Learning to use a skew

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Russknan

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I know that this is probably a meat-and-potatoes question for a lot of people, but I've only been making pens since March, so there is a lot to learn. I've watched a number of videos produced by ed4copies, and have been impressed (envious) of his technique. He appears to be a real Samurai of the Skew! :biggrin: Anyway, I'm NOT. I have two. One is a Shopsmith 1" skew with a rectangular profile. I've used that for scraping to even things out after using a gouge. I'm assuming that I should round off the edges, but I haven't done that yet. The other is an oval carbide-tipped skew that I got as part of a set. Haven't really used that yet. Can anyone point me in the direction of some good instruction on learning how to use these tools? Any other suggestions on technique? Russ
 
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Develop the patients of Jobe and do not get in a hurry. Also keep the skew very sharp.


:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
Russknan said:
Can anyone point me in the direction of some good instruction on learning how to use these tools? Any other suggestions on technique? Russ
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Russ; The best way is to find a woodturning club near you. Most clubs will have people able to mentor you. Check below for clubs in your area.

Local Chapters - The American Association of Woodturners

The skew should always be cutting, never scraping. When you are cutting, always ride the bevel against the piece. The point of contact with the workpiece should be on the bottom half of the cutting edge. Never touch the point of the skew against the pen blank.
 
When I was starting out I just did a search for skew videos and watched a few. Ed's was one of them.

One thing to remember is to keep the skew sharp. The sharper the chisel is, the easier it is to control. The more shallow bevels will have more tendency to dig in than the more obtuse ones. You can take a skew to 1000 grit, and then 12000 grit and you will notice the difference. Dull blades can hurt you, and mangle the cutting medium.
 
The reason why the stores are full of different types of lathe tools is that people develop a preference for one tool or another. Of my closest pen making friends, only one or two use a skew. Others use the Spindlemaster, spindle gouge or a tool with a removable tip. So don't feel you MUST use a skew because others say you should. Use something that gives YOU good results.

When I first purchased a parting tool, I had no luck controlling that stupid thing. My problems continued until I picked up a scrap blank and turned a pen using nothing more than a parting tool. (this is not a tool I would recommend for pen making) By the end of my practice session, I could then control the parting tool without destroying the project. So my best advice would be--more practice, especially on wood that isn't critically important or valuable, and after that deciding whether to continue using the tool or moving on.
 
I'm just now getting used to the skew, after a steep learning curve it's feels great to finally get it to work! I was able to start micro mesh straight from the tool with an acrylic I was using!!!!
 
make sure your skew is SHARP, keep your skew SHARP. Practice practice practice. When I can get mojo on and successfully use the skew I am amazed at what it can do as well as how easy it does it. I need lots more practice because I don't command the mojo yet.
 
SHARP, SHARP, SHARP!

Try chucking a carrot between centers and WITHOUT TURNING THE LATHE ON practice getting your tool rest height correct and your approach with the chisel rubbing the bevel ... try to shave the carrot. :smile:

Now do the same thing with a piece of Pine or 3/4 x 3/4 piece of any scrap wood... This time, when you are ready, do it with the lathe ON!

Sometimes it's easier to use the point of the Skew up other times with it down. Always try to keep your cut happening toward the mid to lower point of the chisel as Randy said. For small diameter pieces (like pens) use a high speed! SHARP SHARP SHARP .... and ride the bevel!
 
The skew is unforgiving if you don't follow the ABC's of turning: Anchor the tool on the rest, rub the Bevel, then and only then slide the tool into a Cut position.
Allan Lacer has some excellent books on the skew, but having a mentor is the quickest way-find a local club or another turner to show you.
 
The secret that helped me get over the hump was with the long side up, make sure I keep the point above the pen so it does not engage the wood. I also used a rounded skew and it works very well and roughing a blank is super fast. Now I usually use the skew only on most pens.
 
I watched this video: Alan Lacer The Skew Chisel by Alan Lacer DVD | Shop Supplies | Craft Supplies USA then went out and practiced. To practice I would take a 2x4 or 2x6 and rip it into blocks 1-1/2" square by 12'' long and then practice all of the different cuts he showed in the video. Snowmen and coke bottles make for good practice shapes. Also if you use redwood 2x4 any shapes that turn out good can be sanded and finished and they look nicer than the ones turned out of regular framing 2x4.
 
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airborne_r6 said:
I watched this video: Alan Lacer The Skew Chisel by Alan Lacer DVD | Shop Supplies | Craft Supplies USA then went out and practiced. To practice I would take a 2x4 or 2x6 and rip it into blocks 1-1/2" square by 12'' long and then practice all of the different cuts he showed in the video. Snowmen and coke bottles make for good practice shapes. Also if you use redwood 2x4 any shapes that turn out good can be sanded and finished and they look nicer than the ones turned out of regular framing 2x4.
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I would highly recommend the video mentioned above, and when you are done digesting that one, Alan has a 2nd video which is equally as good called the "Son of Skew." It is well worth watching. These videos were given to me because I was bellyaching about all of the problems I was having using the scourge of turning tools, and now, if I'm not using my carbide insert tools, I'm using my skews. They are extremely versatile, but remember the biggest secret to the skew is....KEEP IT EXTREMELY SHARP!

