How to cut "thumb grip" in wooden patch box lid

[Justin]

How do you recommend cutting this little slot for a thumb grip on the patch box lid?

(*not my image... pulled from http://www.blackpowder411.com/builder/tips-tools-with-fred-stutzenberger-part-19/)

I figure you use a gouge to cut the concave scoop but what is the best way to cut the flat part on the left? Just careful stab in with a chisel / gouge? Or would a chisel with a rounded tip be better?

[rich pierce]

I use a self-made, round-ended chisel.

[deepcreekdale]

I do as Rich does. I have a few straight chisels I bought from flea markets cheap and reground them into rounded edges. Perfect for jobs like this and also useful to inletting the noses of locks  etc. I even have 2 of them I heated and bent into a dogleg with a rounded nose, handy at times for some inletting, especially with locks. I don't use them all the time but do bring them out at least a time or two on almost every build.

[t.caster]

Exactly what Rich and dale said. Ditto on the lock and sideplate inlets....and I also use them to start my RR pipe inlets.

[elkhorne]

Rich and/or Dale,
Can you show us a couple of examples of your rounded gouges. I have heard discussions of those who round some and those saying this is a destruction of good gouges. I do remember seeing Wallace Gusler’s gouges one time and he had a couple that were rounded as well as rounded chisels I believe. Your previous comments make a lot of sense.
elkhorne

[deepcreekdale]

If I knew how to download pictures I would be happy to show you some. Real easy to do though. I take a regular straight chisel, most useful is a plain old 1/4 inch chisel and grind the tip into a half circle, then sharpen the edge as usual. I also made some that I heated and bent into a dogleg and did the same, great for inletting the noses of locks or leveling out the background on some carving. With gouges I have a few that have a slight bullnose to them with the corners slightly rounded off. They are  just slightly rounded however, not a complete half circle like the chisels. I learned that from Wallace as well. It keeps you from getting little "nicks" in your curves as you stab in as you would with a gouge that is straight across with sharp corners. Hope that helps. One day I will figure out photo downloading and all the other workings of the devil.

[rich pierce]

Here’s a round-ended chisel I made that works in 3 places:
1) to level the inlet at the nose of the lock

2) to stab in the edges of the inlets for ramrod thimbles

3) to stab in (bit by bit) the thumb grip hole on a sliding wooden patchbox

For #3 I sneak up on it.  Not perpendicular at first and not deep at first.  I start at about 75 degrees and go about 1/32” to 1/16” “in” at a whack.  I alternate the near vertical stab then the gouged trough.  When good and deep enough I finish bringing the stabbed in edge to vertical.  I’m just making this up; was never taught, and not sure how others do it.

[Dennis Glazener]

If I knew how to download pictures I would be happy to show you some.

Here you go.
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=43575.0
Dennis

[Curtis]

Justin, there are two or three rounded chisels in this bunch both home made and ground from a commercial or antique chisel.



Curtis

[David Rase]

You don't have to make a special tool.  If you are not going to do a lot of sliding wooden boxes you can use a gouge of the proper radius and a sharp carving knife to remove the chip.  I do not have a round nose chisel in my took kit, but maybe I should build one. 
David

[Mike Brooks]

You don't have to make a special tool.  If you are not going to do a lot of sliding wooden boxes you can use a gouge of the proper radius and a sharp carving knife to remove the chip.  I do not have a round nose chisel in my took kit, but maybe I should build one. 
David

I don't even have a tool kit...more of a tool pile.