I Made a trip to Woodcraft Yesterday

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GregD

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While I was there, I asked if anyone could show me how to use a skew chisel.After the guy,(Jim I think was his name), showed me how to use it, I came home and gave it a try. Now I'm using the skew chisel like a pro.
The trick is to keep the bevel down aginst the wood and cut in the center of the chisel.
 
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The amazing thing is how people are intimidated by the skew.
My first lather was the JET penturning lathe(which I returned within a week)that came with a set of chisels.
I was pretty much disgusted with my first attempts on a chunk of wood on the lathe.
I gound out why they called a gouge a gouge.
I picked up the skew because it made sense that if I wanted a straight line across the length of what I was turning(like a pen) why woulud I want to use a rounded tool?
I am totally self taught in the use of all my chisels and I suppose for me that is the best way.
I discoverd what worked for me becasue there was nowone to show me the "right" way.
I don't know if my technique is "correct" but I ma pleased with the results.
I have learned when tools aren't giving me a good result it's probably because they aren't sharp.
They diamond stone has become my best friend,I have no idea why(for pen making) people have the desire to buy "toys" to sharpen their tools.
I may be missing something but I think a stone thats 400 grit will give a better edge than a stone that's equivalent to what they use to strip the finish off hardwood floors.
There are two sides to my stone,yellow and red.
I have forgotten what the grits are buy I know the yellow is coarse and the red is fine.
Another thig I have learned the the use use the skew cuts down on sanding.
My advice to anyone that is intimidated by the skew is to chuck up a piece of wood between centers,turn it round and experiment with the skew.
By practicing on a pen blank you run out of wood too soon.
 

Gary

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For me it's so much easier to first see something done with the proper technique. Why reinvent the wheel? I invested in a 4-hour course on spindle turning at Woodcraft before I even opened my tools. Then the following week I took a 4-hour course in bowl turning. I don't regret having done so.
 

Gregory Huey

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I think it takes a little time to learn how to use the skew but is the best tool in my chisel line up when it comes to pen turning. I also find it is the easiest one to sharpen.
Just my 2 pennys
 

Fleabit

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The skew is worth learning. I used gouges for quite a while due to a blow out trying to use the skew. I have since gone back to the skew as a primary, but still find the gouges to have their places on certain turnings.
 

jkirkb94

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I'm like Eagle. I self taught myself using my tuning tools. Made some mistakes but learned a lot. Someday I will try to learn some techniques from others. I tend to start with a gouge and use it for most of my turning but switch to the skew for the final turning as I near the bushings. And I also found out a while back that sharp tool DO make a difference.[;)] Kirk[8D]
 

tipusnr

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If that was the Hilliard store the Jim would have been Jim Baumgardner of the Central Ohio Woodturners. Him and his wife, Ruth, are great people. Going out there today to take advantage of the 25% off their house bandsaw blades.
 

TheHeretic

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I will echo Tips comments. Jim is an excellent teacher. He really knows, understands and loves his craft. I am in there on avg 3 to 4 times a month. Whether I am spending 10 bucks on some little piece or couple hundred on a complete clamping system (R & R clamping system for those who do flat work), to a hundred on the Wolverine, I have always been treated very well. I have had employees go out of there way to show me how to use a piece I had replaced 4 times previously.

Didnt know bout the bandsaw blade special. Might have to head over to pick up a new one for cutting green log chunks into blanks.


Dean
Columbus OH
 

wicook

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When I first started, I tried the gouge for rough turning. I tried large, medium, and small gouges...and wasn't happy with any of them. Since my chisel set had a variety of styles, I tried them all. The best combination I've found for most woods (note that this applies only to turning pen blanks) is to start with a rounded end scraper and use it till I've reached the basic profile I'm looking for, then switch to a 1-inch skew to finish the profile, get rid of tool marks, and generally get the size close to the bushings. This really cuts down on my sanding time!
 

opfoto

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I've recently changed a couple of things as well. Thru a couple of past threads I now have: Touch up chisels on grinder before each turning, sped up the lathe, round blanks with gouge, then do the rest with skew. What a difference all of these changes have made!!! It doesn't seem to be as much work as it used to. Definitely has made this a more enjoyable hobby. Thanks, Marc
 

woodscavenger

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I read the post a while ago on roughing with the skew. I gave it a try and I love it. It is much more versatile than I once thought. I do occasionaly reach for my fingernail gouge like today on a piece of figured cocobolo that my skew just didn't seem to like. The gouge ate if for lunch.
 

tomwojeck

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Ok, this is a really stupid question, but I assume that the edge of the skew is held parellel to the pen blank when you are using it. Is this true? I guess I should just get a video, but haven't had time.

Thanks,
 

JimGo

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Tom,
That's how I used it in making the slimlines I made this past weekend. The nice thing about the offset angle of the skew is that it allowed the tool to come off at an angle from the piece, which meant it wasn't pointing directly at my body (i.e., it let me stand directly in front of the piece, which meant I could see better). The angle also made it easy to create the rounded design in my most recent pen (see my gallery).

