Skew Challenged

[Desert Pete]

Yes it's true, I am skew challenged. But, I am very consistent about it.

When I am turning a sphere the skew catches at about 45 degrees as I roll it around the sphere. It is almost exactly the same place each time. Since it is so repeatable it is clearly a technique problem. Any ideas?

Two curved skews, one 3/4" the other 1/2" but they both do the same thing at the same point in the wood.

A detail gouge does the job but I like the finish of the skew so much better that I really want to figure it out.

Thanks....

 

[Johnson]

the best thing i ever did was get rid of my regular skews and replace them with alan lacer skews. i have two of the 3/4" ones. after the switch the catches became almost non-existant. another thing i did was trim some trees and practice on the green wood. and practice. and practice. turned lots of beads out of green tree branches.
dale

 

[john lucas]

It's not the skews or the type of skews that are the problem. Your simply coming off the bevel. Try to make the cuts slower and concentrate on keeping the bottom side of the skew on the wood. It's hard to visualize this because the bevel is on the bottom but you actually roll the tool just like you roll a spindle gouge.
I have tried curve skews, thick skews, oval skews and most of the other stuff out there. I finally practiced enough with one until I got the cut down and now whatever skew is in my hand works fine. I prefer a straight edge skew because I can work with the toe and heel better but if you gave me a curved edge skew I could still use it.
When you are turning a sphere or a bead there are 3 movements. You have to rotate the handle of the skew as the cutter goes from top to bottom of the sphere. If this is all you do you get a V shaped sphere. This is because the bevel points to the left when the skew handle is perpedicular to the lathe. To get a round sphere you have to move the handle from the middle to the left(assuming your turning the left side of the sphere). This moves the bottom bevel of the skew so it ends perpedicular to the turning. to see how this works use a parting tool and cut down to form a square bead. Now with the lathe off place the bevel of the skew on the side of the square bead. You will see how far the handle has to move to the left to get a bead with sides that are perpendicular to the work.
Now there is one more movement. Since the left side of the sphere is lower on the spindle than the top of the sphere you have to lift the handle so the shew will cut to the bottom of the sphere.
Now you understand why it's such a hard thing to learn. To turn the sphere you have to rotate the tool, move the handle and lift the handle all at just the right time. When you concentrate on these movements you will get better.
I would also suggest Alan's video but when you watch it if you keep the description I just gave in mind it will become more clear how it works.
NicK Cook said it best. There are a certain number of catches built into a skew. You simply have to use them up. I find the best way is to but scrap wood on the lathe and just turn beads from one end to the other. This only takes 10 or 15 minutes and if you do it every time you go to the lathe you will learn it quite rapidly.

 

[MichaelMouse]

A detail gouge does the job but I like the finish of the skew so much better that I really want to figure it out.

Thanks....

All kinds of people waste money and time trying to master the skew in a task for which it is not really suited. For what? There are other tools which do the job with much less grief. As you mention in your last sentence, the gouge, with its edge curving out and back doesn't catch at all. Get a forged gouge with uniform thickness and grind a uniform bevel and you'll shine the cut in safety. Where you have the room to maneuver, that is. Where things are skosh, use the beading tool or Bedan or straight chisel. Lacer curves his skew to give a moment's grace when pressing down faster than in, delaying catching that hanging nose, but the chisel has no nose at all, so it doesn't grab. A chisel with a long single bevel will slide and slice in real close quarters. Just keep your cutting above center.

Skews are dandy planing tools, but there again a good straight chisel will give them a run for their money on finish.

 

[dkulze]

If you're getting that catch at the same spot each time, then one of two things is happening. Either you're coming off the bevel at that point as John mentioned, you're dropping the edge till the top point grabs, or you're rolling the edge past vertical to where you lose your leverage and the edge ramps up on the wood and lifts the skew from the rest.

