Horizontal paring is a technique used when constructing joints – such as housing joints for supporting the ends of shelves and halving joints used in framework. These consist of slots across the grain of the wood and are normally made with a bevel edged chisel which is able to get into the corners of the joints.
When making such a joint, define the area of the slot by marking out width lines on top of the wood, and width and depth lines on both sides. Make a saw cut, slightly to the waste side of each width line and cut down to the depth line. If the joint is particularly wide, extra saw cuts can be made in the waste to make chisel-Iing-out easier.
Hold the wood securely in the vice so that it will not move as you work and make sure that it is horizontal. Hold the chisel in both hands, safely behind the cutting edge, with the elbow resting comfortably on the bench. This gives extra control over the chisel’s movement.
Start by chiselling out the waste adjacent to the sawn lines, making angled cuts to half way across the wood. Push the chisel firmly, holding it at a slight angle, keeping your arm horizontal and level with the work. When the cuts are halfway across the joint, reverse the wood in the vice and complete the angled cuts from the other side.
Now turn the chisel over so that the bevel is facing downwards and remove the bulk of the remaining waste by slapping the handle of the chisel with the palm of your hand. Because the bevel side is facing down, the chisel blade works its way up to the surface and no levering action is needed to clear the waste. Again chisel only half way across the joint, then turn the wood around and work from the other side with the bevel side of the chisel facing upwards once more. If you chisel right across the joint, the wood will break and splinter out on the other side.
When most of the waste has been removed, work the chisel across the joint, keeping it absolutely flat across the bottom, to shave off the last fibres of wood. Finally, hold the chisel vertically in one hand and work the blade into the corners to clean them out and sever any remaining fibres.