Skewering

[Gerald Ross]

My turning is self-taught, but self could never teach me how to use a
skew to do anything useful. Now, years after grinding all my skews
into scrapers, I would like to try again. I have ordered an oval skew
and need a DVD or book to show me how to make small finials with it.
Any good ones out there?
--
Gerald Ross

More hay, Trigger? No thanks, Roy, I'm
stuffed!

[Ralph E Lindberg]

In article <QdidnZm4c5PVfYbS...@giganews.com>,

Gerald Ross <gw...@comsouth.net> wrote:

> My turning is self-taught, but self could never teach me how to use a
> skew to do anything useful. Now, years after grinding all my skews
> into scrapers, I would like to try again. I have ordered an oval skew
> and need a DVD or book to show me how to make small finials with it.
> Any good ones out there?

Good Luck! and I truly mean it. I have never been able to control an
Oval.
I've taken classes and seminars on the Skew. I also have a few videos.
The teacher and videos I prefer are Alan Lacer. It was following his
teaching and rules that allowed me to get close to know how to use a
skew.

Here is his opinion on Oval skews
http://woodturninglearn.net/headstock/roundskew.htm
http://woodturninglearn.net/headstock/ovalskew.htm

Some info
http://woodturninglearn.net/handouts/ho-skew_chisels.html
http://woodturninglearn.net/

I have found I prefer the skew with a curved edge, as opposed to the
straight edge. I have an Alan Lacer 1-3/8 inch skew and a D-Way 3/4 inch
skew

--
--------------------------------------------------------
Personal e-mail is the n7bsn but at amsat.org
This posting address is a spam-trap and seldom read
RV and Camping FAQ can be found at
http://www.ralphandellen.us/rv

[Fred Holder]

Hello Gerald,

I agree with Ralph, I do not like the oval skew. I generally sharpen
my skew for an included angle on the edge of about 30 to 40 degrees. I
like to put the shaft of the skew a as close to 90 degrees from the
wood as possible, with the bevel rubbing lightly and the sharp edge
cutting. For beads, I again put the shaft of the skew to 90 degrees
from the wood surface with the short point down. I then place the
short point just to the right of center of the planned bead and rotate
the handle counter clockwise and the tool will cut a nice curve down
into the V slot on the side of the bead. Turn the chisel over and
repeat on the right side but with the rotation being clockwise.

That is a pretty short description of how to use the skew.

Fred Holder
<http://www.morewoodturning.net>

[Mac Davis]

On Sun, 22 Jan 2012 05:09:02 -0500, Gerald Ross <gw...@comsouth.net>
wrote:

>My turning is self-taught, but self could never teach me how to use a
>skew to do anything useful. Now, years after grinding all my skews
>into scrapers, I would like to try again. I have ordered an oval skew
>and need a DVD or book to show me how to make small finials with it.
>Any good ones out there?

Lots of videos on Utube, try those first..
If that doesn't help, "Taming of the skew" is highly recommended..

I prefer the oval to the flat because you can roll it downhill..
I like the Penn State version of the "spindle master" a lot better,
though..
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LCVERSA3.html

[Martin Eastburn]

Other than the nice bowl gouge I have, all of mine are oval.
They were called 'Fingernail gouge' and are very versatile in both
cutting (slicing ) and in scrapping. I have three sizes of flat
Skews. And two or three fingernail gouges. The long sweeping edge
allows a variance of cutting surface.

A skew and gouge are not the same tool nor function. Using
a fingernail as a skew is as strange for you as it for that work.

Martin

[Ralph E Lindberg]

In article <UC6Tq.246$c51...@en-nntp-09.dc1.easynews.com>,

Martin Eastburn <lion...@consolidated.net> wrote:

> Other than the nice bowl gouge I have, all of mine are oval.
> They were called 'Fingernail gouge' and are very versatile in both
> cutting (slicing ) and in scrapping. I have three sizes of flat
> Skews. And two or three fingernail gouges. The long sweeping edge
> allows a variance of cutting surface.
>
> A skew and gouge are not the same tool nor function. Using
> a fingernail as a skew is as strange for you as it for that work.
>
> Martin

Eh, Martin the question was on Skew's not gouges. An oval Skew has an
oval body. A standard Skew has a rectangular body.

Gouges, finger-nail, traditional or continental never entered into
his question

> On 1/22/2012 9:44 AM, Ralph E Lindberg wrote:
> > In article<QdidnZm4c5PVfYbS...@giganews.com>,
> > Gerald Ross<gw...@comsouth.net> wrote:
> >
> >> My turning is self-taught, but self could never teach me how to use a
> >> skew to do anything useful. Now, years after grinding all my skews
> >> into scrapers, I would like to try again. I have ordered an oval skew
> >> and need a DVD or book to show me how to make small finials with it.
> >> Any good ones out there?
> >
> > Good Luck! and I truly mean it. I have never been able to control an
> > Oval.
> > I've taken classes and seminars on the Skew. I also have a few videos.
> > The teacher and videos I prefer are Alan Lacer. It was following his
> > teaching and rules that allowed me to get close to know how to use a
> > skew.
> >
> > Here is his opinion on Oval skews
> > http://woodturninglearn.net/headstock/roundskew.htm
> > http://woodturninglearn.net/headstock/ovalskew.htm
> >
> > Some info
> > http://woodturninglearn.net/handouts/ho-skew_chisels.html
> > http://woodturninglearn.net/
> >
> > I have found I prefer the skew with a curved edge, as opposed to the
> > straight edge. I have an Alan Lacer 1-3/8 inch skew and a D-Way 3/4 inch
> > skew
> >