Rick (mtgrizzly52)
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See if you can get a copy of Woodturning Design magazine Feb 2012 (Issue #35) There is an excelent article about using skews. The title is "Getting a Handle on Spindle Turning - Part 4" , the article is specifically on the skew.

Once I read the article and had some practice, my technique improved greatly. Also having a very sharp skew is absolutely essential. I am by no means an expert with a skew, but I can now use it with some confidence.

Another thing I picked up along the way is to round the square edges/corners (just a bit) on the short side of the skew. (the edges/corners that run the length of the tool, not the cutting edge) That way when you roll the tool on the tool rest you have more control, you're not pivoting on a sharp corner. (hope that bit made sense)

Once you get the hang of a skew it's really a great tool.

TonyO
 
As well as everything suggested so far: get your tool rest close to the work. If your drive or live center is in the way and there's no room to get your tool rest in there, get a shorter tool rest. When I'm using a gouge or skew, the tool rest is usually within about 1/16" or less from the work. This means moving the tool rest every few passes as I'm removing wood.
 
Thanks to all who responded. As usual, there were great, helpful ideas. I HAVE recently joined a woodturning club, and hope to learn a lot from it. I'm working on improving my sharpening technique, and am doing rather well with sharpening the skew. The gouge is another story . . . Today, I ordered the Alan Lacer DVD. I will practice on some pieces of 2x2 and am truly intrigued by Lenny's suggestion of experimenting with a carrot. Lenny, I hope you'll have my back when my wife sees me rummaging around in the crisper drawer, and I give her an explanation that will convince her that I'm off my OTHER rocker! And, Ed, I'd love to know what kind of conversation you had at home after your wife saw your gender comment! Again, thanks a lot to each one. Russ
 
But, PLEASE let's not talk about carving bananas! As in, "Is that a banana on your lathe or are you . . . ? A lot of creative ideas here, though. That's why I spend WAY too much time on this site. Russ
 
ghostrider said:
When I was starting out I just did a search for skew videos and watched a few. Ed's was one of them.

One thing to remember is to keep the skew sharp. The sharper the chisel is, the easier it is to control. The more shallow bevels will have more tendency to dig in than the more obtuse ones.
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my little brain does not compute this.. because obtuse is more than 90° but less than 180°.

What does "shallow" mean in this regard ? Which is more shallow 10, 20, 30 degrees.

This is a serious question and a smart-as# statement -- I am really confused.

Thanks Paul G..
 
gallianp said:
ghostrider said:
When I was starting out I just did a search for skew videos and watched a few. Ed's was one of them.

One thing to remember is to keep the skew sharp. The sharper the chisel is, the easier it is to control. The more shallow bevels will have more tendency to dig in than the more obtuse ones.
Click to expand...

my little brain does not compute this.. because obtuse is more than 90° but less than 180°.

What does "shallow" mean in this regard ? Which is more shallow 10, 20, 30 degrees.

This is a serious question and a smart-as# statement -- I am really confused.

Thanks Paul G..
Click to expand...

I BELIEVE what he is trying to say is the farther back you grind your blade, the easier it is to cut. If you just grind a quarter inch on each side, you will have about a 90 degree angle at the point (sharp edge). IF instead you grind back half an inch on each side, you have 130 degrees or so. With a longer "taper", you are less likely to have the bevel interfere with your cutting action. No matter HOW sharp your tool is, it won't cut if the sharp edge is being "held off" by the bevel riding your blank.
 
I often use the analogy of shaving your face. Things go a lot more smoothly if your "pressure" is parallel to your face, rather than pushing into it. A skew is just a bigger razor and the blank is being "shaved". Nearly parallel works well!
 
I suggest that you practice and practice and practice. Use 2x2 pine pieces. I learned to use a skew using a method recommended to me by Russ Fairfield. I practiced on extra large carrots until I could cut curls. Sounds crazy, but really works.
 
nava1uni said:
I suggest that you practice and practice and practice. Use 2x2 pine pieces. I learned to use a skew using a method recommended to me by Russ Fairfield. I practiced on extra large carrots until I could cut curls. Sounds crazy, but really works.
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*LOL* couldn't help but laugh when I read your response. I was taking a seminar on bowl turning from Russ, struggling with a very hard dried chuck of cherry with my skew. He walked up to me and stated that the skew was a precision instrument and until I could peel a carrot with it, he forbid me from using it on a nice piece of wood! You know, carrots are really nasty when you turn them on your lathe! *LOL* What an awful mess to clean up!!!:eek:

Rick (mtgrizzly52)
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Just my opinion but the best suggestion is to find a local AAW chapter and join. I got that suggestion a few years back when forming Pen Chapters was the rage...I joined one and never looked back. Most have several mentors or can connect you with one from a sister chapter. Ours also has a fairly large video library you can borrow from. Sure beats plopping down $30 - 70 a pop for your own. I learned a lot from our monthly demos and they have learned from the pen demos I've donw. All the education crosses over. Just be carefull, you might end up turning a bowl...
 
I tried using mine off and on and then after I started turning between centers I really began to work at it.
You see, when the wood is allowed to stop spinning it makes the 'catch' from a skew much less like the world just came to an end in the workshop. :eek:
That's how I got over the fear and started learning to use it.
However, that being said, I will seldom use it for anything other than turning down to size. Using that thing by digging in the point in any way seems wholly un-natural.:biggrin:
 
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