The 12010 cannot fill or finish anything — it is a stiff, bent, chisel-edged demolition scraper, and applying compound with it is not a job it can do (that is the flexible knives' world).
It is far too wide and aggressive for detail: a nail hole, a muntin, a caulk joint, a delicate surface — all wrong for a 3" leveraged chisel; the narrow bent 02070 or the flat detail chisels handle those.
It is also not a struck tool — the brass-riveted hardwood handle is built to be leaned on for leverage, not hammered like a hacking knife or a masonry chisel; striking it abuses the rivet joint it depends on.
And it is not a substitute for a proper long-handle floor scraper on a large unbroken field — it is the hand tool that finishes the edges and the stubborn spots.
push down on the offset handle to lever the edge under the material — that is the tool's whole mechanical advantage; don't fight it flat. Two hands, long pulls: floor and deck work is body work — pull along the grain with both hands and your weight behind it. Keep the bevel flat and low: the chisel rides flat and drives under; a steep angle gouges the wood. Heat or solvent first on adhesives: loosen the bond, then lever — force alone chips or smears. Respect the joint, but trust it: the brass rivets are built to be leaned on; that is why this tool is riveted and not molded. Know when to step up: a whole floor of cured glue is a long-handle floor-scraper job — the 12010 is the hand tool for edges, patches, and the reach the big scraper misses. Safety limits: pre-1978 paint means lead (EPA RRP); pre-1980s black cutback adhesive may contain asbestos (test first).
Asked at the counter
BUYER QUESTIONS ANSWERED BEFORE THE CART, NOT AFTER THE RETURN
What's the 20° bend for?
Two things: it lifts your knuckles off the surface on long flat pulls, and it levers the edge under the material so downward pressure becomes prying force at the edge.
What is this actually for?
Heavy horizontal removal — stripping paint off sills, thresholds, and floors, and levering cured adhesive fields up — the jobs where a putty knife is really a small wrecking bar.
12010 or the narrow 02070 bent?
Detail and tight edges → 02070; floors, decks, and demolition-width work → 12010.
Can I fill or finish with it?
No — it's a stiff bent demolition chisel. Fill and finish with the flexible knives.
Can I hammer it?
No — the brass rivets are for leverage, not striking. Don't use it as a struck chisel.
Whole floor of old glue — is this the tool?
For edges and stubborn patches, yes; for a large unbroken field, step up to a long-handle floor scraper and use the 12010 alongside it.
Old floor adhesive or old paint — anything to watch?
Pre-1980s black cutback adhesive may contain asbestos (test first); pre-1978 paint means lead (EPA RRP wet methods).
