How to Use a Chisel, Tips and Tricks for the Beginner to Intermediate Woodworker

Chisels are great for so many things. Especially because they can be used for rough or fine stock removal. I think there’s a tendency to watch instructional videos from some really great carpenters and think you need to have these absolutely perfect mechanics to use a chisel correctly. Well, that’s just not true and to be honest, a chisel is a really simple tool to use if you follow a few basic strategies. Obviously the more practice you get the better but there’s no reason you can’t get amazing results in the early stage of your journey.

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Timestamps
Intro 0:00
Types of Chisels 0:31
Sharpness Above All Else 1:09
Tricks to Keep Your Chisel Sharper LONGER 2:06
Some Sharpening Tips for The Real World 3:42
Sharpening Systems and Jigs 4:49
Sharpening on a Bench Grinder 7:24
Chisel Use and Safety 9:26
Tips While Chopping out a Mortise 11:58
Tips for Chiseling 90 degrees Across and With the Grain 15:54
Chamfering and Edge Profile with a Chisel 20:25
Final Thoughts 21:32
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Woodworking in *SLOW MOTION* Playlist:
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*MY CNC MACHINES* (I highly recommend both)

[katzmosestools]

Timestamps
Intro 0:00
Types of Chisels 0:31
Sharpness Above All Else 1:09
Tricks to Keep Your Chisel Sharper LONGER 2:06
Some Sharpening Tips for The Real World 3:42
Sharpening Systems and Jigs 4:49
Sharpening on a Bench Grinder 7:24
Chisel Use and Safety 9:26
Tips While Chopping out a Mortise 11:58
Tips for Chiseling 90 degrees Across and With the Grain 15:54
Chamfering and Edge Profiling with a Chisel 20:25
Final Thoughts 21:32

[katzmosestools]

The irony of wearing a band-aid is not lost on me. I wish I had a good story but it was a not Chisel related accident. I swear 🤣🤣

[danielu]

Using your channel as a poor man’s woodworking class. Beautiful detail, multiple views, redundancy of basics. All good. Thank you.

[Snowmunkee]

Nick Offerman teaches that every tool in the shop is essentially just a form of chisel. A saw is a bunch of tiny chisels in a row, a plane is just a chisel with a flat guide, even a drill bit is just a spiral shaped chisel.

[x-phoenix]

I have watched a lot of wood working videos over the last several years, including a lot on chiseling. I have to say this was the most useful I have seen on the basic techniques and you teach it in a way that takes the pressure of the beginner woodworker to not try to be perfect. This is one of your most useful videos, and you have a lot of them! Thank you.

[callmejackaroo]

Damn good teacher! Focuses on detailed instruction, & isn't concerned with trying to be a comedian like a lot of content creators. Thanks!

[bobsnow]

You brought back my Shop class in Junior High School... our teacher spent hours teaching us how to sharpen plane blades and chisels with a wet stones. Great videos, I watch one or two woodworking videos each morning with my Coffee... getting back into woodworking after a couple of decades off... I shouldn't say that because I do a lot of home repairs to my house and also I have done mission work as well, rough work framing, roofing, plumping, electrical... etc!!! . When I say I'm coming back I mean doing some cabinet work in the house... been fixing my shop/garage up... in other word's finding my tools and organizing. Made French Cleats on one wall and expanding, built two sleds... book case next week I hope! Again Great videos... PS: I like that sled stop you came up with... saw it was out of stock... I'll keep watching for it! Keep up the good work!

[Spacepod]

Thanks Jonathan, these tip and tricks vidoes are really helpful for a new woodworker like me... keep em coming 👍👍

[mtz]

I watched your video on sharpening your chisels, and what a difference it made. My chisels are scary sharp, making them pleasant to use now. It was well worth the 2 hours it took to sharpen them all.

[Cheeseburger]

Man, I really like all of your videos because you do a great job making a beginner woodworker like myself understand the process, as well as keeping imperfections as a learning tool. Thank you so much.

[NewApologist]

Between you and Rob Cosman I’ve learned more ways to take my woodworking to a higher level. Thanks you for all that you teach, excellent material.

[scottbutler]

I appreciate you taking the time. So many don't care about this topic. Those of us who do, downloaded it.

[bboeckman]

My birthday was this weekend and my brother got me a really high end German set of chisels, I've otherwise only had the cheapest you could buy. This video is perfect timing!

[bighoneymustard]

I have some of my granddads old chisels and just got a new little set, i found a nice stump cut of wood on the side of the road and just started getting into working on wood. I have always loved and respected wood working. Something i learned real quick though is respect that chisel and wear closed toed shoes. Went to get a bench grinder today i had to order it though, i cant wait.

[bobp]

Nice! Definitely different techniques than how I’ve been doing it all these years after learning how in 7th grade woodshop class. Thank you!

[bradleytuckwell]

You have a knack of taking the stress out of woodworking great tips and review thanks

[chrisflavelle]

I need to work, again, on my chisel sharpening techniques. In Grade 9 woodshop class, I got to be the official chisel sharpener, especially repairing the mistakes other classmates made, because I had been doing it with my father for 4 or 5 years before that. Now that I have some of my grandpas old chisels, I need to get them back into fine fettle to be used again. I'm saving up for slow grinder, or barring that, definitely a variable speed grinder. Great information as always.

[Lokey]

Nice video Jonathan, chiselling is where i’m not the most confident, so thanks for the tips. 👌

[dicktorkildson]

Always informative and helpful. You have a gift for conveying the information. Take that from an ole retired "shop" teacher! Stay well and productive.

[puppydoc]

Great video! As a novice woodworker, I know to keep the soft squishy bits away from the sharp end… but in a moment of… well, just not thinking I guess, I failed in that age old mantra… I acquired my first woodworking scar from a chisel that I just wasn’t quick enough to stop myself. I started a quick little cut, realized I was doing it wrong at the very same moment the chisel slipped… fortunately no ER visit but lesson learned… the hard way. I learned a lot from this video!! Thanks.