Fish tail chisels

[Alan Bain]

I've been chopping lots of half blind dovetails by hand and suspect a chisel for getting into the corners would help make this faster.

I think what I need is a "fish tail chisel" but it seems that they aren't that available (as in even the mouth wateringly expensive Lie Nielsen ones seem "out of stock"). Does anyone have any suggestions of places/manufacturers to try or it going to be a case of grinding one up from an old bevel edged chisel?

I do actually like the LN chisels for most work (despite their price) as they fit nicely in the hand and cut where I expect, but don't own a full set!

Alan

 

[Droogs]

This is the only one I have found to be in stock anywhere only 3/16 (4.5mm) though. but it is a start to the collection and would get you going

 

[MikeK]

Lie Nielsen used to sell 1/4-inch bench chisels that were ground at about 10 degrees left and right specifically for cleaning out dovetails. I tried to find a pair, but after failing, I bought a pair of regular 1/4-inch LN chisels to regrind as left and right dovetail chisels like David Charlesworth did. Before I could grind them, someone on another website was selling a pair of the original LN chisels so I bought them.

 

[TRITON]

While at college dovetails were the epitome of the craft, so everyone spent time making as many as they could.
As ever, getting into tight areas with a standard, even 3mm chisel make the job more difficult, so it was suggested to us that a beveled edge chisel would help, which is does.
I made one using a length of old planer blade as its good steel, and fitting a handle is a breeze.

Even adapting an old chisel makes the job an easy one, well 'easy' is a word not often used when it comes to dovetails, but it fulfills the task, allowing you to get in to the tight sockets to take out those annoying fibers aftewr paring the sides down..

 

[Jacob]

1/4" bevel edge does it. File it down if it's a bit chunky - some of them are a bit crude.

 

[--Tom--]

Shouldn’t be too hard to shape one from O1 steel

 

[Just4Fun]

I tried to find a pair, but after failing, I bought a pair of regular 1/4-inch LN chisels to regrind as left and right dovetail chisels

I did something similar but, being cheap, I bought a couple of old (and non-matching) chisels from a flea market. They are good enough for me.

 

[D_W]

I use a 1/8th chisel to nip the corners inside if there's some d-berries.

As far as fishtail, no, you don't need it.

Too, any cheap chisel hammered on the tip and then with the squashed out metal made more uniform becomes a fishtail chisel. I guarantee I could make a dozen of them in one hour. The fact that there are fishtails up to (and probably more than ) $150 is just goofy - they are the easiest tool for a non-toolmaker to make with a hammer and can be made with a single small torch and any metal surface that you can hammer on.

 

[Bristol_Rob]

I bought a couple of Ashley Iles skew chisels from them at a very reasonable price.

See page 25 of their catalogue:
http://www.ashleyiles.co.uk/Catalogue.pdf

 

[Cheshirechappie]

I know of three methods - and there may well be others!

A pair of skew chisels (any old narrow chisels ground off at about 10 degrees instead of straight across at the business end).

A fishtail chisel.

Just using an ordinary narrow chisel to clean out the waste right into the corner, slightly undercutting the back wall of the dovetail. The latter sounds crude, but with a narrow chisel (1/4" or 1/8"), the undercut is very slight, hidden once the joint is assembled, and probably filled with glue anyway. It also has the advantage of using a normal bevel-edged bench chisel - no single-use special tools required.

 

[thetyreman]

I've found I can make the joint without needing fishtail chisels although they'd be nice they aren't a 'must' the key is pairing down out from the centre on the pins as long as it's bevel edged, you could easily pick up an old pair of BE chisels off fleabay and grind them out of square. I've often wondered if they'd even save time or not to be honest...

 

[Jacob]

I know of three methods - and there may well be others!

A pair of skew chisels (any old narrow chisels ground off at about 10 degrees instead of straight across at the business end).

A fishtail chisel.

Just using an ordinary narrow chisel to clean out the waste right into the corner, slightly undercutting the back wall of the dovetail. The latter sounds crude, but with a narrow chisel (1/4" or 1/8"), the undercut is very slight, hidden once the joint is assembled, and probably filled with glue anyway. It also has the advantage of using a normal bevel-edged bench chisel - no single-use special tools required.

Yes there's only a tiny bit in the corner which you can't nick out without going over the line, where it doesn't matter.
Fishtail chisels look like a good idea but if you haven't got them you find you don't need them. In fact the fewer chisels the better if you want to belt them out fast

 

[D_W]

I've found I can make the joint without needing fishtail chisels although they'd be nice they aren't a 'must' the key is pairing down out from the centre on the pins as long as it's bevel edged, you could easily pick up an old pair of BE chisels off fleabay and grind them out of square. I've often wondered if they'd even save time or not to be honest...

I have both - never get the fishtail chisels out and the only set of skew chisels that I have is something that most of you guys wouldn't guess the use of (they're about 1 1/2 inches wide - and not for a lathe).

 

[JohnPW]

I've got 2 skew chisels, made from normal chisels, useful for:
inside of violin, cello etc pegboxes,
violin, cello neck joints,
making wooden planes.

 

[G S Haydon]

I don't do this, but some advocate driving a scraper into the saw kerf before the waste is chopped out to ease cleaning out later.
If it's a drawer front or hidden area you can just saw right past the base line for a similar effect. I like that method when the setting is appropriate. I'm content to then clean out the waste with a 3mn or 6mm chisel as required.
I've thought about making a fishtail from an old chisel. Rob Cosman has an ugly looking version of what that looks like

 

[mr edd]

I just use my spear point marking knife to clean out the last bit of stuff in the corner on half lap dovetails.

 

[Just4Fun]

you could easily pick up an old pair of BE chisels off fleabay and grind them out of square. I've often wondered if they'd even save time or not to be honest...

That's the approach I took. I don't think it saves any time but I do find it oddly satisfying to do dovetails this way. Anyway, how much time could it possibly save? That tiny saving would never be important to an amateur like me.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Make your own. I ground this one out of a 3/8” chisel ...

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Cheshirechappie]

I just use my spear point marking knife to clean out the last bit of stuff in the corner on half lap dovetails.

Ooo - thanks! I now know of four methods!

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

....... Just using an ordinary narrow chisel to clean out the waste right into the corner, slightly undercutting the back wall of the dovetail. The latter sounds crude, but with a narrow chisel (1/4" or 1/8"), the undercut is very slight, hidden once the joint is assembled, and probably filled with glue anyway. It also has the advantage of using a normal bevel-edged bench chisel - no single-use special tools required.

This may work with wide tails, but it would destroy fine points like this ...

Regards from Perth

Derek