The chisel is a fundamental woodworking tool and is invaluable to any woodworker, regardless of the size and type of work. Whether you are making standard furniture or a grand work of art,
a good quality chisel is one of the first tools you should buy.
If you are looking to delve into woodworking in particular cabinetmaking, having some knowledge of the
variety of chisels used is quite important. The following is a list of the chisels that are typically used in cabinetmaking.
Bevel Edge Chisel
The bevel edge chisel is uniquely shaped, in that it has a tapering edge on both side-edges as well as the point. The taper is only biased on one side while the other is completely flat, for easy sharpening of the point.
A bevel edge chisel is used to chip away large amounts of wood, as well as create finer shapes such as dovetails.
Butt Chisel
A butt chisel is basically a cabinet making chisel that has a blade shorter than 10 cm. It gets its name from short blades used in fixing butt hinges. The handle of the butt chisel is often short and bulbous towards the end, with a flat surface for hammer striking.
Cranked Neck Chisel
A cranked neck chisel has a unique offset handle and a neck that is sloped downward. This allows the blade to run more flat on the wood surface, and work like a plane, removing glue and excess wood. It is
very useful for difficult to reach places and can be used with a hammer more easily, as it can provide a more direct contact point between the blade and wood, with the blade point angled correctly.
Cabinet Corner Cleaning Chisel
This type of chisel has a blade that is angled around a third of the way towards the end. This angle lets the chisel work at a very high angle, which is good for evening out corners, as the name suggests. The blade is generally long and narrow, and the point is sometimes tapered as well.
Cabinet Mortise Chisel
A mortise chisel is quite tough, with a thicker blade and stronger handle, which can sustain heavy hits from a hammer. The common usage is to break mortise joints, which needs a stronger blade and tougher point. The mortise chisel can come in a number of sizes, but they are on the larger side.
Cabinet Paring Chisels
This chisel is used for removing much smaller and finer quantities of wood, for mostly decorative work. The chisel is very similar to a bevel edge chisel, with the only difference being the thinner blade and handle, and the different usage. Additionally, the blade of a cabinet paring chisel is slightly flexible, though this may not be the case with most cabinet paring chisels.
Skew Paring Chisels
A skewed paring chisel has a frontal point that is leaning on one side, which gives it a sharp point and a leaning edge. They are used to clean out the dovetail sockets, a task that requires a slight one-sided taper on the point.
Spring Loaded Corner Chisel
A spring loaded corner chisel uses a compact, cuboid design which is held on top of a corner, and the point is then hammered down to remove wood from the corner of the cabinet. The blade is hidden inside the frame and retracts back to the loaded position after the wood has been removed with a hammer strike.
