Gibson Punch Chis Stn/Marb Ham Hd 5/8" CT

5/8" (16mm) TCT PUNCH for carving soapstone, alabaster, chlorite, wonderstone, and marble - HAMMER HEAD

These Gibson Chisels are made from High Carbon Tool Steels and have a Tungsten Carbide Tip Fused into them. They have a cylindrical carbide pointed tip fused into the cutting end. The size stated is the diameter of the Octagonal shank Flat-to-Flat. This tool has a Hammer Head. TCT resist wear and maintain a fine cutting edge for a longer period of time. These tools far out-last and out-perform ordinary Heat Treated Tools and are seen as the professional choice for stone carving.These tools are approximately 8" long and finished in a red colour. Carbide Chisel Carving Tips Your chisel will need to be "broken in". Carbide is much more brittle than steel. The main causes of carbide breakage are rough carving when the carbide has a very sharp edge and "tossing" the tool when finished with it. New tools should be used gently for a little while to take the sharp edge off them before you start to work it hard. A carbide chisels time of greatest productivity may not be at the "brand new" stage, but rather after it has adjusted to your stone and your style of working. The carbide is much more liable to break if it has a very sharp edge than if it is slightly rounded from use. When you are ready to use another chisel, don't toss your carbide chisel down on top of your pile of tools. Set it down carefully and always try to avoid knocking two carbide tips together.If you do try to sharpen your tool, remember always to air cool when grinding, never dip carbide to cool it quickly or tiny cracks may develop.Frosting tools and 3-Blade chisels should all be held perpendicular to the stone and allowed to "dance" upon it. Often, they do not require a greatdeal of control on the part of the operator. These chisels will produce a different texture when used on different stone types. In order to achieve certain textures, or when working within confined spaces (such as a border) you might want to hold the chisel still or experiment with other ways of controlling the chisel rather than letting it dance.