The first half of the th-cam.com/users/postUgkx3ICSK6nSknaL_45CU2NmFSoXjarGMDiJ book is everything about wood: types, tools, finishes, setting up shop etc. The second half is all about doing projects for inside and outside of the home. The color pictures are helpful. After reading a dozen of these types of books, this is probably the best overall (layout, color photos, plans). Only detraction is that many of the projects use a table saw/router/planer, which are usually expensive and take up space, so the plans are less friendly to newcomers and the budget conscious. But I know I can use a drill, circular saw or a jigsaw to make the projects.
Thanks internet dad #45,546 you are helping people like me whose dads hobby was bad weed, avoiding the repo man unsuccessfully and hanging out with other smelly men who couldn’t afford their own cigarettes and always had to share.
I don't know how Rex is so relatable. But I always love watching his videos. It's like I'm talking to a friend in their home or my dad is explaining how stuff works. I've learned so much watching this channel in the last two years and I cannot get enough.
He actually looks striking like my oldest brother, just with a very different voice. Makes it almost uncanny to watch, but his content is still great anyway
Thanks so much! You are basically single-handedly giving a professional education for free, just without the hands on teaching because it’s online obviously.
I was delighted to see you cover the bevel up/down question. I already knew it, but so few creators bother to explain it so clearly with excellent examples. Just wanted to applaud a far above average educator.
“This video is about what’s possible more than how too” Rex this throwaway comment sums you up, I’ve watched a few of your videos now and I have to say you are a very gifted communicator but and more importantly you are a skilled technician in the art of woodworking. The dexterity in your hands is remarkable for such a young guy, either you are perfect mimicker or this is a practiced skill set, either way you impart knowledge better than most and for that I thank you. Please continue to educate in your own erudite way. Be safe my friend. This a genuine affidavit from a (old) novice at your feet.
I bought Narex Richter chisels after seeing several you tubers recommend them. Several said they flat when they arrived. I found the same thing you did these chisels are not flat.
What a great lesson. Im a framing carpenter. Nobody ever had the time to sit down and give me a 30min rundown on chisel basics everything i know is self taught. Appreciate it heaps thank you Sir!
Thanks, Rex. I have never heard chisel use described with such brevity and elegance. Also refreshing to hear what is basically a NEGATIVE review of a tool on TH-cam!
As someone only a couple months into my journey, I have found I love chisel work more than anything else. I would love some short videos on using them. Carving could also be a cool thing to move into afterwards but doesn't seem like it would be as popular.
Definitely seconding a series of short videos about just what in general you CAN DO with a chisel, as someone still learning I often spend a lot of time trying to figure out which tool I should be using for a certain thing, but so much can be done with chisels to much the same end result as anything else
Sometimes I think how old guys like to whittle, and if I start now and just whittle a little then by the time I'm grown I could own all my friends at the retirement home Rhett or Link (I don't know which ones which, the one with lighter brown shorter hair, taller) "I'm a thoughtful guy" Paraphrased, they incorporate the word hone somehow, as in honing a skill Your comment made me think of that.
I like scrolling through the second hand sites or go to flea markets to find good vintage chisels for literal pennies, I managed to collect almost a whole set of Kirschens for like 40-50$
Made a workspace for myself in my parents' shed. The whole process can be divided into "before" and "after" I bought the chisel. I've used this for just a few elements, but how beautiful and docile the wood under chisel. The work was similar to the song and I got carried away a few times. Fortunately, the result of the work was within acceptable limits.
The stack of drinking straws really helped me visualize the wood grain and what will happen with the 4 cuts chisels make. You're a great educator Rex! Thanks again.
This has to be the best intro ever! Even if I hated woodwork I'd be subscribed to Rex for the pure entertainment but being a sawdust addict I keep learning stuff while getting entertained. If I ever win the lottery Rex is going to be top of the list of folks to get a share. Awesome entertainer and fantastic educator.
amazing video, i liked everything from it. the only one thing that i personally would add is that chisels are very dangerous if you don't use tem properly. the freedom that it gives to your work can not only damage your work, but also severely damage your hands too.
I loved chisels long before I had some. Recently bought a really cheap set at my local hardware store and already got some quite satisfying use out of them, learning some of the tricks you've shown here. They're my favourite tool and it's just so nice to get a great surface with a simple tool like that
Your channel is one of my favorite's when it comes to learning about woodworking. I never really understood the purpose of chisels. But I learned so much from this one video. I just want to say thank you!
From this channel I learned how to sharpen chisels the less expensive way and worth of investing in stones. That's why I've been expecting the mention about cross grain cuts makes chisel dulls faster than along the grain.
I watch a ton of Japanese jointery videos because of the craftsmanship and precise fits. The main difference that I noticed between Japanese woodworking and European, is that before any paring is done, they wet the wood before making any cuts with a chisel.
Great video, thank you, something I will watch over again I expect. I also like that it isn't the cost of the tool that matters but how it is made and how one takes care of it. Keep up the great work.
I'm a total beginner, I really appreciated this video, it is such great information I didnt know how to use all the functions of a chisel but this was clearly demonstrated here, I liked the part when you showed how to make curves on the end grain and how to use the chisel, flat side up to concave and bezel that was really nice, I learn such great information from watching this and it gave me confidence to have a go myself, I gave this thumbs up I'm a new subscriber and watcher, thank you Rex. Laura in uk
Absolutely incredible tutorial. Thank you. 🙏 And a good, honest review of the chisels. 👏👏👏 Edit: I’m as amateur as they come and still using my dad’s chisels which were probably made circa 1950. 😂 I am a retired handcraft optical polisher and do all my own sharpening. I love woodworking but I really need to slow down. 😂
I must confess, I pre-judged the video based on that chisel.. a silly affectation of "style" before function. Thanks for the clarification. Excellent video.
