Wanna see a dirty movie, NOW!!! or "I'll share" her

[ed4copies]

You make it look too easy. Nice present from the Princess. What's obvious to me is how sharp your tools are. That would make an excellent section for your DVD - See Ed sharpen his tool.

Thanks for the compliment, Bruce!! You don't wanna see Ed sharpen his tool. Ed does a lot of things well, tool sharpening is NOT among them. BUT, I know when it's dull and I AM persistent. So, I keep trying until I have SOME kind of edge. Have the greatest wet sharpener made (another Dawn gift), so I SHOULD have really sharp tools, all the time. Operator needs edge-e-kashun.

 

[rjwolfe3]

Ed, great video. My wife says I need to use a bigger skew, whatever that means.

What others said about the voiceover is good. I wonder how it would sound without the background noise of the lathe?

I for one would love to see you sand and polish the blank. As you know that is my biggest weakness.

 

[Parson]

See Ed sharpen his tool.

I'm not sure the world is ready to see that

Joking aside, that was a great "movie" Ed!

One thing I would love to see you produce is a 1-2 minute video of a Baron being made from beginning to end. This would be excellent to show to my potential customers so they could see the entire process...

of course, you would need to voiceover the whole thing and explain it doesn't take two minutes to make a nice pen, but 2-3 hours!

 

[alphageek]

How bout I remove ALL the noise of the lathe and the turning?? Will you feel like you're missing something?

Maybe I take the noise out when I am talking, then let you hear it from time to time and stop talking??

Whatcha think???

I think you could use the voiceover only track for alot of it... However, I think when you are demoing certain points, it may make sense to have the lathe/turning sounds. Sometimes things just 'sound' right when you do them vs just seeing it.

I also think that when you get to the next stages of the video, more info would be a good thing (for those who don't know how you turn)... IE things like current speed of the lathe, grits of sandpaper (if you keep that in), etc.

 

[skiprat]

If you are going to do a voice over, then get Dawn to do it:biggrin:
You have a funny accent

As someone that 'Can't Skew-Won't Skew' I would like to have seen a view ( even for just a minute ) with the camera at about your left elbow height so I could see where your skew touches the material.
From the viewpoint that you used it looked very high up on the blank to me. I also thought your skew had an angled point but it looked square because of the camera angle.
You swapped skews after a while but didn't say why. It looked like you where doing fine to me, so why the change?
Approx what speed were you using and did you slow it down when you started sanding?


....and finally:tongue: did you go for lunch or a coffee break or something? Or was it simply that you couldn't find your sandpaper???:biggrin:

 

[dontheturner]

Thank You, I am very grateful, to have seen a video, at long last, showing me how to use the Skew, I bought with me from the UK, three years ago - now I can hone it, and get and put it to good use. Again, Thanks. dontheturner.

 

[GaryMadore]

Nice ribbons Ed; I envy your skill with the skew.

As Skippy said, if you're doing more like this some time, a POV angle (as if we're watching through your eyes) of your skew work would rock.

As it is, though, I picked up some things to try (near-vertical angle being chief among them) and am keen to hit the shop today.

Cheers!

Gary (usually does start to finish with a roughing gouge because skews are tools of the Devil)

 

[DFerguson777]

What brand skew do you use? I need to invest in a quality tool.
Got my two flame blanks in the mail yesterday....and a freebie.....Thanks! I'll post a pic when I get one done:redface:

-Denny- NC

 

[Daniel]

Ed, I have seen a lot of attempted explanations of using the skew. I have also sen several videos trying to show it as well. For me this one has been the best I have seen when it comes to the angles of the skew when cutting toward the head stock. near the end of the turning you did take time to point out the differences when cutting toward the head stock or tail stock a little bit. in this video it is much harder to see the details in the tail stock cut. I will say I do video. I do Photography as well but am naturally better at video. My biggest warning is you have opened a big can of worms with this project. Big hint. if you want to get a real good production quality look to your video. you need more than one camera, you really need more than two cameras. i did a wedding once that required 6 cameras. yeah 6. I could probably do a real bang up job on your turning with 3.

 

[Karin Voorhis]

Thank you! Wow you all here at IAP are amazing! I am grateful to have joined adn stopped lurking. thanks so much as I learned some tips from this.

