Fingernail vs skew gouge?

[Rfilkin]

Greetings
I am glad to be here. For years my tool of choice in pen turning has been the fingernail gouge and I have been successful. Others have expressed a choice of using the skew so this morning I used a piece of scrap acrylic for practice. Not bad but I do need more practice and the shavings seem a lot finer than with the fingernail. What is your preference and why?

Thank you in advance

 

[Woodchipper]

I started with the spindle roughing gouge for turning blanks. I have used different tools- beading/parting tool, round carbide, Bedan tool, skew. I really don't have a favorite.

 

[wouldentu2?]

I lay the skew on its side and use it as a scraper as a quick method to level the surface.

 

[BHuij]

I basically use a skew whenever I can. I'll use a spindle roughing gouge to knock off corners on square stock. I'll use a detail gouge for coves, beads, ogees, etc. And I have a square carbide tool for when I'm cutting synthetics, especially harder ones like TruStone. Everything else in spindle orientation I generally do with a skew. The speed at which I can reduce diameter on things with peeling cuts, and the surface left behind with planing cuts makes it hard to want to use anything else.

 

[Jarod888]

I use a skew for virtually everything. It's faster and produces a better finish, so I can start sanding at higher grits, typically 320 or 400.

I prefer the 3/4 inch wide Colwin Way splayed skew. I also have a hamlett one I really like.

My preferred style is radiused with a small (1/8) inch flat section on the long point.
I grid them at around 20 degrees each side (40 degree included angle). This produces a bevel that is about 3/8 to 1/2 long.

I'll post a picture later of them and my grinding platform. I use a 180 grit cbn with the Stewart Batty platform.

 

[Jarod888]

Pictures as promised.

 

[sorcerertd]

I've turned entire pens with a roughing gouge, with a skew, and with carbide. I find that the HSS skew (when sharp) gives me by far the smoothest finish and least tear out on delicate materials. With some woods I don't even have to sand. Typically, I round the blank out with carbide, then switch to the skew for finishing cuts.

Anything with stone (trustone or gemstone inlay) is all done with carbide. Sharpening is the the most tedious part of this hobby, so I can't see dulling a skew on this stuff when it's not necessary.

That's a nice setup Patrick.