I use a skew, mainly a half inch, a LOT, for just about everything
- some uses I probably shouldn't do.
When I first started turning, the straight edged skew was my worst nightmare. If I got it anywhere near moving wood all hell would break loose. Didn't matter if the rpms were low or high, get it near spinning wood and it'd go psycho on me.
Then in a conversation I struck up with a guy at a woodworking show - who happened to be a wood turner - I mentioned the grief the skew was causing me. He offered to have me over to his house and he'd show me some tips and tricks.
The first thing he did was take my skew over to a sanding disk mounted on a face plate on his lathe. In 30 seconds he'd reground the edge to put a slight curve in it. A couple of changes of grit and he hands me back a VERY sharp curved edge skew.
This helped with two of my problems with the skew. A sharp tool is much better behaved than a not as sharp, or dull skew.
By putting a curve in the cutting edge, that scary long point was pulled back - still there to use if needed - but back out of the way of the middle 2/3rds of the cutting edge - the sweet spot for p laning/peeling cuts. And the heel corner was pulled back a bit as well. That wasn't so significant since I seldom intentionaly use it.
But the big AHA! was when he mounted a chunk of wood on his lathe and started a skew cut - with the long tip down and first to contact - and begin cutting - the wood.
The idea of starting a cut by poking that long point into spinning wood seemed crazy as hell. But when you think about it, you've got almost a single point of contact so that sharp point isn't cutting much wood at all. And THAT has been the trick for taming the skew - for me.
Once the long point starts the cut it's not hard to get, and keep, the bevel rubbing the wood as the rest of the cut is made. Have a look at the illustration and animation at the bottom of this page
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Then have a look at the illustrations on this page
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Pay particular attention to the third illustration - the "top" view of a rolling cut. It's the last two parts of the cut that can cause problems as your tip approaches the adjacent vertical face. If the long point, which is down and out of sight, happens to contact the adjacent vertical face - bingo - you've lost control of the cut and a catch or spiral cut will happen. You want to keep the cut going downhill - on YOUR side of the valley or cliff. If you don't, the edge will want to climb up the other side - or up the cliff - up into the end grain rather than down acrossed it. the steeper the sides of the "valley" the easier it is to accidently start climbing UP rather than cutting DOWN. Cut with the long point - THAT is the secret - for me. You're mileage may vary. Void where prohibited by law