Skewing Around............

Stuart Ablett

Member
Messages
15,917
Location
Tokyo Japan
...... I did the outside of this future HF with my large skew............
skewing_around1.jpg skewing_around2.jpg
............I got it fairly smooth too!

The wood was green, but it has dried out a lot, and I've got a bunch more, so I'm turning it as fast as I can, so I don't lose a bunch. I had to turn away about 2" off the diameter and an inch on either end, to get to green, uncracked wood :(

Oh well, should be good when done!

Cheers!
 
Looks like you've got the skew down, dude. Nice curlies. Last night I finally succeeded in getting a shearing cut with a bowl gouge to work right. This is the one where you turn the gouge nearly upside down with the cutting edge at almost 90 degrees to the turning axis. This is the first time ever that I didn't get bodacious catches trying it. I've still got a long way to go to improve my tool-handling skills. One of the drawbacks of learning from reading and videos, instead of hands-on mentoring, I guess. :rolleyes: Some day my schedule will work out to allow me to go to the local turning guild's monthly meeting and see what that bunch of folks is like. I'm guessing I could learn a lot.

Anyway, nice-looking hollow form. Will your steady rest provide enough support when you hang that piece off the chuck?
 
Thanks Vaughn, but if you really want to see how badly I do this stuff............

Skewing Around <-YouTube link....... :eek:

Constructive criticism welcome (YOU SUCK not needed, I know that!!)

I'm getting better at it, but it will take more time and practice.

I sure know what you mean about "Books and Videos" I have to miss the next two meetings of my turners club, as one is on a Saturday (work day for me) and the other is on the weekend of the local town festival, and I got to deliver a bunch of beer etc.

The next chance I'll have will be at a turning workshop, that I'm hosting for the club in the Dungeon........ I wonder how some of our member are going to like them stairs :huh: (most of our members are over 60...)

Well, see if you like the video!:rolleyes: :D
 
Thanks Vaughn, but if you really want to see how badly I do this stuff............

Skewing Around <-YouTube link....... :eek:

Constructive criticism welcome (YOU SUCK not needed, I know that!!)

I'm getting better at it, but it will take more time and practice.
Nicely done, Stu. :thumb: Before I get the new wheels for my grinder, I'll probably burn up some of the old wheels first by re-shaping my budget Harbor Freight skew. Then, with the new (balanced) wheels and some additional honing, I'll do some skew practice.
 
Nicely done, Stu. :thumb: Before I get the new wheels for my grinder, I'll probably burn up some of the old wheels first by re-shaping my budget Harbor Freight skew. Then, with the new (balanced) wheels and some additional honing, I'll do some skew practice.

Some won't do it, you need to do lots............well, at least I do..... :rolleyes: :wave:
 
Hi Stu,

Your work is coming along nicely! I enjoyed your video and it makes me wonder how your Japanese sounds with a Canadian accent;) . One thing I would suggest for fewer catches is to change the grind angle on your mighty skew. It appears to be very steep. So much so that you can help but get a catch on presentation because a lack of leverage. With your tool handle so low because of the steep grind the point is wanting to dig on presentation and with the low angle of presentation the turning wood is simply pushing the skew away from the axis when it begins to cut rather than down into the tool rest.
 
Thanks Chris, that is the kind of feedback I'm looking for.

I thought I had it ground to the recommended 1 1/2 times the thickness of the skew, but I'll check again to see if that is what I actually have.

Cheers!
 
chris, could you elaborate on your comment for those of us trying to master the skew? i reran the youtube video after reading your comment and stopped the action when stu held the skew up. i'm still not seeing what i think you meant. maybe a photo of a correctly ground skew?
this is important to me as i can't have a skew in my hand for more than a few minutes without impressive catches..not the little nicks stu is showing on the video. i'm just venturing into the turning world but want to practice with correclty ground tools.
i watch richard raffan just plow into the O.D. of a blank with a peeling cut and i marvel at what a skew can do.
 