 

[NewLondon88]

All kidding aside, I might even try the skew again.
(not using it like a scraper, that is..)
Thanks, Ed

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

Ed, thanks for showing me I had no freaking idea how to use my skews:biggrin:. As soon as the snow melts to the point I don't need Eskimo snow shoes( the tennis rackets I tried yesterday were from the 60's and way to small:wink to get to the shop I'll give your method a try.

BTW.......nice blank:wink:​

 

[WildcatHollow]

What I learned from your video...

First, I only have one skew - the one that came in the set of six tools I bought from PSI when I started a month or so ago.

The chisel is curved on both sides, and the sharp end is at an angle. No flat, no straight.

The first thing I noticed was that your skew spent most of its time with the edge riding the tool rest (thus keeping the blade closer to vertical than horizontal). The second thing I noticed was that you consistently use a very small portion of the heel of the blade to get your results.

Those two things alone made an immediate difference in my use of the tool. The turning of the ends with your technique was a bonus. Short of your steady hand and smooth, patient movement along the top of the tool rest, I was able to do what you did. The difference at this point would be that my result would require far more sanding, but I'm hoping that changes with a little more practice.

Again, thank you. Although there are improvements you could make in production values, I found it the most useful video I've seen since the first "...here's how you turn a pen" videos I watched on you tube. I rank it right up there with Russ' CA/BLO video in terms of informativeness. (I thought I was making that word up, but my spell checker seems to think it's OK.)

Cheers.

t.

 

[Jim15]

Thanks for the video Ed. You sure make it look easy, I'm going to have to give it another try. I think the angle you were using is pretty good as I was able to see what you were doing almost all the time. Thanks again.

 

[TellicoTurning]

A skew is a scary "catch". First time it happens, you put the tool down and figure you REALLY DIDN'T NEED it. So, here's my theory:

A "catch" happens when both ends of the skew hit your blank. IF the skew is near VERTICAL, the two ends are as far apart as possible and unlikely to hit the blank at the same time. The wider the skew, the truer this is. So, use a BIG skew. This will also dampen vibration due to the thickness of the steel. Again, making turning more relaxing.

I will make more movies ("videos" to you young guys), but this is only MY approach. I am not here to demean anyone else's way. I REALLY ENJOY reading Toby's remarks--I must admit! You made my day!!

Hope many can benefit, while I learn more about editing and production.

what's really fun is when the skew catches and kicks out of your hand... a blade you can nearly shave with shooting through your hand at 40 miles per hour... landing on the floor and immediately rolling under the work bench to the very back side....

 

[TellicoTurning]

Ed
That was a great little movie... fortunately I got to see it live a couple of years ago at the MPG... looking fowarding to another demo next year... assuming you are going to be there again??????????:yawn:

After watching you and doing lots and lots of practice, I use my skew almost entirely for all of my pens.... on antlers I sometimes have to use a small roughing or spindle gouge to get them started,

 

[WildcatHollow]

Not to give you a big head or anything..

Ed...

A month or so ago, I bought several blanks from your company, including an Ancient Mars, which looked stunning. I bought a Majestic Pen kit planning to build my confidence to where I could put them together.

I've also written that it too me 12 Designer DNFs before I got the first one right. I was hoping to change that curve, so I started the process lest night.

Well...first, I blew out the Ancient Mars blank with my drill press. It took me another two blanks to get drilling, gluing, and milling right. This morning, I put the results on a mandrel, and started turning with your skew technique.

WOW! It went just as you said in your movie. First, big chunks, and as the blank got rounder - long threads.

I just finished the top, using ONLY my skew and your technique, and I was so excited about the results, I had to stop to write this post.

I'm not finished yet, and Lord knows there's lots of process left for me to screw up, but...damn, man, thank you again.

Regards,

t.

 

[bitshird]

Ed, I wish I had seen a video like that when I first started, although when I was first trying a skew, I guess I was using it a bit too vertical, Your filming angle might be easier to understand if it were done over your shoulder so to speak, Nice over dub on the vocal portion, I thinks it's just a matter of keeping the mike at the same distance when you speak,. But over all it was very well done, I wish some one would do one for me that well.

 

[altaciii]

Alex,

If your hand looks like that avatar, you'll need to get rid of that CRAMP before you can turn comfortably!!

