[TheForge] Re: Learn something new every day...

[Mike Spencer]

Andy> I was speaking with an old railroad retiree the other day. When
Andy> he started out, the method for cutting rails was to score them
Andy> all the way around with a large helved chisel and then smack the
Andy> rail on the side, resulting in a <poink>... one rail becomes
Andy> two.

Bruce> Okay, now I'm curious what is meant by a "helved chisel".

Aubrey> I've picked up a couple of those chisels at junque stores over
Aubrey> the years, but I never knew that was how they were used....but
Aubrey> they are a little big for most of what I do.

Here's a couple of pics, probably of the sort of chisels Andy's
informant is referring to:

    http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/temp/index.html

FWIW,
- Mike

-- 
Michael Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada       .~. 
                                                           /V\ 
mspencer at tallships.ca                                     /( )\
http://home.tallships.ca/mspencer/                        ^^-^^