How to use a chisel – types of chisels

There are chisels for cutting wood, and cold chisels for cutting metal. They cannot be used interchangeably. Chisels come in many sizes and shapes and all have a cutting edge at the flat end of the blade.

To drive a chisel into wood, use light blows of a wood mallet rather than a steel hammer. Hold your chisel at a diagonal when cutting, and keep both hands behind the cutting edge. Always work with the grain of the wood. Do not hurry.

To chamfer (bevel) with a chisel, you flatten the sharp corner between two right-angled surfaces. The ends of a chamfer may be flat or curved. You may produce a round corner with a chisel, doing rough work with the bevel side of the chisel held toward the wood, and finishing with the bevel held up.

Wood carving is chiseling which may be brought to a fine art,. and, of course, a wood carver has special tools.

Cold chisels cut off rivet heads, demolish nuts that defy your wrench, and chip and break metal surfaces. Hold cold chisels carefully and firmly to avoid serious injury.