Good Lord, ROTFLMAO, That was funny. Guess I have to go the doctor and see if can do something about it.

 

[ed4copies]

Ed, I have seen a lot of attempted explanations of using the skew. I have also sen several videos trying to show it as well. For me this one has been the best I have seen when it comes to the angles of the skew when cutting toward the head stock. near the end of the turning you did take time to point out the differences when cutting toward the head stock or tail stock a little bit. in this video it is much harder to see the details in the tail stock cut. I will say I do video. I do Photography as well but am naturally better at video. My biggest warning is you have opened a big can of worms with this project. Big hint. if you want to get a real good production quality look to your video. you need more than one camera, you really need more than two cameras. i did a wedding once that required 6 cameras. yeah 6. I could probably do a real bang up job on your turning with 3.[/quote]

Thanks, Daniel!! Surprises me to say that eight minutes was not enough to SAY everything I wanted to. But then, if I say EVERYTHING, why make another??

When I did the Demos a couple years ago at Urbana, they were filmed from two angles. I realized that the end production would not show much, because the cameras were too far away. While I had GREAT time "showing off", I realized a couple people really did gain some knowledge. Even the guys that I respect as turners thanked me, after the event. It was, at that point, a "given" that I would make my own vids. But then I priced cameras.

So, once again, Dawn generously bestows one upon me (this is how I get anything that costs more than TWENTY bucks!). It will be my job to learn to make it an effective enough tool to earn it's position. With the help of the members here, we will create some informative options.

Yes, I may try mounting two cameras, but more likely, I may use the same video with more than one "voice over". Think you'll get bored???

 

[ed4copies]

What brand skew do you use? I need to invest in a quality tool.
Got my two flame blanks in the mail yesterday....and a freebie.....Thanks! I'll post a pic when I get one done:redface:

-Denny- NC

Denny,

I believe the brand is over-rated. You can turn a pen with ANY tool. How often you will have to SHARPEN the tool will vary, based on the quality of the steel used. I don't mind sharpening (poorly) often. Maybe some day I will learn to do it well and invest in better tools.

Specifically, on the video, my 1"+ skew IS a Sorby oval. It is heavy and I really like it for rounding square blanks. The heavy steel dampens vibration. Cool tool---but I wouldn't spend $100 for it (about the going price).

The skew I used for the second half of the turning is the "Benjamin's Best" from Penn State. At $15 a piece, I have 5. When I have a lot of pens to make, I sharpen them all and start turning. Can go a couple hours before I need to resharpen. And produce 15-18 pens.-- Resins. These tools are "lightweight", so if you ONLY have them, take the corners off of blanks with your beltsander. Then, there is very limited vibration from the start.

 

[ed4copies]

If you are going to do a voice over, then get Dawn to do it:biggrin:
You have a funny accent

As someone that 'Can't Skew-Won't Skew' I would like to have seen a view ( even for just a minute ) with the camera at about your left elbow height so I could see where your skew touches the material.
The top of the toolrest is very near the center of the blank. With the big skew, I am touching the blank at about the 10:15 position. As you can see, it is toward the bottom of the skew. So, likelihood of a "catch" is drastically reduced. I am comfortable with my tool anywhere between 9:15 (just above center) to 11:00. If YOU are comfortable somewhere, the turning will go more smoothyly!!
From the viewpoint that you used it looked very high up on the blank to me. I also thought your skew had an angled point but it looked square because of the camera angle.
You swapped skews after a while but didn't say why. It looked like you where doing fine to me, so why the change?
The big skew (1"+) is overkill when the blank is rounded. The smaller skews vibrate more easily and will keep me awake while I turn. The one I used for the second half was also very sharp. So, I could have shown "looks wet" cutting, if I had better light (as Alphageek pointed out) Again, signs of limited experience in vid production.
Approx what speed were you using and did you slow it down when you started sanding?
No, I don't slow down when I sand, but I do make sure the blank does not get hot. I was turning at the top speed of my lathe (2400ish RPM). I do everything at this speed, except drill.


....and finally:tongue: did you go for lunch or a coffee break or something?
I was supposed to "cut" the vid there. "Editing" department fell short of my expectations. And, yes the sandcloth comes from a roll that is 3" wide, so I was tearing off, twice.
Or was it simply that you couldn't find your sandpaper???:biggrin:

IAP Software says I need to type something-------here it is.

