doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com Small chisels

I have chisels in all kinds of sizes but always struggle for chisels for doing lock work and generally chisels and gouges for very fine work.

What are guys on here using or is anyone aware of good very small chisels available.

I think ill be having a few days of making up some chisels for these purposes but if anyone can point me in the direction of good fine chisels id be interested to know.

Kind regards

James.

I make my small chisels from needle files ,not real pretty but when your in a bind they work as good as any you could buy

I make them from small screw drivers.

Dennis P. uses small diameter drill rod about 4" long. Grind and heat treat one end a small handle with one flat on the other, so it doesn't roll of the bench. MKII

I have a few small needle file chisels and some screwdriver chisels but didn't want to admit it!

Will be making some then!

Getting on in years now I did acquire a lot of stocking tools but I have realised over the time that it is very difficult or expensive to purchase from "new" tools for letting in locks Etc. So like the stockers of the past and even today the best way is to make your own, and with a little trial and error you will come up with the correct tool for the job in hand.
So to help you folks I will give you some where to start help.
Chisels** Over here in Brit land "Car Boot sales" are the place to look for them and literally they cost peanuts, and they do come with the handles too. I believe that on the other side of the pond garage sales are a good hunting ground.
Gouges** Well my small gouges start out life as flat chisels or screw drivers. My method to get the correct shape is two fold, firstly for very small gouges I put the internal radius in with an "Angle Grinder" you can purchase quite thin metal cutting blades that you can produce very small curves with. For larger curves I adjust standard 6 inch bench grinder wheels by re shaping them while running with a piece of another grinder wheel, you will be surprised how fast a piece of grind stone will adjust the shape of another wheel to any radius you like.
Re shape your chisels** firstly you heat the chisel blade red hot this does two things. Obviously makes it easier to bend too your desired shape (I find cranked is one of the best shapes to have) also heating breaks the temper of the steel making it unsuitable for using it at this stage. Now all the chisels I have found and adjusted so far have been of the older type because they are usually manufactured from basic high carbon steel (Drill Rod Steel) so easily re tempered. So after bending re heat the first inch or so to red hot and plunge into cold water then clean until bright, at this point the steel will be hard and brittle and unusable. To make it usable you must as we say over here "draw" the temper which is to re heat again slowly until the cleaned section starts to take on a brownish colour then plunge it in cold water again to set the steel permanently at the correct hardness
It does sound a lot to do but it will save you a fortune over time. And there is the added bonus of purchasing an old and rusty wood chisel for practically nothing and making it useful again.

Cheers damascus - I have a lot of old leaf springs lying about which i have made plenty of turnscrews from - i presume they will make as good chisels - the problem with bought chisels is they are so damn expensive i don't want to alter the grind on them and when you need that grind they are really good - the problem i have is in lock work and such you really want the grind on the inside of the gouge to help you get into tight spaces.

I will let you know how i get on with the chisel making

Below is a turn screw made from scrap leaf spring and off cuts. - It wants flats putting on it.

This topic has come up before, and I'll repeat my previous advice. If you aren't inclined to make your own small chisels, go to E-Bay. Early Buck Bros. and many British names are excellent tools and available for very modest prices.

I make my own chisels from 01 tool steel aka ground flat stock/silver steel, as it is easy to obtain and easy to harden and temper. I have made some very tiny chisels and they worked fine.

You have received some excellent advise on what to do to modify and make new chisels. I am now an old man who spent much of the last 60 years metal smithing and gunmaking. Old guys like me will tell you to heat your steel up to a red color, or maybe a cherry red color then quench the steel in water or oil. Following our instructions you may or may not get the steel hot enough at a red color or maybe too hot.

However, I give you this tip. Heat the steel up to a red color where a magnet will no longer stick to the surface of the red hot steel, then it is at just the right temperature to quench.

O-1 silver steel (or drill rod as it is known in USA) is an excellent steel for chisels and gun parts, however quench it in oil, not water. You can have your quenching oil to hot or too cold--I like for mine to have a temp of about 80 degrees F.