Wood Carving, Woodworking, Creating a Bull Nose Chisel Free Step by Step Wood Carving Project

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Creating a Bull Nose Chisel
Relief Wood Carving
By L. S. Irish

The bull nose chisel is an asset to any relief
carving tools set. The rounded edges of it's
flat softly curved profile eliminates the fine
scratches that the sharp edges of a straight chisel
can leave on your background work.

Here are simple hand sharpening instructions on how
to convert a straight chisel into a bull nose.

Left to Right
bull nose chisel, straight chisel
and our converted bull nose chisel

Step 1:
Any wood carver's tool kit should include
basic sharpening tools. This set includes a
800 grit brown stone, 8000 grit white stone,
emery cloth, two strops, red oxide rouge, and
aluminum oxide rouge

Step 2:
The tool that I will be converting is a
3/8" Ramelson Straight Chisel.
Note how square the sides and cutting
profile is for this tool.

Step 3:
I started with my 600 grit coarse brown
ceramic sharpening stone. This stone is used
dry - without oil or water.

Step 4:
I have placed the cutting face down against
the stone surface with a slight angle so
that the edge will be worked on the
stone surface.

Step 5:
I am working the right side point by pushing that
edge with a curved stroke across the stone.
I am working just the point of the edge
at this time.

Step 6:
In the last four photos you can see the
curve of the push. Once I have completed
the push stroke I reserve the sharpening
by pulling the edge back to the original starting point.

Step 7:
That push-pull movement will begin to reduce
the point while blending that area into
the un-worked profile area. I have worked the
tool on the stone for about five minutes.

Step 8:
You can see that the points on both sides are being
worked away and that the tool profile is beginning
to take on a gentle curve on each corner.

Step 9:
Once I could clearly see that the points had been
removed I flipped the tool to the back and
pulled it down from the edge to remove the
rough tin edge that had developed.

Step 10:
I wanted to blend the worked points into a
gentle curve with the center area of my chisel so
I repeated the sharpening pulling deeper towards
the center of the tool with each stroke.

Step 11:
Being left handed I noted that one point, the left, of my
chisel was more defined than the right so I hit the
right side a few more licks.

Step 12:
The coarse stone had ground the points away
and created a gentle blended curve into the center
cutting area. So I was ready to move onto
my fine 8000 grit white stone.

Step 13:
I repeated the all of the previous steps done
with the brown stone on my white stone.
I have worked on this tool for about ten
minutes by now.

Step 14:
Again, once I had worked the points I wanted
to remove the tin edge that was developing.
To do that I pulled the tool, cutting face against
the stone, in a downward direction.

Step 15:
I have flipped the tool over to work the back.
I usually will do these last two steps about five
times before I move onto my emery cloth.

Step 16:
My chisel now has nicely rounded corners
instead of sharp points. You can see the gently
curve that the entire cutting profile has now.

Step 17:
Emery cloth is extremely fine cloth (sandpaper)
made for working metal. It is available in much
finer grits then regular sandpaper.
Once again I am repeating all of my sharpening
steps on the emery cloth.

Step 18:
I have two strops that I use consistently.
The first strop that I use is a leather strop with
red oxide rouge. I work first the rough side then
roll the strop over to use the smooth. The
second strop I use aluminum oxide. This is my
finishing strop.

OK ... It's about fifteen minutes after I began
working and my straight chisel is now a bull nose!
It's ready for my next relief carving.
Each time that I sharpen this tool the smoother
the curved edges and gentle round to the cutting
face will become ... :)

For more about tools sharpening
please visit:

Sharpening Carving Tools
Bench Knives, Chip Knives, Flat Chisels

Sharpening Carving Tools
Round Gouges and V-Chisels

Article Courtesy of Classic Carving Patterns
CarvingPatterns.com
Copyright L. S. Irish, 1997 - 2008