1. Home
  2. Woodturning Crafts
  3. Where do you start?
  4. Page 2

Where do you start?

All my skew *planing* work is with the cutting point in the lower third of the edge with, as you say, the long point up, irrespective of diameter. The point of cut is still only a *point* on the edge and very little of it is actually *used* - so there's another pointer to a narrow tool being better. Economics. A longer skew just means you're grinding away more metal that has never 'seen' any wood! And wearing the grinding wheel down more! ;)

While I have used a skew for roughing - and still do on pens - it really is ridiculous. Using a tool which really needs to be sharp to get a finish in the environment most likely to knock it off sharp, when there are roughing gouges which can easily be used to cut right along their edge before needing grinding!

Have all those insisting that a long skew is essential actually *tried* using a shorter one? I did a few days demoing in July where someone spotted a few pens I'd done - the sort with a long hole to take a BIC refill - where I'd put a captive ring on the end. Would I show them how, please? I ended up doing dozens - I'd run out of pen blanks to I was using some bits I'd taken, intending to do some lace bobbins. Now, I've seen it done with a 1" skew but with something that small, in my view, it seems clumsy and I use a 1/2" skew for most of the work on the pen but use a mini skew, about 3/16" across for the captive ring. If I have had any digs, I've not noticed them!

Ken

Reply to
Ken Davis
Loading thread data ...

Been using a 1/2 and 1" for as long as I have had a lathe, which of course is why I prefer the longer for work above ornament or pen size. The "lower third" is twice as long! Was fortunate enough to read Frank Pain's book early on, and made a straight chisel out of one of my set's scrapers. Short one of only 1/2" worked very well. Still does, because I still have it in its shorter state. As one of the few tools which receives the stone rather than the wheel routinely - it is a finishing tool, just like my carbon steel gouges - it's held up well.

Roughing with a skew is sort of silly, because a skew is normally thin enough to tip easily. If a U shape roughing gouge is used, you have a flat chisel on each side to plane with and a gouge in the middle for faster hogging. The curve on my 1 1/2 is a LOT more stable than a 1/4 thick skew.

Not to be picky, because some people only want CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, but a tool tangent to the surface won't cut, and a tool tangent to the fresh-cut portion is a tippy narrow-point guide. What you want to establish is called a secant or a chord, which is why you skew the chisel. I like to use a gouge to get a more stable reference, perhaps the very reason the form was created and preferred for general purpose work. I even skew the gouge, thereby obtaining a stable point so well controlled that I can lift my hand and scratch my nose without interrupting the cut.

Reply to
George

Since, many years ago I broke my right index finger and had to use my left for various things for a few weeks, I can do that with either hand. ;)

Ken

Reply to
Ken Davis

Reply to
Darrell Feltmate

Aye, but can any of you scratch your head And pat your belly while making the cut?!

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.