The Chairmaker Part II
5. The mortise chisel (Stemmeisen) of this workshop differs markedly from those of other woodworkers, p. 32. The edge of the mortise chisels of other woodworkers runs along the breadth of the blade while the edge of the chairmaker's mortise chisel is along its thickness, fig. VIIa. Therefore, the width of the cut of this mortise chisel is only as wide as the chisel is deep, and has a tempered steel edge on the left side.7 The wheelwright cuts tenon mortises with this chisel only and smooths or cleans them with the above, p. 36, mentioned Stechbeutel.8
6. The Vermohrungeisen serves the chairmaker only if the seat of the chair has cross stretchers (mortised or "let into" the back legs of the chair) not too far above its feet. In the same way he cuts with this chisel the large mortises in a sofa because his mortise chisel is too small.9
7. The Schweifeisen, fig. IX, is nearly four inches broad at its edge. The chairmaker curves with this chisel the upper shallow curve of the curved front legs of the chair. This chisel must, therefore, have an unusually broad cutting edge because a narrower blade gives an uncontrolled cut in a shallow curve and therefore takes more away than it actually should.
7 This is the same mortise chisel that British and American cabinetmakers use. The form of mortise chisel "used by other woodworkers" Sprengel describes in the carpenter's chapter as ground on both sides of the blade.
8 The Stechbeutel is a more general use chisel with a bevel ground on one side. Sprengel describes it elsewhere as a wide chisel used to straighten out and clean up mortises that are cut with the Stemmeisen. It may equate closer with a firmer chisel according to other sources.
9 The Vermobrungseisen is evidently a specialized chisel peculiar to the chairmaker. The Grimm Brothers' Dictionary defines the verb vermohren as "used by chairmakers when the tenons are put into their mortises and united with one another." Their definition of Vermohrungseisen describes it as somewhat large like the Stemmeisen and used specifically to let in the tenons of the cross stretches of a chair.
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