Construction & Materials Codexery

Chisel

A wedge-shaped tool for carving or cutting hard materials.

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Chisel

Wikimedia Commons · CC0

A chisel is a hand tool with a wedge-shaped cutting edge at the end of its blade.[1] Hard materials like wood, stone, or metal can be carved or cut using this tool.[1]

Stone Mason in Top Hat and Apron with Mallet and Chisel- MET DP700438
Stone Mason in Top Hat and Apron with Mallet and Chisel- MET DP700438. Image: Unknown author · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick Facts

Field
Hand tools
Types
  • Woodworking
  • metalworking
  • stone
  • masonry
  • leather
  • and gouge chisels

Facts from the source article.

Key facts and history

A cold chisel is made of tempered steel and cuts 'cold' metals without heating torches or forges.[2] Cold chisels remove waste metal when a smooth finish is not required or other tools are impractical.[2] Gouges are used in woodworking and arts, such as carving a violin or cutting linoleum for linocut.[3] Masonry chisels have a blunt head that splits material by wedging it apart, and they are usually heavy.[4]

Bevel-Edge Chisel
Bevel-Edge Chisel. Image: Luke Milburn · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Demolition work often involves these tools, which can be attached to a hammer drill or jackhammer, or struck by hand with a heavy hammer.[4] A gouge today is a chisel variant whose blade cross-section is curved or angled, not flat.[5]

Chisel, bronze - Museo Egizio, Turin S 7514 p01
Chisel, bronze - Museo Egizio, Turin S 7514 p01. Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What the research sources say

A 2011 guide by Larese explains that a modern gouge has a curved or angled blade cross-section and is hafted inline.[5] According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a chisel is defined as a hand tool whose blade ends in a wedge-shaped cutting edge.[1] A jackhammer tool guide describes masonry chisels as heavy implements with a blunt head that wedges and breaks material.[4]

Chisel, bronze - Museo Egizio (Turin) S 7514 p01
Chisel, bronze - Museo Egizio (Turin) S 7514 p01. Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Chisel, bronze - Museo Egizio, Turin S 8362 p01
Chisel, bronze - Museo Egizio, Turin S 8362 p01. Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Chisel, bronze - Museo Egizio, Turin S 7514 p03
Chisel, bronze - Museo Egizio, Turin S 7514 p03. Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Chisel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Chisel, n.1" def. 1.a. Oxford English Dictionary Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) © Oxford University Press 2009 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Chisel" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Chisel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "'True' Gouges" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Chisel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Choosing the Right Jackhammer Tool for the Job" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Chisel" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Larese, "A guide to gauges", October 2011 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Chisel (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Named in this entry

LatheMortar (masonry)

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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