This week I had a package droped off while I was at work. Having my dear mother answering the door was probably best for the postman, as I -- when glimpsing at the label -- would have snatched the box from him and ran to the shop to unwrap this much anticipated delivery. When I arived from work the box was proudly sitting on the living room table begging to be opened. With only a slight delay of taking some protective measures against harm from any potential drooling I opened the package and it containing boxes.
This all started some months ago when I contacted Dave Jeske of Blue Spruce Toolworks. Some emails went back and forth about wood selection, which tools and which sizes. I had requested a pair of custom draw boring pins that would fit the work I plan to do with them. To do both small and half blind draw boring, the tip diameter and taper need to be correct. Dave made a nice sketch and after aproval started production.
After carefully unpacking the tools I was truly amased at what Dave had managed to make. But not all is about how nice a tool looks, the most important thing is if they are up to the jobs they are inteded for. The machining is very well done, the handles are smooth and the right profile to have a good and controlled grip.
They are well balanced, the centre of gravity ranges from at the end of the small cove behind the ferule for the smallest to just at the end of the logo on the blade for the largest. With the centre of gravity a small amount in front of your fingers they really become extentions to your hands. When the centre of gravity is toward the bevel edge a chisel feels more heavy and has the tendency to dig in. When its really far away from the bevel edge a chisels, or any tool hand held tool, is hard to controll as it wants to tturn and flap 'bout in between your fingers.
As for back flatness, they are not flat but slightly concave, which is good. A surface which is even so slightly concave never registers in a stable way against a flat surface. Making honing and working with the tool more difficult to get repeatability. Thus far I've failed to measure the amount of concavity. When the chisels are put with only light and gentle force against my 10cm long presision reference block and held against a bright light, a very faint trace a light creeps trough. The light forms a nice arc starting at the bevel edge along its length to where the reference block ends. My smallest feeler gauge, which is just under 2 thou (and is a very dangerous tool DAMHIKT), does not fit between by far. The light creeping between two surfaces with that feeler gauge in between is far more that what shows with my Blue Spruce chisels.
This all started some months ago when I contacted Dave Jeske of Blue Spruce Toolworks. Some emails went back and forth about wood selection, which tools and which sizes. I had requested a pair of custom draw boring pins that would fit the work I plan to do with them. To do both small and half blind draw boring, the tip diameter and taper need to be correct. Dave made a nice sketch and after aproval started production.
After carefully unpacking the tools I was truly amased at what Dave had managed to make. But not all is about how nice a tool looks, the most important thing is if they are up to the jobs they are inteded for. The machining is very well done, the handles are smooth and the right profile to have a good and controlled grip.
They are well balanced, the centre of gravity ranges from at the end of the small cove behind the ferule for the smallest to just at the end of the logo on the blade for the largest. With the centre of gravity a small amount in front of your fingers they really become extentions to your hands. When the centre of gravity is toward the bevel edge a chisel feels more heavy and has the tendency to dig in. When its really far away from the bevel edge a chisels, or any tool hand held tool, is hard to controll as it wants to tturn and flap 'bout in between your fingers.
As for back flatness, they are not flat but slightly concave, which is good. A surface which is even so slightly concave never registers in a stable way against a flat surface. Making honing and working with the tool more difficult to get repeatability. Thus far I've failed to measure the amount of concavity. When the chisels are put with only light and gentle force against my 10cm long presision reference block and held against a bright light, a very faint trace a light creeps trough. The light forms a nice arc starting at the bevel edge along its length to where the reference block ends. My smallest feeler gauge, which is just under 2 thou (and is a very dangerous tool DAMHIKT), does not fit between by far. The light creeping between two surfaces with that feeler gauge in between is far more that what shows with my Blue Spruce chisels.
Tony.
