Tear'n it up with a skew!

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redneckmedic

redneckmedic

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Joined
Dec 15, 2012
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Location
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No really I've blown up six blanks out of the last dozen trying to learn to master the skew. I know its a "feeling" tool and it should be "scary" sharp, but I'm having the darnest time learning this thing.
 
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I've been turning almost 4 years and I have my heart in my mouth every time I pick the skew up! It's like the little girl with the little curl. When it's good it's very very good, but when it catches it's horrid!

I actually learned to control the danged thing (more or less) turning larger diameter projects before I had enough control to use it on pen blanks.
 
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I had to go to a larger size skew so the sweet spot was more controllable for me.
Just remember, every cut is a practice cut.
 
You also might want to watch a few YouTube videos. That's how I learned the basics. And practice. That helps. :biggrin:
 
seamus7227 said:
its like riding a bike once you get it though!
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Just a lot harder to baseball cards in the spokes.

</Airplane>

Main thing I found is to keep your tool rest as close as possible to the piece and then start down and come up to it. Don't go in straight or from the top or it will catch. Also don't have a death grip on the back of the handle. Hold it steady and have your other hand holding the skew to the rest and slowly advance it in at a downward angle then slowly bring it up and find the spot where it feels right.

Practice on scrap pine and you'll get it in no time. Of course, that said, I use a gouge on almost everything and just use the skew to clean up at the end.
 
One thing that seems to make it clearer: "Shave" the blank.

Many turning tools can be operated with pressure at 90 degrees to the blank (in other words, "pushing into" the mandrel.

A skew should be cutting, like peeling a carrot--parallel(ish) to the mandrel. And the wider the skew, the better. A skew "catches" when the top of the tool hits your blank. The larger the tool, the less likely you are to get the top of the tool involved in your cutting.

Good luck, there are MANY YouTubes that show how to turn with a skew--for free, watch!!

Ed
 
A. B. C.

Anchor, bevel, cut. Always cut down hill. And like Ed said, it's a cut not a scrape. A good skew on the larger size is what I prefer. Not scary sharp, just sharp.
 
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kovalcik said:
Here is a captain eddie youtube video that helped me a lot. It is called Sharpskew.avi from Nov 2010.

shaprskew.avi - YouTube
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Matthew; You should take heed of this video. I had problems with the skew cutting spirals until I learned to sharpen the skew into a convex shape. I hone my skew with a diamond hone and only grind them (lightly) about every 10 hones.
 
I have adopted Alan Lacer's grinds on my skews and it made the difference between frustration and excellence for me. I was about to give up on the skew and now it is my go to tool for pens. It works well on acrylics, burls, hardwood and anything else. I have found that using his veneer "peeling cut" initially, I can get from square to round very quickly. Then depending on material it can be used as a shaving skew or even as a scraper for very fine finishing cuts. Here's a little 1/2" skew that I reground and really like now.
 

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Oval skew is so much easier for me

Either way, it's worth the effort.

I've never blown up a blank learning either style.

For me, if I'm not holding it right it just doesn't cut.
 
An increasing number of "Skew Shy" turners, have converted to a different shaped Skew.
The converts claim great success, and more importantly Confidence.
Namely, shaping the Skew to a curved (slight Radius) cutting edge, and a Convex grind, as compared to the traditional, Straight Cutting Edge, Concave / Hollow Ground.

Regardless of the Shaped used, there is no substitute for continuous practice, so that your muscle memory makes all your actions automatic and subconsciously repetitive.
Brian
 
OZturner said:
An increasing number of "Skew Shy" turners, have converted to a different shaped Skew.
The converts claim great success, and more importantly Confidence.
Namely, shaping the Skew to a curved (slight Radius) cutting edge, and a Convex grind, as compared to the traditional, Straight Cutting Edge, Concave / Hollow Ground.

Regardless of the Shaped used, there is no substitute for continuous practice, so that your muscle memory makes all your actions automatic and subconsciously repetitive.
Brian
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Well said. Agree with all. Just happy to be able to use my skew for something else than a pry bar:biggrin:
 
1080Wayne said:
Take an old 2x4 , cut it into blank size pieces , and practice at zero cost !
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Earlier this year I went over to Lowe's and bought some cheap 2x2 boards and cut them into approx 12" sections. I did this so my son could have something to practice his skew technique on without worry of messing up a good piece of wood. He had a blast practicing. It's also good for practicing beads and such.

Steve Busey said:
RIDE THE BEVEL!!! :smile:
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This this this this. :smile:
 
How the skew is sharpened made a big difference for me.
I grind it with a lot of taper so I am not aiming it at the blank.
I also learned using a blank between centers. That way the catches were not so scary!
Still, I have a healthy respect for the skew and am certainly not a master.
 
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