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THE PRO’S
ADVICE
MAKE YOUR CHISELS WORK HARDER
JOHN DAVIES
CARPET FITTER
VERTICAL PARING
STEP 1
Vertical paring is the means of cutting wood, across the
grain, with the chisel in an upright position using hand power or light
striking with a mallet. This skill is important in cutting parts of most
commonly used wood joints and for trimming material back to a cut
line. Take particular care when paring with the grain, as there is strong
possibility of splitting.
STEP 2
Secure the work to the bench with a C clamp taking care to
place a piece of scrap material between the work piece and the bench
to avoid damage.
STEP 3
For the right handed user hold the chisel blade in a penhold
grip, index finger at the front with the back of the blade supported by
the third finger and thumb resting on the left hand edge of the blade
around 25mm back from the cutting edge, or in a position that also en-
ables the little finger and edge of the hand to rest on the work piece.
The left hand grips the handle with the thumb uppermost.
STEP 4
Aim to remove only a very small amount of material at each
pass of the chisel; depending on the hardness of the wood and the
sharpness of the chisel you should remove no more than 0.5 to 1.0mm
at each cut.
STEP 5
If you are cutting back to a knife marked line, ensure that
you hold the chisel perfectly vertically and always lever forward away
from the marked line to ensure that the defined edge of the cut is not
bruised or rounded over. To add a little more power to the cut push
down on the end of the handle with the right shoulder.
STEP 6
Finally when there is no more than 0.5mm to remove place the
widest chisel available in the knife cut and apply pressure vertically
until you reach the bottom of the cut. If you attempt to cut too much
at this stage there is a risk that the chisel will be forced back over the
line.