Something that helped me figure out my bevel-up/down cuts was thinking of the bevel as acting like a fulcrum, allowing more control over the depth & direction of cut when bevel-down, or wedging material away aggressively when bevel-up.It's funny how a lot of these basics just emerge naturally as common sense when you dive in to work with wood. But then there's always the more subtle techniques Rex & others show that I wouldn't have thought of with my very limited experience that give one an 'A-HA!' moment.
Wonderfully lucid video, and easily the best overview of bevel up / bevel down I've ever seen. Then I looked at your existing list of videos. You, sir, have a new subscriber.
I have the Narex Rictor chisels and love the fit and feel and they hold there edge well. Bought them after watching James Wright's video on testing chisels.
In the early 70s, I was inspired by my grandfather to become a woodcarver. Some years later my grandfather gave me some chisels that had belonged to several generations of the family. I didn't know it then, but they were firmer chisels. Since my experience was in carving and with gouges, I used the chisels upside down, as flat gouges for a solid decade until my father in law , a fantastic furniture maker, found it interesting that I was using chisels upside down. I still think about that when I'm using those chisels.
I'm new to your channel and really enjoying your videos. I'm a relatively new woodworker that has recently graduated from hobby projects for friends and family to actual clients and a growing woodworking business. I really appreciate your knowledge and teaching techniques. Thanks!
I like this video style and make up. Its as though it highlights what is really necessary and what one should pay attention to. Also, it defines the takeaways named in the video.
I have recently started in the field of wood work. Low level stuff like custom wall shelves and recently cosplay props for my child. You channel has been super helpful; however, i have a small issue: i was involved in s traumatic car accident in 2001 that left me with only 1 arm and missing a few digits on my left hand. I’d love to see videos on how people with disabilities could do things like chiseling and planning with only one hand. Thank you.
Hey Rex, I have two sets of the Narex Richter chisels and they're some of the most comfortable chisels I've owned and used. I had a set of 750 sweetheart's and got rid of them immediately when I picked up the Richter's and snapped up a second set for my other workshop as soon as I could. They're not perfect out of the box, but are a hell of a lot better than the 750's (recent production, they're just awful and the larger sizes completely un-flat and convex in 3 out of the 8 in the set) and the Richter's were easily prepared. They're slightly convexed, hollow backed, something Narex themselves acknowledge, which makes it relatively quick and easy to flatten if you're doing fine work and it matters. And that's a point for others to note, it doesn't always matter, especially if your skills aren't honed and refined enough to work with a high degree of precision. In my case, I put them on the side of the Tormek wheel and they were ready to go in minutes for each one, nicely flattened. Not a massive hardship and a considerable saving over buying LN's or similar. I've had plenty of the cheaper Narex chisels and the Richter's really are a different tool in every way. Also, that handle, superb. Finally, the logo (and I know you may have been a bit tongue-in-cheek on this) has been in use as a trademark (Richter Extra) since at least 1930. Search on google for KATALOG VÁCLAV RICHTER 1930 - NAREX BYSTŘICE to find out more and to see their 1930 catalogue!
Hey Rex, I just so happened to see this video right as I was wondering the right way to use a chisel to square off a chamfered inside corner done with a router. And since you asked for suggestions on things to demonstrate with a chisel, well...there you are.
Man, this is amazing!! Can't wait to start practicing with my new chisels! Had no idea you could do so much. Thanks Rex for the incredibly done videos - you are a natural teacher!
Re your comment on the ergonomics of the chisel. An engineer I had a lot of respect for used to talk about tools "coming to hand" which I thought was a wonderful phrase that summed the whole thing up nicely.
I vote for buying and restoring socket chisels. Restoring and sharpening old chisels builds several skills at once maintenance (restoration is extreme maintenance and you learn why you never want to let maintenance wait), and sharpening. I started out with just one 3/4" socket chisel that had already been used by two generations of the family. It's an old Marples and Sons with the trefoil trade mark from around 1920. The form is rare since most old Marples are not socket chisels, and Marples chisels that have sockets tend to have blue plastic handles and also tend to be oversized like your Narex. My dad, who acquired it from his dad, was really more interested in metal (sheet metal) work than in wood work. So the old chisel was in poor shape, somewhat rusty (though mainly because t was stored to close to the sulphric acid used in sheet metal work), and with an edge and bevel badly pitted. You have a sense of accomplishment when the bevel and belly have a mirror polish and the hair seems to jump off your arm like its frightened of the edge. The smile is hard to put away.
Thanks for another great video! A chisel is by far my single most favorite tool for woodworking. The "freehand" aspect of it that you mentioned doesn't just mean you get more power (and danger) - it makes the end result entirely depend on the craftsman's experience. Anyone can buy a very expensive plane and get decent results with it, but with a chisel there's just no substitute for skill and feel. I've seen a few people talk about more chisel videos, and if I could ask for one it'd be explicitly about mistakes and things that can go wrong - for example the part with rising grain you've shown is something I've encountered just a few days ago, ripping a chunk off my mallet's handle! It must be really hard for a professional to go back to their beginner mistakes, so maybe asking your friend for help again could work? :)
Excellent video and good stuff, but at 11:00, I'd put it in the vise. I have more control, get better results, and don't risk my other hand. With the work in the vise and two hands on the chisel, it is easier to get a slicing movement, which yields a more refined surface. Also, when I'm doing this, the work is usually already in the vise because I just filed or otherwise worked the top, flat face. So keeping it in the vise is faster. Yes, I will usually rotate the work once, but that takes no time at all.
