I have a set of 'garage sale refugee' chisels which I have been using for various gun working tasks and I have come to realize their limitations (read: they're cheap and don't work all that well). So, I've been surfing a bit and looking for a decent set. My intended use will be small inletting jobs. I don't mind buying quality but I am a bit 'price conscious' and don't need professional grade, 24/7 kind of tools.

Midway shows => http://www.midwayusa.com/product/631340/robert-larson-carving-and-inletting-chisel-set-...

Brownells shows => http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/stock-work-finishing/wood-carving-chis...

Are either of these worth their salt? Any other sources or suggestions are appreciated.

Also, are the various sharpening guides worth buying or just keep trying to hone one's skills (pun intended)? I have learned to put a reasonable edge on a knife...

Thank you!

You might check www.woodcraft.com and www.micromark.com

For a standard chisel (that is, not curved or other specialized shape) I picked up a sharpening guide from Grizzly that let's me clamp a chisel or a plane blade and run it on a stone or sandpaper affixed to a flat surface. For the first time ever I was able to get a decent edge on my cheap chisel and plane blades. I've not ventured into attempting to sharpen my cheap chinese chisels that I picked up on sale a while back down here. Just don't do enough chiseling to have fussed with them much. They were sufficiently sharp to do a quick door hinge job that whoever hung the doors on the bathroom at the new church meeting place did not do. But there I just used the regular chisel, not any of angled/curved/etc blades. Anyway for a standard chisel blade I found the Grizzly guide a very handy gizmo to have.

Even good ones need sharpening from time to time, the grizzly suggestion might be my first step unless you are in a hurry.

Putting an edge on a knife and or chisel are two different animals. as with a knife, and chisels quality is the only reason, unless you are going to scrape paint with the chisel. For most needs a chisel needs an edge like a razor. As for your needs in gun work, unless you are doing many wood stocks you do not need a set of chisels. As a professional locksmith and custom gun maker I used a complete set of professional type chisels. But I spent as much time sharpening the chisels as I did using them. When you are inletting a latch for a professional grade dbl cyl deadbolt, in a $500. door, its like inletting a $1000 rifle blank. No place for cheap tools. FWIW

I'll keep poking around and reading reviews.

Lee, don't worry, I know I'm nowhere's near working on expensive wood. I just need some tools for minor work like relieving the trigger well, etc.

from the cheapest imports to some really high quality pieces, there are some definite advantages to the better ones in handle comfort, durability, edge holding and sharpening, but for hand work they will most all do the job if you are patient. I would suggest buying the chisels you need, rather than a set, and find the ones that fit your hand the best, are designed for the type of work you want to do, and are within your budget. You undoubtedly have at least one or two good woodworking supply stores in the area and it would be well worth your time to visit them, talk with the sales staff about what you are doing and handle some different models.

HOOT: Might a Dremel Tool serve you better ?????

from chisels.

What I want to do is build my skills in places where it won't show before tackling more visible tasks. If I can learn to make flat bottoms, square corners and parallel sides in a trigger well, I can then think about inletting a tang on a Marlin lever, for instance.

I know it's too late for me to become any sort of Tom Shelhamer but I figure a fella can learn to do OK and maybe pass on something to the grandkids.

That's why I'm playing with files and such now. Can't afford machine tools so gave up waiting for the day and am trying to learn basic metal forming with primitive (relatively) tools. Wish I had a forge and anvil, but in the meantime will continue to play with hacksaws, files, torch and have fun doing so. Need to do the same with the wood. Now I've finally picked up a decent template I'll have to give whittling on the well seasoned plank a shot as well.

Pick up a chisel or ten and give your hand a chance. The worst that can happen is you'll fabricate some fancy kindling.