When I'm making an egg or sphere, that is the toughest point. You have to watch your edge very carefully and keep all your pressure on the bevel into the wood, not on the cutting edge. If you're going to keep the same skew orientation, make your cut very gentle as your getting to that point. The other option is to flip the skew and reapproach from that point. This takes a bit of practice but can work well. You have to be far enough along in the curve, however, to get some real support from the rest and bevel.

dk

 

[Malcolm Smith]

The posts cover most of it but I'll add the following. How often do you use a skew? If one turns mostly bowls, there can be considerable time since one last used a skew. If this is the case, it's certainly is a good idea to do some practice turning before mounting an expensive piece of hardwood on the lathe.

Add to the movements of the tool movement forward toward the work as one cuts toward a smaller diameter. The books don't all mention this. It's a good idea to watch on tape someone who is highly skiiled with this tool and anylize the movements.

A curve along the the edge can make the tool somewhat forgiving. Sharpened on a small grinder or one with the wheel worn to a small diameter will place a deeper hollow behind the edge which some feel makes the tool a little harder to use.

As one wants the tool to slide easily on the rest, the rest should be well prepared (no nicks) and the corners along the length of the tool can be slightly rounded and smoothed.

Last, the tool should be sharp.

Hopefully some of this will help. If one rarely uses one's skew because of fear of catches, one will tend to have them.

Malcolm Smith.

 

[Desert Pete]

Thanks to all. Now it is practice, practice, practice...

 

[john lucas]

I used to feel like MM about the skew but now I find it a very useful tool. I try to learn all of the different things a tool can do. When I turn my mirror handles I used to use a bunch of different tools. Now I use one tool until I can't use it anymore and the switch. This makes it go much faster. Consequently some features I used to turn with a spindle gouge I now turn with the skew because that's what I have in my hand. Rather than switching back to the spindle gouge to turn the bead or ball details I'll just keep using the skew.

I also feel it is a better tool for turning large beads and balls. I can turn them cleaner with a better curve.

 

[GeorgeH]

It is probable that each of us has a unique technique, for better or worse, for using the skew chisel. I'm self taught - that was dangerous. I decided to use the skew chisel, exclusively, until I mastered it. My last "self instruction" project was to turn a bowl entirely with the skew. I later learned how dangerous this is and I certainly would not recommend it.
If a given technique for handling the skew doesn't work, remember what you did and don't do it again. Go back and approach the "catch point" that you've identified, stop your progress before the catch, evaluate the position of the skew and determine how it will have to be advanced to avoid that catch experience.
Alan Lacer offers some good suggestions for using the skew on this page. http://www.alanlacer.com/handouts/ho-skew_chisels.html)
I've tried all kinds of different skew chisels and I don't believe any shape works better than any other shape. You can't use the rounded variety in a corner very well and they are not (IMHO) suitable for beading. Hang in there; practice, practice, practice. You'll get the hang of it.

 

[Bill Boehme]

As you roll the skew, don't forget to raise the back end of the handle. It sounds like a lot of coordination, but practice will take care of that. Also, keep the handle straight -- that is, perpendicular to the turn axis -- don't let the back end swing all over the place or else maintaining control will be even more difficult. Also, not everybody will have precisely the same technique or way of explaining it, but all of the variations are really more alike than their explanations make them sound.

 

[Richard Baker]

Have had no problems with my skew and it is frequently quite useful, especially since I ground it into a varying radius rounded scraper.

 

[blackhorse]

I am far from an expert, but what works best for me is to start shaping the bead normally with the long point up. As I need to get more vertical, I flip the long point down. This gives me a very crisp end of the bead.As others have said, stay on the bevel and watch where the cutting is happening. Don't cut with the bottom 25% of the edge when the heel is down.

 

[john lucas]

Blackhorse I'm confused by your statement Don't cut with the bottom 25% of the edge when the heel is down. When turning beads that's the only portion of the blade I use unless I turn it over and use the toe. then I'll use the bottom 25% when the toe is down.

 

[blackhorse]

John, you're right. What I meant to say is don't get so close to the bottom of the heel that you cause a catch.

 

[GA Darling]

Here is something you might try. When I was first learning to use the skew, I made a trip to Woodcraft. I asked if there was someone that could show me how to use it properly. Their turning expert, Jim (I don't remember his last name), took me to one of the class lathes and taught me how to use it on a piece of wood. Within a few minutes I had a good feel for using this handy tool.

GA Darling