Aldi (or Lidl, I can never remember) sometimes sells chisels, for a few euros (or dollars I suppose if they're in the USA as well). They don't have fancy handles, but the chisels themselves are as good a material as the brands that'll cost you hundreds, and as you can see from the Narex, you're going to have to put effort into flattening chisels whether you buy expensive or not. With mortis and tenons I like to go the Paul Sellars route and use a router plane to flatten the sides of the tenons. This really helps with getting them parallel, especially when you have very long pieces and even the tiniest diversion that you wouldn't necessarily pick up with a chisel amplifies so at the other end it's suddenly a cm out of square.
great video, I just picked up a set of urethane handled chisels from Harbor Freight for an ash guitar project which has sent me spiraling down the rabbit hole realizing I have no idea what i'm doing, my main takeaway from my short time researching is that i need to probably clamp the piece down to my jeep bumper to stabalize the piece better and use my body weight more efficiently, i'm really feeling it working on the ground in my body. lol also my chisel didn't come with any bevels i thought i was supposed to hone the 2 surfaces to a sharp point but putting a 10 degree on the tip makes alot more sense than sharpening the face everytime. *headsmack*
Great vid. I have many sharp chisels now and wanted to put them to use better. My Narex dark brown handle chisels are good enough for me but they took a good time to flatten. A 3/8 mortise and a 2" bench chisel cost me $55 no complaints.
I haven't even started to build anything just gathering information from videos and getting my tools ready. Just yesterday I was thinking... so I'm going to try to sharpen my cheap chisels... and then what?. Thank you for another great video. Enjoying your channel very much. I'd love to see these small chisel videos.
I was in need of some chisel's, including some for carving wood sheaths, some rounded blades , and i couldn't find good quality ones anywhere near me, so i started forging them, now i have a nice set of hand forged chisels
Rex, thanks again for everything you present. I always get some tidbit. For me, my takeaway is a to-do list add on...go make sure all my chisels are flat on the backs. Other video ideas,...how about your shop maintenance schedule and routine? How often do you sharpen, empty the shop vac or get new filters, replace or repair your bench hooks, machine maintenance, or whatever...Im still too new to keep myself efficient and could use the reminders and suggestions. Thanks! Ben
You may have already made a video but I’d love to see one on removing a lot of material! I get other tools could be better for the job but I think it’s important to demonstrate what tools can be used for despite it being suboptimal because people and especially beginners don’t have access to every tool. So yeah while I might rather use a side axe or a drawknife and shave horse I think it would be good to show with a chisel as well. I don’t know exactly but I’m guessing the basic idea is the same as it would be chiseling stone. Cutting sections to give you a stop and chiseling those sections out.
Rex, may I suggest some TH-cam shorts of the chisel techniques? I really like the format and I would love to see your channel in that feed. Thanks for all the work, dude! You have seriously changed my life.
I'd add another technique, that i've never seem, but discovered by accident. Most people use the chisel with the leading edge parallel to the wood. But you can actually get rid of a lot of wood by tilting the chisel to a desired degree so that only the edge of the chisel digs into the wood. I found that yo can remove quite a bit of endgrain that way especially if you wet the endgrain first. Obviously this leaves a horrible surface, but by gradually tilting the chisel back to paralell you flatten the surface until it's perfectly flat. Especially wide chisel can be difficult to push through wood. By tilting it the area decreases and it's easier to remove wood. So that's another advantage of this technique. It's also usefull when you don't want to use a mallet, since you just tilt it when you don't have the strength to push it through your cut.
Yes to chisel videos! I'd love to see you splurge on intermediate chisel finishing skills, and how to work on various woods with the same technique (if possible). Maybe do a fancy japanese locking mortice to show off your skills?!
I used a file just now to aggressively take off a layer of metal, then I fine sharpened the end, it slides through wood like butter 😌 the file gave me the quick result I was looking for, but it takes a lot of care
You’ve inspired me 🤓 I’m going to have a go at making a bench…I just need to settle on a design…I’ll be woodworking 🪚🪵 in my garage with no power source, hence interested in hand tools ⚒️
I love both my sets of narex chisels. My personal preference is for the Richters. I find them very comfortable. I also have a bunch of old socket chisels. I must confess that if I am having to chop hard I go for the sockets... partly because I know the handle arrangement is stronger and also because I don't want to mess up my expensive paring chisels 😊 I suspect that there is a lesson here about having tools that are too expensive to use.... Of course when I do manage to break a handle on one of my cheap chisels (which I also love) I know exactly how to reconstruct the ha does because I made all of those handles myself with instructions from one of your videos.
I bought a fairly cheap trio of chisels last year - I think they cost around £10 from Aldi. They needed a fair bit of work to get them flattened and sharpened, but it was good practice and for the price, I can't complain. Handles are plastic and rubber so they may not be the most comfortable to use for extended periods of time, which might explain why 99 times out of 100, I find myself using an older, wooden handled chisel I found in the shed of my last house when I moved in (to be fair, I don't do much chiselling)
Rex, fantastic video. I absolutely love chisels. What I would like to see a video in is files and rasps. That’s where I’m totally lost and could use your genius!
