How does a scutching tool work?
How does a scutching tool work? |
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Scutching tools work by hitting the surface of the material and chipping away at it until the material has become the shape/size required. | |||
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The teeth on a scutch comb are sharp which makes it possible to make grooves along the surface of the material, as each individual tooth chips a piece away. | |||
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A drove has a sharpened edge which drives into the material and chips it away in a block piece rather than a series of grooves like the scutch comb. | |||
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The angle of a scutch chisel in relation to the surface of the material varies depending on the job you are doing and how much you want to remove.
As a general rule, when carving stone, you should keep the chisel at a 45 degree angle to the surface of the stone. |
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The harder you hit a scutch chisel with a hammer/mallet, the more material you can remove. Therefore, if you hit the chisel lightly it will remove a small amount, and if you hit it hard with a hammer/mallet a large amount will be removed. This happens because the driving force from the hammer dictates the amount of stone that is removed. | |||
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For a hammer-headed scutch chisel you will need to use a flat-headed hammer against it, whereas a mallet-headed chisel requires a mallet. | |||
How to hold a scutch chisel correctly |
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Hold the scutch chisel steady with a relatively loose grip and keep your thumb on the outside.
This will lessen the blow to your hand if you miss the chisel. |
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There are different ways to hold a scutch chisel and it is generally up to personal preference, so try them out and see which one suits you the best. | |||
