodate/disguise any small
error.

To me this is the only explanation that makes sense.

Sorry to be a nay-sayer,

Jeff

--
Jeff Gorman, West Yorkshire, UK
email : Username is amgron
ISP is clara.co.uk
www.amgron.clara.net

[Upscale]

"Jeff Gorman" wrote in message
> > I thought the washers were supposed to protect the handles.

> I have it on the authority of a chisel manufacturer that the difficulty of
> * a handle so that it perfectly abuts the flange of the tang is so
> great that a leather washer is inserted to accommodate/disguise any small
> error.

Bah! You just destroyed the last illusion I had in life. Go away and don't
come back.

:)

[Gerald Ross]

Lee Michaels wrote:
> "J. Clarke" wrote
>
>> Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>>
>>> Sounds as though you were abusing the chisels.
>>>
>>> The leather may be under warranty though, Check with the
>>> manufacturer.
>>
>> Uh, what part of "100 years old" did you miss?
>>
> Ed has been known to exercise some dry wit from time to time.
>

But there are people who do not recognize humor unless they can hear
the canned laughter. I have lived with one for thirty something years.


--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

A Lot of people mistake their
imagination for their memory.