13:17 Maybe their "logo" was so they would get some reCOGnition for their *gear* ? (I'll get my hat and coat and leave........ quietly 🛴) What is the best way to hold a piece of wood in the vice when trying to chisel it? I have a small 4" vice that has the usual angled faces so they meet at the top first and have found that if I am working on small/narrow pieces of wood then the vice doesn't hold it firmly and it moves. I have put some ¼" MDF (I think) on the faces and attached them with magnets so I can quickly swop them with a beefier set of face plate because the small vice doesn't open very wide, hence the ¼" face plates. If I put ½" face plates on then I lose close to one third of the available opening distance on the vice and this vastly limits the width of pieces I can put in it. With the ¼" plates I can just manage to fit the 4" side of a 4 x 2 (or even a 4 x 4) but with ½" ones 3" will fit but dressed 4" will not. Of course a larger vice is a good solution but it isn't a viable financial option (I have to uses a set of 25 year old 5 chisels that cost me about $10 at the time so real quality stuff and I can't justify a $30 set at this time) but I still need to be able to securely hold a piece I am working on. Can you or anyone reading these comments (if you can manage the TL;DR length) provide any suggestions for securing my target in the vice so it doesn't move when I try and take a bite out of it with my blunt, won't hold an edge, chisels? *Thank you*
Loved the video, tis one of your best. I have complete sets of all the styles of Narex chisels and each set has it's own specific use. My favorite are the Richter. I am a big dude with big hands, so they work well for me....for the same reasons you have issues with them. Lol. The big handles fit my hands so I feel like I am using tools instead of toys. Just a suggestion..when you trim the corner and edges of small stock like that in the video, please use a vise to hold it. Accidents can and will happen. I have a scar on my left thumb as a reminder a sharp chisel can and will slip and bite you. Overall..great video and I very much enjoyed it! Keep them coming bro!
Rex, I love your videos and have for a while now. I have learned so much from you and appreciate your recommendations, your relatability, and your humor. I’ve noticed that sometimes when using hand tools you have on PPE and sometimes you don’t. Would you please consider doing a video about woodworking with hand tools and PPE? I can’t find a lot of information on this topic on the web; most of it seems geared toward power tools. Thank you!
Hey Rex! I wish I had watched this video before I made some breadboard ends for a bench project. I’d love to see you tackle that with hand tools and give us your tips on it. Mine, um, had to go through some “repairs” before the ends were done. I cut the mortise and tendon with chisels though! It was a blast to try.
The straws analogy is the best, I was taught that when i started and I even use it myself when I teach! Btw I always tell my students to watch your channel !🤣😇
I made an all wood table (no glue or dowls or anything just interlocking prices) That's the most difficult chisel work I've done, working diagonally into the top of the top one leg and the bottom on the top on an adjacent leg. Might make a good video nothing but wood joints interleaving into a strong but knock down design
I've been watching Rex's videos in the last two weeks, and seen a number of times where he tests how well chisels and sharpened plane irons cut by doing those slicing cuts (~2:40), and I'm left wondering: does Rex now have a lot of offcuts with random sliced off corners sitting in a pile somewhere.
had to think for a minute where i remember that Narex brand name, little while back i bought an Adze that's made by them! they certainly do have great steel over there!
I've bought a Narex premium. I'm a beginner in woodworking and thought that starting with a medium quality chisel would help me more than a low price one. Well I totally agree with Narex being found of the fancy side. Ergonomics is great on the premium, wood is pretty. However the blade is soft. It cuts very well and is easy to sharpen but I twisted it with mild chopping. I thought that it was my due to my beginner skills. Then was forced to use the Stanley SW that I stored for later. Completely another story... So yeah maybe try the cheap ones from this brand but stay away from the fancy ones as Rex said. I would also say to pick ones with quality blade from the start. The work will be better even with poor skills and they will surely last longer. That's coming from a chisel fanatic! I just love using this tool^^ 😉
Great video Rex, thanks for sharing. I would love to have more like this. I am a complete beginner, having never picked up any woodworking tools or taking any classes, even when I was at school. It is great to get a clear and concise explanation of the different cuts and which way to hold the chisel to get them. Could you please do some more of the absolute beginner videos for other tools. This time last year I had no idea what a jig is but I have watched so many videos on making them, I now know how useful they can be. What would be useful is to see when you need to go from using a chisel to using a scraper and then all about sanding. All the videos I have watched say sanding is so important, so could you also please show the correct way to sand, how to work through the grits and whether you use wet or dry sanding. Just some ideas from a real complete beginner (but enthusiastic about learning). Thank you. From Lincolnshire UK. 😊
The first half of the th-cam.com/users/postUgkx3ICSK6nSknaL_45CU2NmFSoXjarGMDiJ book is everything about wood: types, tools, finishes, setting up shop etc. The second half is all about doing projects for inside and outside of the home. The color pictures are helpful. After reading a dozen of these types of books, this is probably the best overall (layout, color photos, plans). Only detraction is that many of the projects use a table saw/router/planer, which are usually expensive and take up space, so the plans are less friendly to newcomers and the budget conscious. But I know I can use a drill, circular saw or a jigsaw to make the projects.
Ok
Thanks internet dad #45,546 you are helping people like me whose dads hobby was bad weed, avoiding the repo man unsuccessfully and hanging out with other smelly men who couldn’t afford their own cigarettes and always had to share.
...damn mooches...
@@Clem68W damn scots
🤣🤣🤣
Lucky it was bad weed and not bad whiskey.
At least he was there
What's better than Rex Krueger? TWO Rex Kruegers!
Rex and Rex have great on screen chemistry. I hope Rex brings Rex back some time soon.
I don't know how Rex is so relatable. But I always love watching his videos. It's like I'm talking to a friend in their home or my dad is explaining how stuff works. I've learned so much watching this channel in the last two years and I cannot get enough.
And now there's two Rexesses! Lol
He actually looks striking like my oldest brother, just with a very different voice. Makes it almost uncanny to watch, but his content is still great anyway
Plus he doesn’t condescend. He understands if you don’t know the rules/principles you wouldn’t know something right off, like chisels.
@@ALCRAN2010 xh
I was thinking the same thing: he teaches whilst talking like your mate. Love it.
Thanks so much! You are basically single-handedly giving a professional education for free, just without the hands on teaching because it’s online obviously.
I love how Rex talks to his audience like they are dumb. And he’s totally right. I’m dumb and I love Rex for his lamen approach
I was delighted to see you cover the bevel up/down question. I already knew it, but so few creators bother to explain it so clearly with excellent examples. Just wanted to applaud a far above average educator.
