Alex D
Member
So I am relatively new to turning and am completely self taught. When I started this about year ago I decided to tackle the dreaded skew as my primary pen-turning tool. I had some catches and oopses the first few months, but for the better part of the past year, I haven't had any issues with the skew and really enjoy usning it.
So much so, in fact, that I splurged on a Thompson 1 inch skew (same size as the one I have been using, but thicker). For the past month I have not had any problems using it to turn pens and I really love the tool.
Fast forward to yesterday and I decided to try a shaving brush. I'm using the large acrylic blanks from Beartooh woods (same material as I have made pens from) and I had almost a dozen significant catches.
I didn't have any problems with planing cuts, but the catches came when I was trying to turn a bead or a cove, or round over the end of the piece. I've turned plenty of basic beads and coves with my skew, but not necessarily in this combination (bead trasintioning into a cove).
Clearly I still have a lot of learning to do, but I'm trying to figure out what triggered the sudden rash of catches? Is it the larger diameter spindle? The fact that I am trying to turn smallish beads and coves with a large skew? Innattentiveness? Full moon?
I do have a 1/2 inch skew I can try if skew size is a culprit. I also have some spindle gouges I could try (haven't used those yet) unless that is just opening up a whloe nother can of woms.
Thanks!
Alex
So much so, in fact, that I splurged on a Thompson 1 inch skew (same size as the one I have been using, but thicker). For the past month I have not had any problems using it to turn pens and I really love the tool.
Fast forward to yesterday and I decided to try a shaving brush. I'm using the large acrylic blanks from Beartooh woods (same material as I have made pens from) and I had almost a dozen significant catches.
I didn't have any problems with planing cuts, but the catches came when I was trying to turn a bead or a cove, or round over the end of the piece. I've turned plenty of basic beads and coves with my skew, but not necessarily in this combination (bead trasintioning into a cove).
Clearly I still have a lot of learning to do, but I'm trying to figure out what triggered the sudden rash of catches? Is it the larger diameter spindle? The fact that I am trying to turn smallish beads and coves with a large skew? Innattentiveness? Full moon?
I do have a 1/2 inch skew I can try if skew size is a culprit. I also have some spindle gouges I could try (haven't used those yet) unless that is just opening up a whloe nother can of woms.
Thanks!
Alex