[Martin Eastburn]

On 1/23/2012 9:22 AM, Ralph E Lindberg wrote:
> In article<UC6Tq.246$c51...@en-nntp-09.dc1.easynews.com>,

> Martin Eastburn<lion...@consolidated.net> wrote:
>
>> Other than the nice bowl gouge I have, all of mine are oval.
>> They were called 'Fingernail gouge' and are very versatile in both
>> cutting (slicing ) and in scrapping. I have three sizes of flat
>> Skews. And two or three fingernail gouges. The long sweeping edge
>> allows a variance of cutting surface.
>>
>> A skew and gouge are not the same tool nor function. Using
>> a fingernail as a skew is as strange for you as it for that work.
>>
>> Martin
>

Sometimes one never knows for sure. It depends on the skill or knowledge
of the turner. If what is called a skew is a skew.

I have rounded face scrapers that are flat that look like those - just
the top isn't scooped out. Seems like the cutting edge is on the top
and not on the face (centered) section of the blade like a skew but on
the top like a scraper. Likely called a skew from the use not shape.

[Larry Blanchard]

On Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:00:41 -0600, Martin Eastburn wrote:

> Sometimes one never knows for sure. It depends on the skill or knowledge
> of the turner. If what is called a skew is a skew.
>
> I have rounded face scrapers that are flat that look like those - just
> the top isn't scooped out. Seems like the cutting edge is on the top
> and not on the face (centered) section of the blade like a skew but on
> the top like a scraper. Likely called a skew from the use not shape.

I think you're wriggling on the hook Martin; calling an ant an elephant
doesn't make it so :-).

--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw

[Martin Eastburn]

My wood lathe was bought new in 1947 and I bought with my Dad the
steel lathe that I have. So turning has been in my life and in my
hands for over 50 years.

Martin

[Ralph E Lindberg]

In article <e83Vq.6395$Ub2....@en-nntp-02.dc1.easynews.com>,

Martin Eastburn <lion...@consolidated.net> wrote:

> My wood lathe was bought new in 1947 and I bought with my Dad the
> steel lathe that I have. So turning has been in my life and in my
> hands for over 50 years.
>

One would have thought then, at some point, you would have learned the
common names for the tools you use

>
> On 1/24/2012 11:31 AM, Larry Blanchard wrote:
> > On Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:00:41 -0600, Martin Eastburn wrote:
> >
> >> Sometimes one never knows for sure. It depends on the skill or knowledge
> >> of the turner. If what is called a skew is a skew.
> >>
> >> I have rounded face scrapers that are flat that look like those - just
> >> the top isn't scooped out. Seems like the cutting edge is on the top
> >> and not on the face (centered) section of the blade like a skew but on
> >> the top like a scraper. Likely called a skew from the use not shape.
> >
> > I think you're wriggling on the hook Martin; calling an ant an elephant
> > doesn't make it so :-).
> >

[Gerald Ross]

Ralph E Lindberg wrote:
> In article<e83Vq.6395$Ub2....@en-nntp-02.dc1.easynews.com>,
> Martin Eastburn<lion...@consolidated.net> wrote:
>
>> My wood lathe was bought new in 1947 and I bought with my Dad the
>> steel lathe that I have. So turning has been in my life and in my
>> hands for over 50 years.
>>
> One would have thought then, at some point, you would have learned the
> common names for the tools you use
>
>>
>> On 1/24/2012 11:31 AM, Larry Blanchard wrote:
>> > On Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:00:41 -0600, Martin Eastburn wrote:
>> >
>> >> Sometimes one never knows for sure. It depends on the skill or knowledge
>> >> of the turner. If what is called a skew is a skew.
>> >>
>> >> I have rounded face scrapers that are flat that look like those - just
>> >> the top isn't scooped out. Seems like the cutting edge is on the top
>> >> and not on the face (centered) section of the blade like a skew but on
>> >> the top like a scraper. Likely called a skew from the use not shape.
>> >
>> > I think you're wriggling on the hook Martin; calling an ant an elephant
>> > doesn't make it so :-).
>> >
>

Boys! Boys! Please pay attention!

My first attempt (after watching a couple of videos) was humiliating.
The damn thing wouldn't do anything I wanted. It just cut spirals.

If it doesn't learn to do what I want it may just end up as another
scraper or parting tool.

--
Gerald Ross

George Orwell was an optimist.

[Ralph E Lindberg]

In article <L6WdnbWD7vnKy7jS...@giganews.com>,

Gerald Ross <gw...@comsouth.net> wrote:


> Boys! Boys! Please pay attention!
>
> My first attempt (after watching a couple of videos) was humiliating.
> The damn thing wouldn't do anything I wanted. It just cut spirals.
>

Yup, they are very good at that, and I still get that cut WAY too often

> If it doesn't learn to do what I want it may just end up as another
> scraper or parting tool.

The only real solution is practice

[The Visitor]

It is always very suspensful for me when I use any skew. I like my oval, I
also ground down the corner edges of my regular skew so the sharp corners
don't damage the tool rest.





"Gerald Ross" <gw...@comsouth.net> wrote in message
news:QdidnZm4c5PVfYbS...@giganews.com...