“This video is about what’s possible more than how too” Rex this throwaway comment sums you up, I’ve watched a few of your videos now and I have to say you are a very gifted communicator but and more importantly you are a skilled technician in the art of woodworking. The dexterity in your hands is remarkable for such a young guy, either you are perfect mimicker or this is a practiced skill set, either way you impart knowledge better than most and for that I thank you. Please continue to educate in your own erudite way. Be safe my friend. This a genuine affidavit from a (old) novice at your feet.
I bought Narex Richter chisels after seeing several you tubers recommend them. Several said they flat when they arrived. I found the same thing you did these chisels are not flat.
What a great lesson. Im a framing carpenter. Nobody ever had the time to sit down and give me a 30min rundown on chisel basics everything i know is self taught. Appreciate it heaps thank you Sir!
Thanks, Rex. I have never heard chisel use described with such brevity and elegance. Also refreshing to hear what is basically a NEGATIVE review of a tool on TH-cam!
As someone only a couple months into my journey, I have found I love chisel work more than anything else. I would love some short videos on using them. Carving could also be a cool thing to move into afterwards but doesn't seem like it would be as popular.
Definitely seconding a series of short videos about just what in general you CAN DO with a chisel, as someone still learning I often spend a lot of time trying to figure out which tool I should be using for a certain thing, but so much can be done with chisels to much the same end result as anything else
Sometimes I think how old guys like to whittle,
and if I start now and just whittle a little
then by the time I'm grown
I could own
all my friends at the retirement home
Rhett or Link (I don't know which ones which, the one with lighter brown shorter hair, taller) "I'm a thoughtful guy"
Paraphrased, they incorporate the word hone somehow, as in honing a skill
Your comment made me think of that.
Look into "Mary May" wood carving/sculpting. She is badass!
I like scrolling through the second hand sites or go to flea markets to find good vintage chisels for literal pennies, I managed to collect almost a whole set of Kirschens for like 40-50$
Made a workspace for myself in my parents' shed. The whole process can be divided into "before" and "after" I bought the chisel. I've used this for just a few elements, but how beautiful and docile the wood under chisel. The work was similar to the song and I got carried away a few times. Fortunately, the result of the work was within acceptable limits.
wow that double conversation was very well done, great timing
The stack of drinking straws really helped me visualize the wood grain and what will happen with the 4 cuts chisels make. You're a great educator Rex! Thanks again.
This has to be the best intro ever! Even if I hated woodwork I'd be subscribed to Rex for the pure entertainment but being a sawdust addict I keep learning stuff while getting entertained. If I ever win the lottery Rex is going to be top of the list of folks to get a share. Awesome entertainer and fantastic educator.
I've watched a bunch of chisel videos and this one is very good. I also like that Rex shows some "mistakes" and comments on them.
amazing video, i liked everything from it.
the only one thing that i personally would add is that chisels are very dangerous if you don't use tem properly. the freedom that it gives to your work can not only damage your work, but also severely damage your hands too.
One of the greatest teachers I have watched. Bravo!
I loved chisels long before I had some. Recently bought a really cheap set at my local hardware store and already got some quite satisfying use out of them, learning some of the tricks you've shown here. They're my favourite tool and it's just so nice to get a great surface with a simple tool like that
I’ve been a carpenter since I was 16. Ever since I’ve found all the uses for chisels I always have one in my bags.
I did enjoy your video.
But I'll say, you've earned my respect.
The insight at the end regarding the tool critique and keeping it real was refreshing.
Your channel is one of my favorite's when it comes to learning about woodworking. I never really understood the purpose of chisels. But I learned so much from this one video. I just want to say thank you!
From this channel I learned how to sharpen chisels the less expensive way and worth of investing in stones. That's why I've been expecting the mention about cross grain cuts makes chisel dulls faster than along the grain.
Fantastic use of straws as a teaching tool to illustrate how the cuts relate to the fibres! Very smart :)
I watch a ton of Japanese jointery videos because of the craftsmanship and precise fits. The main difference that I noticed between Japanese woodworking and European, is that before any paring is done, they wet the wood before making any cuts with a chisel.
This is exactly the video I needed. I'm hooked on chisels now but I had no idea what to "really" do with them.
Great video, thank you, something I will watch over again I expect. I also like that it isn't the cost of the tool that matters but how it is made and how one takes care of it. Keep up the great work.
I'm a total beginner, I really appreciated this video, it is such great information I didnt know how to use all the functions of a chisel but this was clearly demonstrated here, I liked the part when you showed how to make curves on the end grain and how to use the chisel, flat side up to concave and bezel that was really nice, I learn such great information from watching this and it gave me confidence to have a go myself, I gave this thumbs up I'm a new subscriber and watcher, thank you Rex. Laura in uk
Absolutely incredible tutorial.
Thank you. 🙏
And a good, honest review of the chisels. 👏👏👏
Edit: I’m as amateur as they come and still using my dad’s chisels which were probably made circa 1950. 😂
I am a retired handcraft optical polisher and do all my own sharpening.
I love woodworking but I really need to slow down. 😂
I must confess, I pre-judged the video based on that chisel.. a silly affectation of "style" before function. Thanks for the clarification. Excellent video.
Something that helped me figure out my bevel-up/down cuts was thinking of the bevel as acting like a fulcrum, allowing more control over the depth & direction of cut when bevel-down, or wedging material away aggressively when bevel-up.It's funny how a lot of these basics just emerge naturally as common sense when you dive in to work with wood. But then there's always the more subtle techniques Rex & others show that I wouldn't have thought of with my very limited experience that give one an 'A-HA!' moment.
I thought I knew how to use chisels, but I learned more techniques today! Thanks!
Wonderfully lucid video, and easily the best overview of bevel up / bevel down I've ever seen. Then I looked at your existing list of videos.
You, sir, have a new subscriber.
