Basic types of wood chisels for a beginner?

[Andy A]

Guys,
I am just starting out as a builder. I am working on a Leman precarve but need to inlet the lock and trigger.
What types, kinds of chisels should I have to start out? Also where is your favorite place to get these??

Andy A

[rich pierce]

A lot of work can be done with 3 straight chisels and one gouge.  One straight chisel needs to be narrow enough to be used for trigger mortises, for underlug inlets, and ramrod thimble tab inlets.  Next size up is about 3/16" to 1/4" wide.  Big one can be 1/2".  A gouge that is about half of a circle  1/2" to 5/8" wide is useful in many places.  If you get to handle the chisels you are buying, take along a large Siler lockplate and find a gouge that is a bit smaller than the rounded nose of the lockplate.  That's the ticket.

If you have a woodcrafters store locally, go there and see what they have.  I make my own (cheap guy).  Or order Pfiel chisels from any of many places online.

[Beaverman]

Buy the best you can afford at the moment, most of my chisels at the moment are Lamp Brand, made in Germany purchased through Woodcarvers Supply, they have a site, when I'm wealthy enough to afford Pfiel, or Swiss, then I'll upgrade, I've had no problems with my chisels taking an edge an holding it

[Andy A]

Thanks guys,
Sounds like good info and I will get started with this!

Andy A

[brokenflint]

A skew will also come in handy.  Just beware acquiring chisels can be addicting and you will need your fix 

Broke

[ramserl]

that is so true!!!!!!!
look at woodcraft all the time just in case I over looked a chisel
must buy a new one soon.

[Acer Saccharum]

Avoid sets. You buy more chisels than you will use, so it's not such a great deal.

I agree with Rich's recommendations.

I have a 1/16 wide chisel and a 1/8, both of which I adore. If I had to choose between the two, I'd pick the 1/8"

All the above are long handled tools, 6 to 9" long.

If you don't have one, you NEED a Nicholson #49 cabinet rasp. Half round, smallish teeth, it makes stock shaping a breeze. I know you have a pre-carve, but there is often too much wood left on the stock.

Tom

[Beaverman]

A skew will also come in handy.  Just beware acquiring chisels can be addicting and you will need your fix  

Broke

So does finding good files!

[Birddog6]

With these 5 Flexcut carving tools from Woodcrafts & about 6 of these plain chisels from Dunlaps Woodcrafts (3 straight & 3 bent in dif. thicknesses) you can pretty much do all the carving & inletting necessary on a rifle.  

Woodcrafts


Dunlaps Woodcrafts


There will be a couple of small tiny chisels you will need & you can easily make from some drill stock from any hobby shop.  Or if you have any very small files you can make them from them. Cheap carving sets can made some good special tools by reshaping, etc.  I like the large bladed Exacto kniife with the 7/16" alum handle. Some don't like Exacto knives at all.  It is just preference.



A couple of MicroPlane wood rasps are sure a blessing;
http://us.microplane.com/snap-inrasps.aspx
http://us.microplane.com/shapingrasps.aspx

Really all depends on how deep you want to get into it. The more you do the more tools you will acquire.  

Starting out ?  I would buy the 6 from Dunlaps, the 2 halfround Flexcuts,  the 8"snap-in Microplane rasps (or a 8" square on & a 8" round one),  a 10" halfround wood rasp from Sears,  a 7/16" exacto knife & extra blades, and about 2' of 1/8" drill stock from a hobby shop, and a 1/2" dowel rod for handles for the small tools you will make.  

Good Luck !  

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

These Micro Chisels are the most useful I have found for carving.... cheap and they stay sharp  the handles are hust slightly bigger than a pencil and about 5 inches long.. You don't need them all. The basic set
and the expansion set (top) will be more than enough I think..but they are all nice.


Available online at http://www.woodcarverssupply.com/store/default.asp  Look under Micro Tools