Looks like you've got the skew down, dude. Nice curlies. Last night I finally succeeded in getting a shearing cut with a bowl gouge to work right. This is the one where you turn the gouge nearly upside down with the cutting edge at almost 90 degrees to the turning axis. This is the first time ever that I didn't get bodacious catches trying it. I've still got a long way to go to improve my tool-handling skills. One of the drawbacks of learning from reading and videos, instead of hands-on mentoring, I guess. :rolleyes: Some day my schedule will work out to allow me to go to the local turning guild's monthly meeting and see what that bunch of folks is like. I'm guessing I could learn a lot.

Anyway, nice-looking hollow form. Will your steady rest provide enough support when you hang that piece off the chuck?




Bowl gouges can be used without catching? :eek:
So far, my experience with them is like ice skating backwards. Can't be done. I know because I've tried. ;)
I have four good bowl gouges that, combined, don't have five minutes use on them. It's 'touch and catch', 'touch and catch'. The upside down thing does nothing.
I watch the videos and all they do is make me consider taking up a different hobby. :(
 
Bowl gouges can be used without catching? :eek:
So far, my experience with them is like ice skating backwards. Can't be done. I know because I've tried. ;)
I have four good bowl gouges that, combined, don't have five minutes use on them. It's 'touch and catch', 'touch and catch'. The upside down thing does nothing.
I watch the videos and all they do is make me consider taking up a different hobby. :(

Hey Frank send them over here, I'll check them to make sure the aren't in the handles backwards or something............ I'll even pay shipping :D
 
I looked for a picture to explain but, I don't have one in my collection (maybe I can take one later). But, if the grind on the bevel is long (very pointy) then the angel of force placed upon the cutting edge by the rotating stock pushes toward the handle instead of the tool rest. This makes it easier for the wood to push the tool back and develop a catch. The length of the grind on a skew can be whatever you want it to be but, in general, a length of grind per side between 1 - 1.3 of the thickness of the tool is prefered. A shorter grind tends to move the angle of force toward the tool rest making control of the tool easier. The tool rest is supporting the tool rather than you relying on your arm strength to push the tool into the wood. Remember, the tool is really just a lever.

A long point, lighter tool, is prefered for detail work, light endgrain work and fine spindle work. A shorter point and heaver tool is better for aggressive removal of stock, rounding medium to large spheres, peeling cuts, and aggressive endgrain cuts. This is why those that like using a skew will often have several, each with a range of dedicated applications.
 
My woodturning club has a nice library of videos. As said, I have watched several but did not find them very useful. However, we now have a new set of DVDs that, I'm told, are excellent teaching tools. There are small video cameras mounted right on the turning tools and they show exactly-perzactly, close up, how the tool and cutting edge should be presented to the wood. If it isn't grabbed be someone else first, I'll be checking out next month.
 
Stu and Chris.....you've seen my posts concerning my love of the skew. When Chris first came back from that school I decided it was a personal challenge for me. My skew had an extremely long bevel ground on it. I reground it to a shorter bevel and then is when I began to enjoy it. The longer the bevel (less of an angle between the two bevels) the more sensitive it is to a small adjustment in handle positition relative to the working end of the tool. Once I got the right bevel, I could control it more easily. I have a little miniature 1/4" skew I use for fine detail work and it is ground in a more severe angle but I only use it for detail work and it is always presented in a vertical mode if that makes sense.
 
ok, i get it. you're talking about the included angle the bevels form along the cutting edge...i thought you were talking about the angle the cutting edge takes from long to short point. looking at that on stu's video didn't seem to show anything extreme.
will try a large included angle grind (shorter bevels on each side)on my skew to check this out.
thanks, as i've said on several posts...i'm new to turning so please excuse stupid comments.
 
"but if you really want to see how badly I do this stuff............"

I don't know Stu, looks like you're getting the hang of it to me.
 
Ken and Chris hit the nail on the head on grinding the bevel. I reground mine and now is my favorite tool. I have a big 1 3/8" Lacer, a big 1" Raffan, a 5/8" Lacer and a 1/4" skew. I usually use the Lacer skew most time when doing big stuff. I use the 1/4" and 5/8" when doing like ornament icicles. Wouldn't be without them.
 
OK, to get this right, the thickness of the skew is 8 mm, sor 8 x 1.3 = 10.4. shorter is better, so 10 mm...?

Well that is what I have right now :doh:

Must just be a lack of skill on my part :eek:
 
Top