 

[TellicoTurning]

When I did the Demos a couple years ago at Urbana, they were filmed from two angles. I realized that the end production would not show much, because the cameras were too far away. While I had GREAT time "showing off", I realized a couple people really did gain some knowledge. Even the guys that I respect as turners thanked me, after the event. It was, at that point, a "given" that I would make my own vids.

Yes, I may try mounting two cameras, but more likely, I may use the same video with more than one "voice over". Think you'll get bored???

Ed,
I have the video of that demo in Urbana... I'll have to dig it out and watch it again... I paid close attention to your demo and learned quite a bit from it.... if you do the demo again next year in April... maybe we can get Terry and Cozee to get the cameras a little closer and get better shots..

Or you could talk really really sweet :wink: to Dawn and get another camera for your birthday, Valentine her birthday or some appropriate holiday...:biggrin::biggrin:

 

[jeffnreno]

Thanks Ed - That was a great video

 

[ed4copies]

Ed,
I have the video of that demo in Urbana... I'll have to dig it out and watch it again... I paid close attention to your demo and learned quite a bit from it.... if you do the demo again next year in April... maybe we can get Terry and Cozee to get the cameras a little closer and get better shots..

Or you could talk really really sweet :wink: to Dawn and get another camera for your birthday, Valentine her birthday or some appropriate holiday...:biggrin::biggrin:

Terry did a masterful job of editing that video. There had to be hundreds of hours of work. And, he has asked me where the cameras should have been. As you can see from the video I just posted, I DON'T KNOW!!!

But, I WILL find out!

 

[TellicoTurning]

I also noticed you were dry sanding the blank... do you always? I never dry sand a plastic blank... I try to get the blank as smooth as possible with the skew... then wet sand from about 400 through the 12000.. or whatever the PSI 2x2 pads grits are... I'll use a cloth backed piece of Klingspor for the 400.

 

[ed4copies]

Chuck,

Yes, I dry sand ALMOST exclusively. I have no argument with those who use water, I just don't see a need. I sand to 800 and then buff with tripoli and White Diamond. I am assembling the pen about the time you are switching to the 8000 (that's about the 12th pad, I think)!!

Seriously, the results of either method can be equally good---do what makes YOU comfortable.

 

[skiprat]

Quote by Ed; I am touching the blank at about the 10:15 position


Ok, I'll have to think on that for a bit

Damned digital watch is useless

 

[NewLondon88]

Quote by Ed; I am touching the blank at about the 10:15 position


Ok, I'll have to think on that for a bit

Damned digital watch is useless

It's easy. Start now ....

.. and stop at 10:15.

Sheesh .. why do you WEAR the thing if you don't know how to use it? :tongue:

 

[ed4copies]

OK, 22:15 for the Brit.

 

[skiprat]

OK, 22:15 for the Brit.

Ok, I grabbed the clock from the kitchen and guess what....???
Humph!!!! That still puts me behind the lathe
My lathe turns clockwise, so I think I'll try first at the 2;15 point first. If that doesn't work then I'll move it away from the wall and try your method:biggrin:

 

[ed4copies]

Ok, I grabbed the clock from the kitchen and guess what....???
Humph!!!! That still puts me behind the lathe
My lathe turns clockwise, so I think I'll try first at the 2;15 point first. If that doesn't work then I'll move it away from the wall and try your method:biggrin:

Now I understand why Skippy's view on life is BACKWARDS!! You're lathe is running the wrong direction!!!

(Do metal lathes run clockwise for making threads? Or, is it reversible?)
I honestly know nothing about them.

 

[skiprat]

Now I understand why Skippy's view on life is BACKWARDS!! You're lathe is running the wrong direction!!!

(Do metal lathes run clockwise for making threads? Or, is it reversible?)
I honestly know nothing about them.

Metal lathe with a skew??:biggrin:
I'm sure our lathes all run the same way, so our clocks must be different:tongue:

 

[skiprat]

AAARGHHH !!!!!! I just got it!!!!! You are looking from the tailstock end

But my headstock will get in the way of the clock, so I guess I need a much bigger clock. Damn, this is pen turning mallarky is getting expensive.












:biggrin:

 

[ed4copies]

Run your headstock spindle through the centerpoint of your clock face. NOW, time will stand still!!! But your spindle will turn counterclockwise or "anti"clockwise.

