Equipment

Why chisel width matters A door lock or latch needs a recess that fits its faceplate: wide enough for the […]

A clean mortise comes from controlling the chisel, not hitting harder. The usual causes of bruising are a wandering chisel,

A clean housing joint depends less on force than on accurate knife lines and controlled cuts. A housing, or dado,

For fine joinery, both paring and bench chisels can remove small amounts of wood, but they are built for different

The short answer For most door-hardware recesses, a narrow chisel is better for corners and small adjustments; a wider chisel

The real difference on a jobsite A chisel handle has two jobs: give you a controlled grip and survive the

Socket and tang chisels differ in how the blade connects to the handle. A socket chisel has a hollow socket

What tough site conditions do to a chisel On a clean bench, a chisel mostly pares wood under hand pressure.

Choosing a chisel set for site work A site chisel gets knocked about, used with a mallet, and sometimes pressed

What makes a good housing-joint chisel? A housing joint—a dado cut across the grain to hold a shelf—needs a flat