Skew Usage and Sharpening

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jimmyz

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Apr 10, 2011
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Providence Forge VA
So, after much encouragement, I have decided to learn to use my skew for final pen turning. One of the main reasons is to reduce or eliminate the need to sand before finishing, because I do some segmenting with aluminum and brass and the lighter woods and acrylics pick up the dust and get "dirty" during the sanding process.

I have two skews, a small round one (Wood River 3 pc kit) and a larger (5/8") flat, longer one. I have decided to use the flat one because it's easier to sharpen (I think). They are both HSS, but the flat one has the infamous "made in China" notation.

I sharpened the flat one to about 30 degrees with a slight curve and honed it with a credit card-sized Trend diamond plate. Mounted a piece of scrap, relatively soft wood, set the tool rest so the approximate center of the tool was at about 2/3 the height of the blank, and started to try using it. After several passes, I thought I was getting a pretty good finish, as long as I kept it slow with light cuts.

My questions are: after a few minutes, when the wood had a nice finish but was not turned down to the proper size, I had trouble getting it to make the same light cuts. The edge, compared to the initial one, did not feel nearly as sharp. I guess I need to hone it again or do I need to increase the "angle of attack" as the tool gets less sharp? How frequently should I expert to have to re-hone it (I know it depends on what material is being turned)? Should I look for a better quality skew that will hold the edge longer?

Also, should I invest in a carbide tipped tool (round or square?) to do the roughing vs using my roughing gouge until I get to the final turning with the skew?

Any help will be appreciated!
 
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jttheclockman

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Feb 22, 2005
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NJ, USA.
Hello Jim

We already talked about this and hopefully you have gotten my PM's. as to my opinions. But one thing I would like to add here is when using a skew you do not cut with the cutter edge 90 degrees to the blank. It is more of a 45degree slicing cut. You want to slice through the grain. There is plenty of videos on utube that shows this. But that is huge when using a skew. The more you increase that angle the more cutting edge you introduce to the wood and that will slow the cutting process. Getting the proper angle on the skew is key also. You can vary it from time to time and develop what is an optimum angle for your style. But that link of Alan Lacers site I sent you will show you this.

When I read you are not getting the same results after you make the first couple paths tells me one of 2 things. The angle of the grind on the skew is not correct, you are riding the bevel too much and not presenting the cutting edge into the wood enough. Can not be afraid. A catch will only happen if the tip or the leading edge or the tip of the lagging edge digs in. That is why a wider skew makes better sense for beginners. That is why I told you the wider one is a better choice. The same goes for carbide tools. Using a round cutter will eliminate the chance for catches of the points on the cutter surface. The last thing is that the skew does not hold an edge long. It does not take much if using it on metals and acrylics as opposed to woods.

Others will help too. Good luck and you are doing the right thing trying to learn the skew. It will go a long way when doing segmented blanks.
 
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JimB

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Mar 18, 2008
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West Henrietta, NY, USA.
Jim- I have been turning for almost 8 years and always struggled with the skew and had almost given up on it. Back a few months ago a turner from the local club who has 35 years experience, invited me to his shop to help me with a different problem. While there I spent about 5 hours learning and practicing how to use a skew properly. I learned

- Proper bevel angle (25 degrees)
- proper point to point angle (70 degrees)
- use a straight, not rounded skew
- proper sharpening
- proper honing - all 4 sides! yes, you do this more with a skew than any other tool
- how to do all the cuts - planing, V, rolling beads, etc
- practice, practice, practice.
- learn and practice on green wood. I practice on green cherry about 2.5" diameter.

I still practice what I learned. I hone the skew more than any other tool because a razor sharp edge is extremely important.

BTW, my skews are from my Harbor Freight set. My mentor never suggested buying more expensive tools. He did say to keep them well honed and to practice.
 

SteveG

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Dec 21, 2009
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Eugene, Oregon 97404
Jim- I have been turning for almost 8 years and always struggled with the skew and had almost given up on it. Back a few months ago a turner from the local club who has 35 years experience, invited me to his shop to help me with a different problem. While there I spent about 5 hours learning and practicing how to use a skew properly. I learned

- Proper bevel angle (25 degrees)
- proper point to point angle (70 degrees)
- use a straight, not rounded skew
- proper sharpening
- proper honing - all 4 sides! yes, you do this more with a skew than any other tool...

Jim, will you explain what you mean by this? I know of TWO sides to hone, and want to learn about the other two, as mentioned in your post. Thanks!
 

JimB

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Mar 18, 2008
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4,683
Location
West Henrietta, NY, USA.
Jim- I have been turning for almost 8 years and always struggled with the skew and had almost given up on it. Back a few months ago a turner from the local club who has 35 years experience, invited me to his shop to help me with a different problem. While there I spent about 5 hours learning and practicing how to use a skew properly. I learned

- Proper bevel angle (25 degrees)
- proper point to point angle (70 degrees)
- use a straight, not rounded skew
- proper sharpening
- proper honing - all 4 sides! yes, you do this more with a skew than any other tool...

Jim, will you explain what you mean by this? I know of TWO sides to hone, and want to learn about the other two, as mentioned in your post. Thanks!

Steve - for planing cuts you only need to hone 2 sides. For cuts where you will use the long point such as a V cut or a planing type cut where you will use the short point to end at a shoulder you want a very good point.

Honing the sides with the bevel will get you a good point. For the best possible point you hone the other two sides as well. Hold the tool like you would for a V cut and hone the bottom. Flip in over and hone the other side.

Since I had never honed on those 2 extra sides it was easy for him to show me the difference in the sharpness of the points. It is a small difference but when it comes to using a skew every bit helps.
 

low_48

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Jul 1, 2004
Messages
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Location
Peoria, IL, USA.
On flat skews, I also radius the length of the steel, from the heel to nearly the handle. It lets it skate along the tool rest more easily, and lets you find the bevel more easily. For planing cuts, I actually prefer a Sorby oval skew. It was the first skew I felt like I could control. If I want to do beads and profiles, I go to a flat skew. I also sharpen at a much longer bevel than factory on the flat skew.
 
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