I am thinking about adding a few more gouges to my stockmaking tools and noticed that there are two types, one that has the bevel on the outside “out channel”(convex side) and one that has the bevel on the inside “in channel” (concave side). That got me wondering what type would work better for rough inletting barrels and receivers? Any information would be greatly appreciated?

In Channel


Out Channel

Wood-carving chisels are commonly sharpened on the outside, making them easy to curl upward out of a cut. Inletting chisels OTOH are usually sharpened with an inside bevel so that they will cut a straight constant-diameter line without any tendency to curl upward out of the cut. Also and MUCH more importantly, to avoid any tendency for the increasingly-larger diameter of an outside-beveled chisel to inadvertently enlarge the rearward ID of a cut as the chisel enters ever deeper into it.

To some degree it's personal preference but, since I greatly prefer the inside bevel and they are rare, I usually hafta make my own.
Regards, Joe

I have both. I have found that not all wood cuts the same, just as Joe says. Some jobs require the use of inside and outside gouges as the wood cuts differently in spots. ALL require sharp edges. The best chisel man I knew had over 90 different sizes and grinds of chisels just for this reason. He could inlet any rifle in less than 8 hours from a Fajen semi-inlet. Of course he worked for Fajen and did it every day for over 34 years! Yes, he could do glass smooth inletting with a chisel...I have seen it.

I could inlet a stock in less then 8 hours too but you're going to need a gallon of acra glass

so could harrold tressler
he made all his own chisels

Speaking of good chisels, any recomendations on suppliers?
Don

I once drove to Oregon with another gunsmith where Pete Grisel taught us his style of inletting bolt rifles from a blank.

Before we started he had us forge, shape, heat treat and make the handle for our own inletting chisel. It had a radius of approximately 5/16 inch and beveled on the inside. We made it out of ordinary 02 tool steel. He would not let us use scrapers. These tools took a razor edge and cut better than any chisel I own, it cut so cleanly when the radius cuts were completed they appeared to have been scraped.

The best wood chisels I have are the ones I made myself. It's not hard to do. My smaller ones were made from truck valve springs.

Heat the spring with a torch to un-wind it. Straighten a 6in length. Forge and grind the blade to shape. Heat the blade red-hot and quench in water. Fit a section of broom stick with epoxy for a handle and sharpen.

Six valve springs and a broom stick will provide enough material for all the small chisels, gouges and scrappers you may need for stock work.

I have made my own checkering cutters but it is too easiy and cheap to get them from Dembart.

Craftsman...sorry to say Pete has hung up his apron. His knowledge is still sought but he doesn't accept many visitors since his medical troubles began. I have known of him since '84 at Kimber of Oregon and have had the priviledge to be in his home/shop one time in '07. He is a very interesting man.

I still have a couple dozen or so inside bevel chisels I bought from Bob Brownell over 60 years ago. They are good quality and sharpening them is a snap.

I also have maybe a dozen outside bevel chisels picked up willy-nilly, but I hardly ever use those.

As mentioned by earlier posters in this thread, a main key to a chisel's usefullness is its sharpness. I have always found inside bevel chisels much easier to sharpen and to keep sharp. Don't know why; just the way it works out for me. And for me, the inside bevel chisels also cut straight through wood of varying densities in the same blank (fancy grain wood most particularly) much easier than do the ones with an outside bevel.

quote:

Originally posted by Dennis Earl Smith:
Craftsman...sorry to say Pete has hung up his apron. His knowledge is still sought but he doesn't accept many visitors since his medical troubles began. I have known of him since '84 at Kimber of Oregon and have had the priviledge to be in his home/shop one time in '07. He is a very interesting man.

Sorry to hear of Pete's troubles. He was a year ahead of me at TSJC and I was fortunate enough to meet and talk with him a few times. He was universally regarded as the most accomplished student at Trinidad at that time.

I witnessed Pete win the annual TSJC gong shoot held at 300 and, eventually that year, 400 yds. He used his Rem 722 in 243 with a 3X Weaver to eventually overcome a Win 220 Swift with 10X Weaver and Canjar SST out at 400 yds. My friend Rick Shay who was shooting the Swift was very disappointed but had to admit that Pete had done some fantastic shooting that day. They each had fired a dozen or so rounds at 300 but no misses so they backed off to 400 and on about the fifth 400-yd shot Rick's bullet passed through one of the holes already existing in the gong, too bad.

Pete about 2 weeks later showed me that same 243 and encouraged me to look down the bore. Looked like a muddy road with DEEP potholes!

Guy could really shoot, and was/is also one of the finest smiths I've ever met. I wish him the best!
Regards, Joe

Sorry to hi-jack, but ask Pete Grisel about re-heat treating a Mauser action.

I did a long time ago, and he doesn't pull any punches.

I am sorry to hear that he is in failing health.

Sincerely,

Chris Bemis

Brad,

Who is the supplier of the chisels shown in your photographs?

Gracias
Hoot

The site is http://www.traditionalwoodworker.com