What is the proper way to use a skew

[Planecrazy29]

Ok, I've been turning for a long time now, but have never had any formal instruction or even read any books on it. There is lots of talk of the skew as the "perfect" tool. As far as I'm concerned, it make a great scraper. Can anyone point me to a video or other graphic guide that will show me it's proper use? Thanks.

-Aaron

 

[dubdrvrkev]

Look into the videos from Alan Lacer, he has a series about the skew.

 

[JimGo]

I have Alan's second video, and it's great.

A brief description - try moving the tool higher with respect to the blank, and tilt the cutting edge so it is not resting on the tool rest. You want to use the cutting edge to slice a thin strip from the surface of the wood. Someone posted a link a few months ago to a great online video that illustrated this. I'll see if I can find it.

Here are some: http://www.turnwood.net/videos.html

Sorry, I should further clarify...my "brief description" is meant to convey what some here refer to as the "proper" way to use the skew. I started off using it "as a scraper", and found that that technique worked well for me. I've been playing with the other techniques, and they are pretty neat, too. Ultimately, IMHO, the "best" technique is the one that works best for you.

 

[DCBluesman]

The skew is a versatile tool. It's not just for planing cuts. You can scrape with it, peel with it, cut beads with it and part with it, too. Alan Lacer's two videos are excellent, but if you have a wood turning group nearby, visit with them. An "in person" demo will help a lot more.

 

[Mudder]

Allen Batty also has a nice video showing the 6 basic skew cuts.

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/cgi-bin/shopper?preadd=action&key=270-0400

 

[Skye]

For some reason mine never works tilted, always flat. I've got an el-cheapo that's sharpened on both sides, so that's got a lot to do with it [V]