I’m weighing a cleaned-up 3/8" Ward pigsticker against a new Ray Iles for repairing 1830s sash rails and want to keep the mortises reading true to the originals. For those prioritizing historical accuracy, does the old steel and mass track straighter and leave more period-correct walls in pine and old oak, or does the modern edge hold and balance win out over a long day?
On 3/8" mortises, my Ward tracks truer in pine; heavier mallet helps. Ray Iles wins all-day, @OP. Mallet weight?
Ward + slight convex 33° bevel ‘tracks’ truest; knife 3/8" gauge lines deep. Iles saves fatigue.
I get more period-looking walls by biasing the first two chops with the Ward 1–2° bevel-toward waste and rubbing a touch of tallow on the chisel’s sides — tracks like it’s on rails in pine and leaves that slight burnish the Iles won’t. I still swap to the Iles after lunch for edge life; do you keep tallow or beeswax handy, @d_james113?
I get my Ward to track straighter by stoning a whisper of relief on the side lands (first 1") and polishing, then a light tallow wipe on the upper half — yields those slightly faceted, period walls in pine; the Iles still wins for stamina. > I still swap to the Iles after lunch for edge life; do you keep tallow — same here, and I just strop the Ward every 2–3 mortises; what mallet are you swinging, @nblack_904?
Start with the Ward to set 3/8" walls, then finish with the Iles; less drift; @b_moore32, tried alternating per rail?