This was excellent. There are many videos on this subject, but very few that are as informative and illustrative as this
I have the Narex Rictor chisels and love the fit and feel and they hold there edge well. Bought them after watching James Wright's video on testing chisels.
In the early 70s, I was inspired by my grandfather to become a woodcarver. Some years later my grandfather gave me some chisels that had belonged to several generations of the family. I didn't know it then, but they were firmer chisels. Since my experience was in carving and with gouges, I used the chisels upside down, as flat gouges for a solid decade until my father in law , a fantastic furniture maker, found it interesting that I was using chisels upside down. I still think about that when I'm using those chisels.
I'm new to your channel and really enjoying your videos. I'm a relatively new woodworker that has recently graduated from hobby projects for friends and family to actual clients and a growing woodworking business. I really appreciate your knowledge and teaching techniques. Thanks!
Best visual explanation of wood grain ever, thank you so much!
I like this video style and make up. Its as though it highlights what is really necessary and what one should pay attention to. Also, it defines the takeaways named in the video.
I have recently started in the field of wood work. Low level stuff like custom wall shelves and recently cosplay props for my child. You channel has been super helpful; however, i have a small issue: i was involved in s traumatic car accident in 2001 that left me with only 1 arm and missing a few digits on my left hand. I’d love to see videos on how people with disabilities could do things like chiseling and planning with only one hand. Thank you.
Hey Rex, I have two sets of the Narex Richter chisels and they're some of the most comfortable chisels I've owned and used. I had a set of 750 sweetheart's and got rid of them immediately when I picked up the Richter's and snapped up a second set for my other workshop as soon as I could. They're not perfect out of the box, but are a hell of a lot better than the 750's (recent production, they're just awful and the larger sizes completely un-flat and convex in 3 out of the 8 in the set) and the Richter's were easily prepared. They're slightly convexed, hollow backed, something Narex themselves acknowledge, which makes it relatively quick and easy to flatten if you're doing fine work and it matters. And that's a point for others to note, it doesn't always matter, especially if your skills aren't honed and refined enough to work with a high degree of precision. In my case, I put them on the side of the Tormek wheel and they were ready to go in minutes for each one, nicely flattened. Not a massive hardship and a considerable saving over buying LN's or similar. I've had plenty of the cheaper Narex chisels and the Richter's really are a different tool in every way. Also, that handle, superb. Finally, the logo (and I know you may have been a bit tongue-in-cheek on this) has been in use as a trademark (Richter Extra) since at least 1930. Search on google for KATALOG VÁCLAV RICHTER 1930 - NAREX BYSTŘICE to find out more and to see their 1930 catalogue!
Hey Rex, I just so happened to see this video right as I was wondering the right way to use a chisel to square off a chamfered inside corner done with a router. And since you asked for suggestions on things to demonstrate with a chisel, well...there you are.
Man, this is amazing!! Can't wait to start practicing with my new chisels! Had no idea you could do so much. Thanks Rex for the incredibly done videos - you are a natural teacher!
Re your comment on the ergonomics of the chisel. An engineer I had a lot of respect for used to talk about tools "coming to hand" which I thought was a wonderful phrase that summed the whole thing up nicely.
I vote for buying and restoring socket chisels. Restoring and sharpening old chisels builds several skills at once maintenance (restoration is extreme maintenance and you learn why you never want to let maintenance wait), and sharpening. I started out with just one 3/4" socket chisel that had already been used by two generations of the family. It's an old Marples and Sons with the trefoil trade mark from around 1920. The form is rare since most old Marples are not socket chisels, and Marples chisels that have sockets tend to have blue plastic handles and also tend to be oversized like your Narex. My dad, who acquired it from his dad, was really more interested in metal (sheet metal) work than in wood work. So the old chisel was in poor shape, somewhat rusty (though mainly because t was stored to close to the sulphric acid used in sheet metal work), and with an edge and bevel badly pitted. You have a sense of accomplishment when the bevel and belly have a mirror polish and the hair seems to jump off your arm like its frightened of the edge. The smile is hard to put away.
Thanks for another great video! A chisel is by far my single most favorite tool for woodworking. The "freehand" aspect of it that you mentioned doesn't just mean you get more power (and danger) - it makes the end result entirely depend on the craftsman's experience. Anyone can buy a very expensive plane and get decent results with it, but with a chisel there's just no substitute for skill and feel.
I've seen a few people talk about more chisel videos, and if I could ask for one it'd be explicitly about mistakes and things that can go wrong - for example the part with rising grain you've shown is something I've encountered just a few days ago, ripping a chunk off my mallet's handle! It must be really hard for a professional to go back to their beginner mistakes, so maybe asking your friend for help again could work? :)
All though you said this video was for beginners, it’s a good reminder for more seasoned individuals. 👍
If I ran a woodwork class I would ensure that all my students watched this video. Real good basic stuff that everyone should know.
Excellent video and good stuff, but at 11:00, I'd put it in the vise. I have more control, get better results, and don't risk my other hand. With the work in the vise and two hands on the chisel, it is easier to get a slicing movement, which yields a more refined surface. Also, when I'm doing this, the work is usually already in the vise because I just filed or otherwise worked the top, flat face. So keeping it in the vise is faster. Yes, I will usually rotate the work once, but that takes no time at all.
Aldi (or Lidl, I can never remember) sometimes sells chisels, for a few euros (or dollars I suppose if they're in the USA as well). They don't have fancy handles, but the chisels themselves are as good a material as the brands that'll cost you hundreds, and as you can see from the Narex, you're going to have to put effort into flattening chisels whether you buy expensive or not.
