chisel vs. waves

[caliber45]

Gents -- Does anyone ever manage to get chisels sharpened enough to overcome the "waves" in tiger-stripe maple? Once in a while I'll get lucky and changing direction (lock inlet) from left-to-right to right-to-left helps me get a smooth, level surface. But more often, it's bad either direction, and there ain't all that much room to chisel top-to-bottom (or vice-versa). Just wondering . . . -- paulallen, greencastle, in

[PIKELAKE]

I have found thru trial and error, mostly error, that I have better luck using sharp skew chisels. In fact I use a skew most often. They do a better job for me regardless of the curl.  You kinda shave off the wood versus chiseling it. It works for me, but I have been accused of doing things the hard way. You might try it.   JZ

[Dphariss]

Gents -- Does anyone ever manage to get chisels sharpened enough to overcome the "waves" in tiger-stripe maple? Once in a while I'll get lucky and changing direction (lock inlet) from left-to-right to right-to-left helps me get a smooth, level surface. But more often, it's bad either direction, and there ain't all that much room to chisel top-to-bottom (or vice-versa). Just wondering . . . -- paulallen, greencastle, in

Change the direction of the cut. I have a piece I am inletting a lock in wood now that cannot be cut other than across the grain or at a 45.  PITA but that how it is.


Dan

[Jerry V Lape]

In the bottom of an inlet what is the difference? If it really matters to you use a small scraper for the final depth cuts.   For the stock's exterior planing, cutting or scraping at a diagonal so the tool bridges two or more curls seems to work for me along with using as wide a chisel as suits the work.  And working down grain as you already know is absolutely essential.  I thought I knew how to sharpen my tools until I took a carving class with Jim Kibler & Ian Pratt and got to use some of Jim's tools.  Since then my standard of what sharp means has changed considerably and I changed my sharpening methods completely to get close to the sharpness they achieve.  Cutting curly sugar maple with really sharp tools and a slicing movement is fun now.   

[caliber45]

Thanks for the good advice, gents. All good stuff. (As to why it matters, I'm trying, this time around, to inlet just the lockplate to that depth, then mark screw holes for the "innards" and will try to inlet those piecemeal rather than my usual "hogging out" method. We'll see how that works.) -- paulallen, greencastle, in.

[Glenn Hurley Jr.]

The interesting part of working with wood is finding out how each individual piece of maple requires it to be worked.  On my current build, when I did the barrel channel, the wood came off in shavings as long as I worked it the way the barrel will shoot.  On the butt,it is just the opposite.  And while inletting the lock and sideplate, it works best as you go across the grain, exactly 90 degrees to the optimum way of working the barrel channel.  I guess there is no absolute, you have to find out through trial and error.  Each piece will tell you how best to direct your efforts.

[tbarnes66]

After trying several other methods with limited success, I was lucky enough to get a Work Sharp 3000 for Xmas. After upgrading to some German and Swiss tools, I was cutting through maple like butter.

I also bought the wide blade attachment so I could use my Oar's Wood Carving jig for gouges.

Now when I cut myself, I don't even feel it

[Acer Saccharum]

For stock shaping, I use a shallow gouge to cut across the grain, then scrub with a rasp. The waves don't present a problem at all.

Inletting locks, etc, I use a combination of drills, then straights and gouges. I often use a straight for scraping the bottom of the inlet.

Hard maple cuts best with tools that are thinly sharpened. How do I say this? They are ground thin, to a low bevel, then sharpened. But don't try to make prying cuts! You can lose pieces of your cutting edge very easily.

Tom

[J. Talbert]

I frequently use a shallow to medium gouge rather than a chisel, to remove the bulk of the wood in problem spots.  I find them more forgiving.  Then I switch to a chisel or scraper for the last bit of surface finishing.

Jeff

[Dphariss]

In the bottom of an inlet what is the difference? If it really matters to you use a small scraper for the final depth cuts.   For the stock's exterior planing, cutting or scraping at a diagonal so the tool bridges two or more curls seems to work for me along with using as wide a chisel as suits the work.  And working down grain as you already know is absolutely essential.  I thought I knew how to sharpen my tools until I took a carving class with Jim Kibler & Ian Pratt and got to use some of Jim's tools.  Since then my standard of what sharp means has changed considerably and I changed my sharpening methods completely to get close to the sharpness they achieve.  Cutting curly sugar maple with really sharp tools and a slicing movement is fun now.   

I prefer to not have my inletting look like it was done by a gorilla.

Dan

[Habu]

I prefer to not have my inletting look like it was done by a gorilla.

Dan

Oh, that brings back memories of my first rifle.  A friend was looking at it while I cleaned the lock after a match, and commented, "That's just amazing!  How did you train a gorilla to use a chisel?" 

A few days later I got a bunch of scrap maple and started practicing inletting. . . .

[volatpluvia]

Dpharis,
I once told a craftsman at Dixon's gunmaker's Faire that my inletting was not smooth enough on the bottom.  He said, 'hah', look at this original.  The barrel channel was pretty choppy from end to end.  Only the tops of the waves would have received any inletting black.  and these waves were inch to inch and a half long, with one slanted to one side and the next to the other. 
This said, I too, don't like my inletting to look like a gorrilla did it.
volatpluvia

[Jerry V Lape]

Dan, his question pertained to the ripple you get when going cross grain in curly maple, not an axe job by his pet beaver.  I don't like my inlets to look chewed either, but I  wouldn't get anal about a little curly ripple under the lock or butt plate.