what kinda chisel?

[longhunter]

Can anyone tell me what these chisel are called and or what purpose they were intended for ? Ive seen several before these were given to me with some tongs and nippers.

[jimbob]

they look like CAPE chisels ...used to cut Key ways can't tell too much from the picture

[bigfootnampa]

They appear to be mason's plugging chisels... used to remove bricks from a finished wall by chiseling the mortar around them out. They wear quickly and get too short to use for plugging but may still be useful for tuckpointing... most masons use grinders for that nowadays though.

[Mark Aspery]

For me, they appear to be a cape chisel and a gouge chisel. Both for metalwork.
The cape (the flat ended chisel) should have a working end that is slightly wider then the rest of the working end.
The gouge is for heavy stock removal of metal. It has a 'D' shaped end ground at an angle.
Both chisels appear to be for surface working of material. The end would be offset (off-center) for deep applications.
I use both types of chisel on a regular basis.

[irnsrgn]

the other style to make a full set is a diamond point chisel

[irnsrgn]

ok, here goes from a 1920 machinists handbook, the one on the left is a Round Chisel, used for cutting Oil Grooves. the one on the right is a Cape Chisel, used for cutting Keyways. The Diamond point is sharpened similar to the round chisel but with the cutting edge at one corner, used for cutting a Sharp Bottomed or V Groove.

[longhunter]

Thanx guys! Irnsrgn do you realy have a machinst book from the 1920's ?

[irnsrgn]

Yes, its the 3rd edition of the American Machinists Handbook, not to be confused with Machineries Handbook. I also have an extensive collection of early editions of a lot of Audels Books including several full sets some with as many as 8 books to a set, when traveling I used to stop at every used book store and cruised the antique malls book and tool sections. I call them my technical library. I have them in a barristers book case on casters beside my computer down here in my basement wood shop.

[Matt in NY]

Nothing like a full bookcase to make me happy!

I found that ebay can have many very old books at a very low price. Try various searches. If a product isn't listed correctly or is spelled wrong, not as many people find it and the price stays low.

[irnsrgn]

My latest acquisition for my library is the Audels 8 volume set of Engineers and Mechanics Guide. They are all about building and Maintaining Locomotive and Commercial Steam Engines. The first 3 volumnes are currently on loan to 3 RR buffs, One of who is an Engineer for one of the 2 major rail lines that service this community, and who builds scaled down Engines and Cars. He normally is the pilot engineer of choice when the UP's Restored Challenger Steam Locomotive 3985 tours this part of their system.

The Bookcase, the top shelf is all Blacksmith related books, the second shelf is all Old Woodworking handtool and foot opeerated related books, The third shelf down is all technical manuals mostly Audels, the bottom shelf is historical books on various subjects and old catalogues, there is another bookcase not enclosed up on the first floor full of other old catalogues and books on various other subjects, some real old some not so old. Also at my blacksmith shop there is another bookcase with modern, Blacksmithing, Welding and Machist related books.

The oldest books I have are a reprint of the 1730 edition of Moxons, Mechanics Exercises, the 2 volume reprint set of Diderots Pictorial Encyclopedia of Early Trades and Industry, (mostly wood cuts as most people of that era could not read). An 1885 or 6 book on Tin and Copper work, and 2 cook books from the late 1800's.

Coinsidently on this mornings Yahoo Insider there is a news article that 14% of American Adults are Illiterate and cannot read. The famous old churches have the pictorial stained glass windows and some like the one Michelangelo painted the ceilings and walls, this was how the multitude of citizens of that era learned their religion as most were illiterate.

Edited January 11, 2009 by irnsrgn

[longhunter]

sounds like you have a nice collection going on. ?do these older mechanical technical books a good price ?

[irnsrgn]

not usually, most people nowadays are more interested in CNC and Cyberspace, just old books to be trashed to them. I think I paid $15 for the last 8 volume set.

I have found that the info contained in them is still relavent today even tho everyone is supposed to go to college now and hands on Craftsmanship is to be avoided, there thinking is you work with your hands, you too dumb to go to college. Yet they can't fathom that someone who worked with their hands is responsible for all the technology they take for granted and use today.

And in most cases it is easier to understand and learn about a given subject from the old books, compared to the way information is given today orientated toward the computer age.

[irnsrgn]

For Instance, in Machinery's handbook and the modern version of the Machinists handbook, to fine the Chord depth when cutting a keyseat in a shaft. (Chord Depth= the distance the cutter has to travel down before it cuts clear across the top of the round shaft). Its vary complicated and takes a calculator and a couple of tables + finding a constant to obtain the Chord depth. In the old 3rd edition it is so simple, ( The keyway width squared, divided by 4 times the shaft diameter ='s the Chord depth to within .001 inch.

[Ten Hammers]

Junior, thank you for the hospitality when I was there. Your basement is a treat to visit as is the shop once again. That bookshelf has a lot more knowledge in it than you have posted.

[TASMITH]

I agree with Mark on these chisels. I have made a lot of these chisels at the last shop I worked in. It was a closed die forging shop that made auto parts (universal joints, connecting rods etc.). The dies were made in house in our own tool room, using the EDM method. The carbon electrodes used to sink the die impressions had a hole in the centre of the electrode that allowed the EDM oil to flow through to 'flush' the particals form the forge cavity when being burned. This left a small pillar of steel in the finished cavity of the die. I made those chisels for the die finishers to get at the base of the pillar of steel to cut it off at the bottom of the forging cavity prior to final polishing of the die for production. I made ones with a curve in the point as well as diamond shaped, straight and other odd shapes depending on the shape of the cavity of the die and the depth. Some very interesting and at times challenging designs needed, but thats what kept the job interesting.:)

[divermike]

The comments on old books got me to thinking, I had recently picked up a copy at a library sale " Mechanical Movements Devices and Appliances" by the Peerless Rubber MFG. It has the coolest diagrams of every concievable arrangement of pulleys and contraptions I have ever seen. Should Iran ever hit us with an emp, or the grid goes down, we might be back to this stuff.

[Bentiron1946]

Speaking of old books, one of the young EIT's at work in another life was having a hard time passing his mechanical engineers test on steam. I loaned him my 1879 book on the properties of steam and he had no problems on passing the test. The only problem he had was remembering to return the book. Never saw him or the book six weeks after he got word that he had passed the test. Got the book a a yard sale for a dime.

[Woody]

A vis it to Jr.s shop, and basement are an education in themselves. The things you see there will leave you awe struck.