With mortis and tenons I like to go the Paul Sellars route and use a router plane to flatten the sides of the tenons. This really helps with getting them parallel, especially when you have very long pieces and even the tiniest diversion that you wouldn't necessarily pick up with a chisel amplifies so at the other end it's suddenly a cm out of square.
great video, I just picked up a set of urethane handled chisels from Harbor Freight for an ash guitar project which has sent me spiraling down the rabbit hole realizing I have no idea what i'm doing, my main takeaway from my short time researching is that i need to probably clamp the piece down to my jeep bumper to stabalize the piece better and use my body weight more efficiently, i'm really feeling it working on the ground in my body. lol also my chisel didn't come with any bevels i thought i was supposed to hone the 2 surfaces to a sharp point but putting a 10 degree on the tip makes alot more sense than sharpening the face everytime. *headsmack*
Great vid. I have many sharp chisels now and wanted to put them to use better. My Narex dark brown handle chisels are good enough for me but they took a good time to flatten. A 3/8 mortise and a 2" bench chisel cost me $55 no complaints.
See Rex DEFINITELY NOT looking at a recording of himself to time the split cut as best he can 🤣
I was NOT. i did it live!!!
I haven't even started to build anything just gathering information from videos and getting my tools ready. Just yesterday I was thinking... so I'm going to try to sharpen my cheap chisels... and then what?. Thank you for another great video. Enjoying your channel very much.
I'd love to see these small chisel videos.
I was in need of some chisel's, including some for carving wood sheaths, some rounded blades , and i couldn't find good quality ones anywhere near me, so i started forging them, now i have a nice set of hand forged chisels
I like longer chisel handles myself. Mostly for pairing across a beam or wtvr.
Rex, thanks again for everything you present. I always get some tidbit. For me, my takeaway is a to-do list add on...go make sure all my chisels are flat on the backs.
Other video ideas,...how about your shop maintenance schedule and routine? How often do you sharpen, empty the shop vac or get new filters, replace or repair your bench hooks, machine maintenance, or whatever...Im still too new to keep myself efficient and could use the reminders and suggestions.
Thanks!
Ben
I do those things when i can no longer put them off!
You may have already made a video but I’d love to see one on removing a lot of material! I get other tools could be better for the job but I think it’s important to demonstrate what tools can be used for despite it being suboptimal because people and especially beginners don’t have access to every tool. So yeah while I might rather use a side axe or a drawknife and shave horse I think it would be good to show with a chisel as well.
I don’t know exactly but I’m guessing the basic idea is the same as it would be chiseling stone. Cutting sections to give you a stop and chiseling those sections out.
I just bought some chisels! Ended up getting Stanley sweet heart chisels.
“Hi. I’m Rex...and this is my other brother Rex.” Clever, as usual
This is one of the best ways I've ever been taught via TH-cam heck yea thank you
Rex, may I suggest some TH-cam shorts of the chisel techniques? I really like the format and I would love to see your channel in that feed. Thanks for all the work, dude! You have seriously changed my life.
Thanks for the info. Chiseling has always been the weakest part of my woodwork game.
I'd add another technique, that i've never seem, but discovered by accident. Most people use the chisel with the leading edge parallel to the wood. But you can actually get rid of a lot of wood by tilting the chisel to a desired degree so that only the edge of the chisel digs into the wood.
I found that yo can remove quite a bit of endgrain that way especially if you wet the endgrain first. Obviously this leaves a horrible surface, but by gradually tilting the chisel back to paralell you flatten the surface until it's perfectly flat.
Especially wide chisel can be difficult to push through wood. By tilting it the area decreases and it's easier to remove wood. So that's another advantage of this technique. It's also usefull when you don't want to use a mallet, since you just tilt it when you don't have the strength to push it through your cut.
Yes to chisel videos! I'd love to see you splurge on intermediate chisel finishing skills, and how to work on various woods with the same technique (if possible).
Maybe do a fancy japanese locking mortice to show off your skills?!
Great video. I'm mostly using power tools, but sometimes a chisel is the perfect solution. Thanks for the information. this helps a lot.
I used a file just now to aggressively take off a layer of metal, then I fine sharpened the end, it slides through wood like butter 😌 the file gave me the quick result I was looking for, but it takes a lot of care
The flat backs was a problem, but I use the Richter only as paring/carving chisels as 20 degree primary bevel
You’ve inspired me 🤓 I’m going to have a go at making a bench…I just need to settle on a design…I’ll be woodworking 🪚🪵 in my garage with no power source, hence interested in hand tools ⚒️
I love both my sets of narex chisels. My personal preference is for the Richters. I find them very comfortable. I also have a bunch of old socket chisels. I must confess that if I am having to chop hard I go for the sockets... partly because I know the handle arrangement is stronger and also because I don't want to mess up my expensive paring chisels 😊 I suspect that there is a lesson here about having tools that are too expensive to use.... Of course when I do manage to break a handle on one of my cheap chisels (which I also love) I know exactly how to reconstruct the ha does because I made all of those handles myself with instructions from one of your videos.
I bought a fairly cheap trio of chisels last year - I think they cost around £10 from Aldi. They needed a fair bit of work to get them flattened and sharpened, but it was good practice and for the price, I can't complain. Handles are plastic and rubber so they may not be the most comfortable to use for extended periods of time, which might explain why 99 times out of 100, I find myself using an older, wooden handled chisel I found in the shed of my last house when I moved in (to be fair, I don't do much chiselling)
solid advise and clear usage illustrating the point with clarity, many thanks for all the work to teach us fumble fingers!
Rex, fantastic video. I absolutely love chisels. What I would like to see a video in is files and rasps. That’s where I’m totally lost and could use your genius!
Thanks for the great intro to the chisel, Rex!
