chisels for carving

[nemovir]

 Hello,  i still have my SMR from Jim Kibler in the white. I still haven't decide if I want to put craving on it, but I did buy his craving kit.  His book list multiple chisels to purchase. 
I can understand why Mr. Kibler would have so many.  Time is money and different sizes of the same chisel type is needed.  Thing is, I only have the one rifle and not decided if I want to do more in the future.  I don't want a box of chisels I may never
use again. 
My question is which 5 types of chisels do I really need? 
Or which 5 do you use most often?

[Ky-Flinter]

I crave good chisels too.  Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Most carving, especially relief carving, will be out of place on a SMR.  Some incised lines might be appropriate depending on the school or area you are trying to emulate with your SMR.  Incised lines can be cut in with a small V chisel. 

Fortunately, there is a solution.  Get one of Jim's colonial longrifles and carve it!

For relief carving, 5 chisels (flat) or gouges (curved) isn't very many, but could get you started practicing, then you can see what else you need to add.  I use the following quite a bit:
4 mm skew chisel
2 mm 30 degree V chisel
4mm #6 gouge
2mm #8 gouge
4mm #8 gouge

-Ron

[Mike Lyons]

What type of SMR carvings are you planning on doing?  MOST of the reference material I have for SMR's don't have elaborate carvings.  For carvings,  I like to use a 1mm - 3mm parting tool.  I prefer an ebay Japan Mikisyo 1.5mm over the Pfeil 1mm.  The Pfeil is long and more difficult for me to use.  I also use a 1/8" and 1/4" hollow ground chisels that I make from square tool steel.  I bought a lot of carving sets and I rarely use more than the above mentioned tools.  Obviously, chip carving is going to need a specific tool.  If you are going to use the "stabbing in" method, you'll need to either buy or make a wide range of curved stabbing tools. The other tools that I use a lot are little scrapers.  Study proper design, practice drawing, sharpening and tool control until you are blue in the face.  Best advice I can give.

[nemovir]

I want to at least use the pseudo-stock that came in the kit.  As for the SMR, I want to do at least the lines i see on the bottom of the check pieces that i have seen so far.  So I going to get 2 mm 30 degree V chisel first.

[nemovir]

Ky-Flinter, when I go to Woodcraft.com. I had cut and pasted '2 mm 30 degree V chisel' in the search field. it brought up a slew of different item.  Ok, let start again.  Went to v-tools, then chose Pfeil.  then 2mm.  chose the intermediate, because Afghanvet felt the full size was too long.

Is this the one, pfeil Swiss made - #12 Sweep V-Parting Tool, 2 mm, Intermediate Size?

[Ky-Flinter]

Nemovir,

Yes, the Pfeil tool will work, but I also like the Mikisyo Power Grip carving tools that Afghanvet mentioned.  Take a look at Item 155694  1/16" V-Parting Tool - Power Grip on the Woodcraft.com site.  It's about a 1/3 the price of the Pfeil tool and will do the job just fine.

-Ron

[Dennis Glazener]

I want to at least use the pseudo-stock that came in the kit.  As for the SMR, I want to do at least the lines i see on the bottom of the check pieces that i have seen so far.  So I going to get 2 mm 30 degree V chisel first.

I use a small, I think its 1/16 parting tool then switch to a modified tri-corner file to enlarge the vee to what I am looking for. Often on SMR's one end of the incised line/lines are deeper/wider that the other ends. The file works well to enlarge the incised line.

I sometimes cut a single incised line that starts at the toe and extends to the rear of the TG (both sides of butt-stock) I use this same tri-corner file to straighten and enlarge this line. Hope this makes sense.
Dennis

[nemovir]

So rather than actually carving the line on the cheekpiece, they ran a file across it? Make sense.

[Dennis Glazener]

So rather than actually carving the line on the cheekpiece, they ran a file across it? Make sense.

Not sure, that's the way I do it. The old timers way have used a vee tool but having very little need for a vee parting tool making those plain rifles I would not doubt them using a file.
Dennis

[smallpatch]

For moulding lines, you don't really need a v tool.  I use a single line checkering tool, and a small three corner file with the handle bent at 90deg for grip, to straighten the lines.

[Craig Wilcox]

I am using a "jointer" checkering tool - it is like a single-line cutter, but the working surface has many teeth and is about an inch long.  Really helps to straighten lines.  Then if you wish to widen them, a vee tool would do the trick nicely.

[Elnathan]

For straight molding lines you could probably just stamp them in with a straight chisel, then follow up with a file. Might be easier to get a straight line with a wide chisel than a V-tool.

[deepcreekdale]

For straight molding lines you could probably just stamp them in with a straight chisel, then follow up with a file. Might be easier to get a straight line with a wide chisel than a V-tool.

I agree 100%. I draw a straight line with pencil and straight edge, then use a wide 3/4 or 1" straight chisel starting at one end, tap straight down into your drawn line. Then, move the chisel about half the blade width using the original line you cut as a guide. The chisel will automatically stay straight because it is following your first cut, you then double check as you go with your pencil line. This is especially useful on long straight lines such as butt plate molding lines, or fore end molding lines. You can then deepen and widen your line with a checkering tool or triangular file if you wish. I use a V gouge now and again on deeper lines as well but the chisel layout method is more accurate especially with heavily figured wood.