I have a 1" corner chisel I bought from an estate sale. It appears to have been sharpened incorrectly. There is a sharp point in the corner and both cutting edges are straight across (not swept back a few degrees). Anyone know where I can get this resharpened in the greater Seattle Area? (eastside of the lake, Duvall specifically). I wet grind and lap my flat chisels but the corner chisel looks like it requires some finess and tooling to do it right. Thanks for any help. My user I.D. is Longbeard, not because I have one but because I like to hunt them. Any Wild turkey hunters out there?

I have been using the same method for years to hand sharpen corner chisels, but don't know about shop sharpening one.

If it has a "point" as you say, I would first use a fine wide metal file (for filing metal) and file the end flat. If you want it swept back a few degrees, this would be the time to do that. I like them square and straight so they don't tend to drift in the cut.

Next, grind the edges of a one inch metal file smooth (unless they already are) and use it to rough in the sharpened edges of the chisel. Be careful when an edge is starting to appear as you can get cut if you are filing toward the socket, which is what I recommend. Stop filing when the first evidence of a "wire edge" begins to form on the flat side.

Next, move to a course grade of sharpening stone. I use water stones which are thick enough to allow the chisel to be drawn along the surface of the stone at the edge with one half of the "L" shaped chisel edge hanging over the edge. By holding the chisel slightly skewed to the line you are drawing the chisel along keeps the other edge away from the side of the stone except at the point where the two edges meet. If you use thin stones, you will need to block them up.

By carefully switching from edge to edge on the stone, and also making sure not to push the chisel against the side of the stone, and moving to finer and finer stones you should get an edge that will make you happy (and satisfied you did it yourself). One word of warning; often corner chisels with "points" have been "sharpened" on a grinding stone. If so, the edge may have lost it's temper and will dull quickly.

Good luck with your new chisel!

Rudy

ps; We have a flock of wild turkeys here in our woodlot. Although we love wild turkey smoked, we haven't got around to hunting our own yet.

Rudy,
Thanks for the detailed reply. I did not think about having one edge hang over a elevated stone. I will give it a try. I believe you are right about the chisel losing it's temper. I was using it and a large chip came out of one of the cutting edges. I did not hit anything but wood so it appears to be in a brlttle state. By the time I have filed out the chip hopefully I will be back in metal that still has it's temper. Thanks again. Longbeard (Eric)

The "point" or "nib" comes from sharpening a corner chisel on any stone (flat or wheel) that has a rounded left or right edge, instead of a sharp, square edge. If the stone's edge has a radius, then the corner chisel will end up with a nib.

(In fact, if you sharpened a straight chisel on a stone with a rounded edge and hung the chisel a bit over the stone's edge, it would also develop a nib on that side -- the nib is caused by overhanging a stone with a round edge, and is not a "corner chisel" thing.)

The nib brings no particular advantage--I have some corner chisels with nibs, and some without, and they seem to operate about the same.

I agree with Rudy about swept-back. The corner chisels that I use that have edges that are 90 degrees, or about 90, to their length, work well. Truth is, though, that I don't fret much about that angle--as long as the two edges are the same angle, not two different angles. The two edges must also be the same length, of course.

Corner chisels are great for chopping angled mortises (like knee braces) because corners chisels shear and split at the same time, unlike straight chisels.

Sharpening shops have a hard time sharpening easy stuff correctly. It's better to do corner chisels yourself.

Best
Robert

I have just been using a corner chiselw for the first time. I bought it off of ebay, it needed a fair bit of fettling to get it right. It had been badly sharpened on a rounded over stone also the back nar the cutting edge had been badly rounded over by careless backing off and/or clumsy use of the dreaded belt sander. It resembled a fishing spear type of thing with a prominent "point". Any way i went through the emery and glass routine-for hours-to get the back smooth and shiny to the edge, polished with a fine stone and GENTLE buff. Ground the edges square across, then I reshaped the cutting edge with files, I use then more and more for shaping nowadays even axes etc. (I would happily do without the power grinder, in fact I just bought one of those fast coarse 250 japaneses waterstones to do this sort of task) Then finished with fine stone etc.
I dont know why I never used a corner chisel before I love it when you drive it in it stays exactly in line, and pop it forwards just like a mortice chisel to clear the waste when your deep enough. I cut some 1 inch x 5 inch mortices today 3 inch deep, took less than 10 minutes each including drilling with brace and bit.