13:17 Maybe their "logo" was so they would get some reCOGnition for their *gear* ? (I'll get my hat and coat and leave........ quietly 🛴)
What is the best way to hold a piece of wood in the vice when trying to chisel it? I have a small 4" vice that has the usual angled faces so they meet at the top first and have found that if I am working on small/narrow pieces of wood then the vice doesn't hold it firmly and it moves. I have put some ¼" MDF (I think) on the faces and attached them with magnets so I can quickly swop them with a beefier set of face plate because the small vice doesn't open very wide, hence the ¼" face plates. If I put ½" face plates on then I lose close to one third of the available opening distance on the vice and this vastly limits the width of pieces I can put in it. With the ¼" plates I can just manage to fit the 4" side of a 4 x 2 (or even a 4 x 4) but with ½" ones 3" will fit but dressed 4" will not. Of course a larger vice is a good solution but it isn't a viable financial option (I have to uses a set of 25 year old 5 chisels that cost me about $10 at the time so real quality stuff and I can't justify a $30 set at this time) but I still need to be able to securely hold a piece I am working on. Can you or anyone reading these comments (if you can manage the TL;DR length) provide any suggestions for securing my target in the vice so it doesn't move when I try and take a bite out of it with my blunt, won't hold an edge, chisels? *Thank you*
Loved the video, tis one of your best. I have complete sets of all the styles of Narex chisels and each set has it's own specific use. My favorite are the Richter. I am a big dude with big hands, so they work well for me....for the same reasons you have issues with them. Lol. The big handles fit my hands so I feel like I am using tools instead of toys. Just a suggestion..when you trim the corner and edges of small stock like that in the video, please use a vise to hold it. Accidents can and will happen. I have a scar on my left thumb as a reminder a sharp chisel can and will slip and bite you. Overall..great video and I very much enjoyed it! Keep them coming bro!
Rex, I love your videos and have for a while now. I have learned so much from you and appreciate your recommendations, your relatability, and your humor. I’ve noticed that sometimes when using hand tools you have on PPE and sometimes you don’t. Would you please consider doing a video about woodworking with hand tools and PPE? I can’t find a lot of information on this topic on the web; most of it seems geared toward power tools. Thank you!
What's better than One Rex,.....Two Rex's. Love your vid's man
I have GOT to learn to sharpen my tools that well!
Fantastic explanation for a complete novice like myself. 👍
Hey Rex! I wish I had watched this video before I made some breadboard ends for a bench project. I’d love to see you tackle that with hand tools and give us your tips on it. Mine, um, had to go through some “repairs” before the ends were done. I cut the mortise and tendon with chisels though! It was a blast to try.
Great video, Rex. I didn’t know how much I didn’t know about chisels!
The straws analogy is the best, I was taught that when i started and I even use it myself when I teach! Btw I always tell my students to watch your channel !🤣😇
A video where you identify and explain the purpose behind each type of chisel and gouge would be great.
Idk how much time it took you to film and cut that double shot, but that was amazing!!
It took so, so long.
You can see the left Rex waiting for his cues from right Rex mid way. Very well done though Rex!
It was fun. I'm not sure it was worth his time.
@@Incandescentiron whose time? Rex or his brother's?
The video was filmed by the remaining triplet.
I made an all wood table (no glue or dowls or anything just interlocking prices)
That's the most difficult chisel work I've done, working diagonally into the top of the top one leg and the bottom on the top on an adjacent leg.
Might make a good video nothing but wood joints interleaving into a strong but knock down design
I've been watching Rex's videos in the last two weeks, and seen a number of times where he tests how well chisels and sharpened plane irons cut by doing those slicing cuts (~2:40), and I'm left wondering: does Rex now have a lot of offcuts with random sliced off corners sitting in a pile somewhere.
So, so many.
Don’t you? So many pieces of scrap with bevels on them lol
had to think for a minute where i remember that Narex brand name, little while back i bought an Adze that's made by them! they certainly do have great steel over there!
HI Rex !
Maybe next video will be about ---> manual scraper for wood?
Cheers
Yes, I’ve seen the card scraper come up a number of times but have yet to track down the video where he turns a humble license plate into a scraper.
Thank you this is very helpful for 4 upcoming projects I'm working on
Your tutorials and edits are incredible.
Could you do a video about carving with flat or inexpensive special chisels?
I've bought a Narex premium. I'm a beginner in woodworking and thought that starting with a medium quality chisel would help me more than a low price one.
Well I totally agree with Narex being found of the fancy side.
Ergonomics is great on the premium, wood is pretty. However the blade is soft. It cuts very well and is easy to sharpen but I twisted it with mild chopping. I thought that it was my due to my beginner skills.
Then was forced to use the Stanley SW that I stored for later. Completely another story...
So yeah maybe try the cheap ones from this brand but stay away from the fancy ones as Rex said.
I would also say to pick ones with quality blade from the start. The work will be better even with poor skills and they will surely last longer.
That's coming from a chisel fanatic!
I just love using this tool^^
😉
Awesome video, perfect timing too, I need to trim up a piece I'm working on today was trying to figure how to do it... now to be done with a chisel.
Great video Rex, thanks for sharing. I would love to have more like this. I am a complete beginner, having never picked up any woodworking tools or taking any classes, even when I was at school. It is great to get a clear and concise explanation of the different cuts and which way to hold the chisel to get them. Could you please do some more of the absolute beginner videos for other tools. This time last year I had no idea what a jig is but I have watched so many videos on making them, I now know how useful they can be. What would be useful is to see when you need to go from using a chisel to using a scraper and then all about sanding. All the videos I have watched say sanding is so important, so could you also please show the correct way to sand, how to work through the grits and whether you use wet or dry sanding. Just some ideas from a real complete beginner (but enthusiastic about learning). Thank you. From Lincolnshire UK. 😊
can you do all how to? I love watching because I learn from watching it over and over then practicing it after I have watched them a bunch of time.
The double shot with your brother rexcalibur was really cool😎😎👍👍👍👍