Expertise required...

[MDWine]

I uploaded pictures to my album, so you can see what I'm talking about here.

Granted, I'm very low in the experience department, but extremely high in the enthusiasm department!!!

I roughed out a blank last night, and it went very well. I wanted to try my hand at the skew, and did fairly well (considering) on the left blank, but not so well on the right.

The problem, apart from the lack of experience, seemed to be the tool rest. The sharp shoulders of the skew drag and catch on the imperfections of the tool rest, and make a smooth cut difficult.

Should it be necessary to round the shoulders of the skew or dress the tool rest?

 

[DCBluesman]

Mike--I use oval skews and don't have that problem. It appears that you are trying to move two squared pieces against each other, so I'm not surprise that you get tool/toolrest catches. I'd suggest rounding the edges of the skew over about an inch or so where it rides on the rest. Take a look at some of the tool pictures on the CSUSA site to get an idea of an oval skew.

 

[wpenm]

My tool rest was a little rough and the skews would catch. I cleaned the tool rest up with a file and some sand paper. Works good now.

 

[penhead]

When I got my Jet mini the tool rest came brand new with rough spots and even a few deep pits...like Gary said/did with a file and sandpaper took care of that problem..!

 

[mick]

MD, You're joking bout folks "joking" about the shopsmith.......right? I love mine! I pull it out on the driveway on nice days.I've actually drawn a crowd while working......one guy stopped his car got out and just stood watching. He said he'd always saw them at Lowe's and places but had never seen one in operation.
I've seen and heard comments that since the ShopSmith is several tools combined that quality suffers.....I've not seen that and I've used it extensively in just able every configuration I can think of with the exception of the horizontal boring machine and never had the quality of my finished product be inferior to others that used "dedicated" tools.
I'm not advocating that everyone rush out and buy a ShopSmith, If I had the room I'd probably have individual tools, but for me it works!
And the good part .....I bought it cheap! The guy that bought it new paid like $3000.00 for it .....used it little and sold it 4 years later .......to me , for $500.00. HEY! I guess I just might qualify for a "tool gloat".....lol
<b>Oh...by the way MD, the reason I posted....someone else on here that uses a shopsmith suggested I buy the smaller 4" tool rest, no hitting the end of the mandrel or the live centerand you can get real close to the work</b>.

Just remember my motto.......Carpe ShopSmithium...but not while it's running!

 

[Daniel]

From what I have seen of the ShopSmiths. they are not cheap. not in construction. but considering I jsut spent more for a bandsaw tahn you payed for the whole shop. I think you should gloat. but it also wouldn't be a fair comparison to list our bandsaw features to mine. the shopsmith really comes into it's own when it comes to space limitations. I think they beat the socks of what is available in portable equipment that would be an alternative. they have one they use for stage prop building shere I work. this one is real old. maybe older than I am. and what a beast. very rugged and sturdy. It's been used and abused for years by students and still just chugging along.

 

[Mac In Oak Ridge]

Originally posted by MDWine
<br />
Should it be necessary to round the shoulders of the skew or dress the tool rest?

Yes to both. Round off the corners of the skew, next time you purchase one get the oval type. Smooth off the top of the tool rest, make sure you get it flat.

For the tool rest you can rub it long ways on a file sitting flat on your work bench, that gets the top flat. Then you put the tool rest in a vise or in the holder on the lathe for that matter and draw file the working surface so it is nice and smooth and rounded over. Then wax it so it doesn't rust and makes a nice smooth slick surface to maneuver tools on.

 

[jdavis]

clean up the tool rest.

 

[its_virgil]

I too turn with oval skews. I think they are much easier to control than the flat ones. I stopped trying to use the skew when all I had were the flat ones but after purchasing an oval skew I have become a fan of the skew. Although, rounded corners on the flat skew and a nice clean smooth tool rest will help also. One little spot of CA(on the tool rest) can ruin a blank when the skew hits the glue bump and the blade catches; at least that is what the big boys tell me. ;-)

Do a good turn daily!
Don

 

[lkorn]

CROWN tools available at Woodcraft, makes a skew of rectangular stock, but with pre-rounded edges. Yet another version of the tool.

 

[MDWine]

Thanks a bunch, I appreciate all of the responses... I'll try cleaning up both pieces in the near future. I'll put up pictures of before/after!

Yep Mick, I LOVE MY SHOPSMITH... it's a great machine, and quality too! You can tell by my pictures, space is definitely a problem at my house!

Thanks again everyone!

 

[ravo]

Round over the sharp shoulders of the skew and file smooth the tool rest. I did both and it makes a big difference.

 

[woodwish]

Oval skews are great but the biggest difference I made in turning was to get rid of the soft cast iron tool rests that most lathes come standard with. I bought the ones from Best Tools in several different sizes and types. When I bought a new bigger lathe I simply bought a new support post and still use all the rests. Once in a great while I will sand then smooth again but with experience I find I get a lot fewer nicks than isued to, plus it is a lot harder steel.

 

[MDWine]

Now that you mention it Wish, I think you are right. I think the shopsmith toolrest is a bit on the soft side. I'm going to try to file it flat and smooth, and round the edges of my skew some. If that doesn't make it smooth enough, I was thinking about having a machine shop add a steel layer to the top of the rest.

Would that be TOO hard, I wonder?

 

[KKingery]

I usually run a fine file across the edge of the toolrest, followed with some sandpaper - wipe clean and apply a bit of wax. It seems to work great for me!

 

[randall844]

Newbie question:
What would be the difference between an oval skew and a gouge?

 

[DCBluesman]

Hi Robert. I think it's far easier to see the different tools than for me (in particular) to describe them. Check out the variety of tools here. http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/catalog/tools.html

 

[randall844]

OK, from what I see, an oval skew viewed head on from the busness end would be shaped like a D with the flat surface being the cutting edge and the rounded surface being the riding-on-the-toolrest edge.
Thanx.

 

[DCBluesman]

Now that you've sen the picture, my oval skew is actually shaped like rounded like this () (think of a convex lens) rather than like this |) (thinking of your analogy to the letter D). I hope that makes sense (it's the best I can do in type).

 

[randall844]

OK, I guess I get the picture. Thanks for the explanation.

 

[Thumbs]

The lathe toolrest on my ShopSmith , having set for 20+yrs., was a bit rough and caught my skew sometimes too. While I was reading in one of my handy Shops Tips books, a guy recommended running a flat file across the rest to knock off the "roughs" and rub a plain old parafin wax block over both the tool rest and the tool arm. One trip to the grocery store (for the parafin!) and my lathe was fixed.