The soft-face hammer is a convenient tool to use when reserved force is needed. For wood-chiseling, tapping in wooden pegs or joints, and like chores, the soft-face hammer is ideal. Its plastic tip is softer compared to metal and other materials utilized for hammers.
Don't use a hammer when working with the grain of the wood, since this strips you of control and could split the wood. When working across the grain, however, use a soft-face hammer to provide power to the cutting edge, tipping the chisel to right or left. Some carpenters would like to tilt the chisel after the
first cut has been done.If a cut that will be made is broader than the chisel edge, allow only part of the chisel to be held against the cut portion and use this
as a guide.For chamfering or creating a beveled edge, work with the grain. When a chamfer would be made at the end grain, run the chisel sideways across the corner, creating sliding horizontal cuts.
A circular cut is done by taking small bites at a tangent, and moving the chisel sideways across the wood. If the rough cut is finished, the final curve is completed using a file and sandpaper.
If cutting across the grain, particularly when the wood is in a vise, produce a brake for the blade using thumb and forefinger weighing down the blade. It is typically sensible to cut from both sides toward the center to prevent chipping the outer edge.