 

[skiprat]

Run your headstock spindle through the centerpoint of your clock face. NOW, time will stand still!!! But your spindle will turn counterclockwise or "anti"clockwise.

Now I'm really confused The headstock is the end with the motor thingy right? Mine doesn't move Think it's broken? The other end moves though, is this perhaps the headstock??

Could you be a bit more specific about the direction please? What determines if it will run counterclockwise or anticlockwise? Could it do both? :redface:


I'm gonna have to sleep on this, but thanks for all the invaluable help so far:biggrin:

G'night

 

[jscola]

Very good vidio Ed. : Joe S.

 

[VisExp]

Ed, nice video! A couple of thoughts that occurred to me while I was watching it. These come from the perspective that this is an instructional video on how to use the skew.

An alternative angle might have been to position the camera by your left elbow at about 45 degree to lathe. This would have shown the cutting edge of the skew relative to the center point of the lathe and also the height of the tool rest in order to achieve this.

I would have had the first shot with the lathe off so it is more obvious the blank starts as a rectangle. Then turning the lathe by hand you could have show how the bevel can be placed on the blank without cutting until the handle is raised, also emphasizing placing the tool on the rest before touching the tool to the blank. I think a lot of catches occur because the tool is presented to the blank before it is firmly on the rest.

It was not obvious to me whether you were cutting with the toe or the heel of the skew. I think your grind might be flatter than the approx 45 degree grind that my oval skew came with, regardless a change in camera angle might have shown this better. I use both the toe and the heel to cut, but someone starting would be more comfortable using the heel.

I'm guessing you were using the auto focus feature of the camera. Auto focus will struggle to focus on a clear/shiny object, especially if it is moving. A solid color pr blank would be easier to focus on. Another option is to focus on the blank while it is still, using the auto focus and then switch the camera to manual focus, locking in that focus. This will avoid the "hunt and seek" as the camera tries to focus on your moving hands.

As has been mentioned a two or three camera set up will tell the "story" better, but you can just as easily do this by moving the camera from one position to another combined with a little editing. You just need to have a clear idea of how you want to tell the story before you start. A story board helps here.

I don't know what editing software you are using but if you are looking to make more videos take a look at Sony Vegas. I have not used it personally but know a lot of people who have. It is cheap and will give you plenty of options. Capturing good raw footage is essential but the story is really told in the editing room.

As others have mentioned a better mic would help. Your choice to do the audio as a voice over is a good one. Your voice and the pace of your speech is perfect. By choosing to use a voice over you also don't have to worry about trying to sync the audio to different shots if you have multiple scenes in the movie.

I hope the above is taken as constructive criticism in an attempt to help improve what is already a good video!

 

[ed4copies]

As you know Keith, I have very sensitive feelings and I will be devastated for life knowing you could find fault with my first, perfect effort.



OK, now, THANK-YOU!!! Many of the vids that are available are taken from the viewpoint of the turner--I don't care for this approach, so it was a "conscious choice" to look for an alternative. This may not be THE answer, but I will keep looking to improve the view that really does NOT show the tool very well.

The FOCUS is a GREAT piece of information and the software is also something I will investigate. I do want these to become very professional, so keep watching Keith!! I appreciate every suggestion and, with your help, will improve with every "iteration" of the "vids".

Mostly, thanks for helping Dawn choose the camera!!!! It is a marvel to me how easy it is to use. More practice coming!!!

 

[Emaxx3]

Chuck,

Yes, I dry sand ALMOST exclusively. I have no argument with those who use water, I just don't see a need. I sand to 800 and then buff with tripoli and White Diamond. I am assembling the pen about the time you are switching to the 8000 (that's about the 12th pad, I think)!!

Seriously, the results of either method can be equally good---do what makes YOU comfortable.

Hi Ed,

This was my biggest surprise too.. dry sanding - dang it, gotta try that. When you say "ALMOST exclusively" my mind wonders as to the exceptions. Care to elaborate? Also, what grits are you running through? Do you reuse the paper on the next pen or discard? Who woulda thought one would have so many sanding questions.

Finally, I personally would like to see your finishing process with the buffing steps included - I want to compare if I am buffing for too long on each step.

Thanks for the video Ed - better than I would be able to do.

JP