I will, of course, defer to the experts on here, this weekends' turning being only the third or fourth time I've even TRIED to turn wood, with only my third and fourth pen/pencils coming out this weekend.

Good luck!
 

tipusnr

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Tom,

It really depends on the type of cut you are doing how you lay the tool. And it can scare the bejeebers out of you when you catch a skew.

If you haven't time to find a video try searching the internet for sites like Alanlacer.com and look at the basic instruction files they have.

Maybe there's a woodturners club near you where you can be shown how.

I first learned by seeing it on PBS but have spent a lot of research since then and am only beginning to unleash the power of the skew!
 

J. Fred Muggs

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Once you learn how to use the skew, you will love it. It's almost all I use on pens anymore. But, a word of caution: Remember that the skew is used to cut just as a carving knife cuts a piece of wood. Therefore, if you try to cut against the grain with the skew, you can tear out big chunks of wood. This is most notable when turning burls or wilder grain woods where the grain is running every which way. My biggest problems have occurred in redwood and buckeye burls and in curly maple and curly koa. Of course, these are not the cheapest blanks to be ruining.

If you don't have someone to show you first hand how to use the skew, I highly recommend the Alan Lacer skew video that Tip mentions.
 

krose38

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Fred, I'm getting ready to glue up some curly koa this evening and will start turning them tomorrow. First of all does all curly koa dry crooked? I had a devil of a time drilling them straight. Next, do you or any one else have any suggestions on turning the curly koa? I hate the thoughts of them blowing up.
Thanks,
 

Gary

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That koa must to have been awfully wet when cut into blanks. Mine are all straight.
Originally posted by krose38
<br />Fred, I'm getting ready to glue up some curly koa this evening and will start turning them tomorrow. First of all does all curly koa dry crooked? I had a devil of a time drilling them straight. Next, do you or any one else have any suggestions on turning the curly koa? I hate the thoughts of them blowing up.
Thanks,
 

darbytee

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Another good piece of free instruction is the free penturning DVD from Penn State Industries. There is a link for it on their website that also comes with a $10 off coupon. I am not affiliated with PSI in any way, I just enjoyed the free DVD and coupon.
 

Gary

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Originally posted by darbytee
<br />Another good piece of free instruction is the free penturning DVD from Penn State Industries. There is a link for it on their website that also comes with a $10 off coupon. I am not affiliated with PSI in any way, I just enjoyed the free DVD and coupon.

That DVD was the first thing I watched when I wanted to start turning pens. It's pretty good, but I didn't like that EEE Abrasive wax they used. But the DVD is good for the starter kit.
 

J. Fred Muggs

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Keith:
My curly koa was dry and pretty straight. You say you had a tough time drilling straight. Was that because the crookedness made it hard to hold? or could your drill bit be wandering with the grain as you drill?? Koa is hard enough that a cheap or dull bit or drilling too fast could cause the bit to wander.

As for advice: Be sure you've got it glued to the tubes well. I'd recommend a good sharp gouge over the skew for this wood, but, the skew works if you're cautious. Just don't try to set any new speed records turning it and you should be okay.

I agree with Fred Ritter that the PSI free DVD is well worth the money.

After my post about Alan Lacer's video yesterday, I watched again last night. If you want to use the skew properly, you owe it to yourself to watch this video, even if you have to buy it!!
 

krose38

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Fred, By hard to drill I meant hard to line up in the vise. Because it had such a bow in it. It drilled just fine and turned well. The Koa is a very nice wood. The blanks I received was bad. In the picture you will be able to see that I'm just a tad large on the tip end. I'll correct that on the next one. I love this little pen and the Koa too.
Thanks for your help.[:)]

200529211437_DSCN1019.jpg
 

woodscavenger

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I blew out my first Koa blank with a skew. The second one I use my fingernail gouge for some of it as well as Fred's famous grit gouge. The pen turned out great. It's in my album if anyone is interested. BTW my blanks were a little crooked as well but not enough to have trouble woring around.
 

esheffield

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I haven't had much luck with my skew, but haven't tried it much either. I believe my biggest problem is the shape of my skew. I saw somewhere (either in a book I have or Alan Lancer's site) a recommendation to buy or modify your skew so that the edges that ride along the toolrest are rounded. Mine has very sharp square corners and I have trouble moving it smoothly along the rest. It digs in and then kind of jumps, moving in fits and starts. Might help to do a little work on the rest too - maybe sand the paint off the edge when the tools contact (a lot of the paint has already worn off anyway). When I have been able to get the skew to "work" I've been really happy with the results.

Something just popped in my head. Would there be any advantage to waxing the tool shafts and toolrest with something like you might use on a table saw? Maybe even Ren Wax? Either for making it easier to move along the rest or for tool protection/rust prevention? Just a random thought.
 

tipusnr

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In my opinion, waxing or otherwise lubricating the tool shaft and tool rest would be an unwise decision. The shavings and dust would get packed in the lubricant and cause spotty performance. The more uniform the resistance - the better.

It's not that tough to round the edges of your skew slightly. It can be done in a vise with a metal file or done with a light touch on your grinder. Just remember, you are taking the sharp edge off the tool NOT reshaping it to a round tool!
 
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