The Taming of the Skew

[crokett™]

I have 3 weeks off this month. One goal I have for myself is to finally figure out the skew, at least the basics. I turned two French rolling pins today. After they were roughed round I used the skew and only the skew. I wasn’t able to get the nice smooth finish on them. I think the problems were cutting too high towards the point and trying to take too much off in one pass.

I was also having problems with catches trying to roll beads. II watched a few videos and figured out that again I am cutting too far towards the point of the skew. I willl spend some time later this week with some scrap to at least get better at the planing cut.

[iclark]

The Lacer modified skew shape makes the initial planing-to-round easier and makes the toe (long point) less aggressive.

When using the heel (like rolling beads), try to stay within 1/3 of the width from the heel: closer to the heel, less risk of a Zorro catch.

The Lacer DVDs are helpful, but I may be biased since I was lucky enough to have taken a class from him in person.

If you are not using a really hard tool rest (like the Robust), then you really want to make sure that the edges (of the long sides) of the skew have been eased. Otherwise, those edges will dig into your rest and you will not be able to move your tool smoothly. Also, if you are using a well-used cast-iron tool rest, take a minute and clean it up with a mill-smooth file before you start.

[GeorgeK ®]

I'm no expert with the skew but here is a little video I did that will maybe help you some.

Me skew playing

[crokett™]

Does height of the tool rest make a difference? My brain thinks a lower rest naturally puts the wood higher on the tool which I don’t want.

My skew is an oval skew

[MichaelMouse]

I have 3 weeks off this month. One goal I have for myself is to  finally figure out the skew, at least the basics.  I turned two French rolling pins today.  After they were roughed round I used the skew and only the skew.  I wasn’t able to get the nice smooth finish on them.  I think the problems were cutting too high towards the point and trying to take too much off in one pass.

I was also having problems with catches trying to roll beads.  II watched a few videos and  figured out that again I am cutting too far towards the point of the skew.  I willl spend some time later this week with some scrap to at least get better at the planing cut.

YOU do the skew, not the manufacturer.  Beading tools, Bedan, straight chisels are all pretty much just size differences, cutting the same.  They plane wonderfully as long as you disregard "ride the bevel" which makes for bounce as the grain goes from soft early to harder latewood.  Key on planing is consistent angle, which you can get and maintain while keeping the heel from contacting, bouncing, burnishing. 

With no part extending beyond the heel you're watching as you bead, catches go away.

[GeorgeK ®]

Does height of the tool rest make a difference?  My brain thinks a lower rest naturally puts the wood higher on the tool which I don’t want.  

My skew is an oval skew

Yes I set my tool rest fairly high while doing a planning cut   "almost " cutting on top of the wood. Only use the lower 1/3 of tool, toe up or toe down, doesn't matter.

Also the bigger the skew the easier it is to use. When I demo at the club sawdust sessions I have a 2" and 3" skew that I let people try and they rarely get a catch.

I also try to do intentional catches so they can see what causes them . Use a steb style drive center to make catches less scary.
 

Keep at it all the skew really needs is alot of practice.....

[crokett™]

My skew is a 3/4 oval. I’m considering a larger one. OTOH i watched a video yesterday and a guy was rolling beads with a 1/2” skew so....

[MidwestMan]

I'm learning too. Enjoy the ride. I can plane okay, and do the v groove okay. Which is all I want to do, for now.

Michael Mouse said to NOT ride the bevel while planeing ... I thought you HAD to. How in the world, can a planeing cut be achieved, without riding the bevel?

[Arlin Eastman]

I'm learning too. Enjoy the ride. I can plane okay, and do the v groove okay. Which is all I want to do, for now.

Michael Mouse said to NOT ride the bevel while planeing ... I thought you HAD to. How in the world, can a planeing cut be achieved, without riding the bevel?

Riding the bevel on a gouge works great but not to well with the skew.  All you want to do is ease it to the cutting edge and wait for the small wood curls coming off.  If you want to use the bevel you will be taking off big heaps of wood.

As I found the lower half of the skew is the best since you will never get a catch that way.  To me the smaller the turning the smaller the skew of which I use 1/2" to 3/8" for pens and a 3/4" is to wide and gets in the way for me anyway.

I do have a 5/16"x1 1/4" skew for big turnings to keep the chatter out but I will be looking for a flat 3/4" skew to do the biggest part of the turning.

I also use the bowl gouge a lot rolled on its side and pointing up to take shear cuts a lot to.

[MichaelMouse]

I'm learning too. Enjoy the ride. I can plane okay, and do the v groove okay. Which is all I want to do, for now.

Michael Mouse said to NOT ride the bevel while planeing ... I thought you HAD to. How in the world, can a planeing cut be achieved, without riding the bevel?

As before, I suggest you take a chisel (or even your skew), and lay the bevel flat against a board, and see if you are able to cut.  Now lift the heel of the bevel and push, and discover that you have to cut before you can wedge the released shaving as you push forward. 

Now that you can begin a cut and, maintaining an angle which gives you a shaving to wedge away from the work, you can consider yourself the body of a plane.  However, the skew has some surprises built in which you must overcome.  First, modern ones are beveled two sides, which means that it takes a much smaller lift of the handle to cause the tool to dive (and make spirals) than if it were only single beveled.  Used to be right and left skews back when, which were much more forgiving.  

Second, there's this angled edge which means, if you're using the lower part of the tool to cut, there's a neglected part leading which can make contact with the work and spoil your day as over-tilting does.  

Now some curve their skewed edge to help mitigate this problem, and that's a partial solution.  Some just use a straight, unskewed chisel where there's never anything forward of the cut to worry about.  Look at the original bodger making spindles in the woods, and you'll see a straight chisel for maximum versatility.  As always, there's an angle to the work which determines depth of cut, and the edge is also skewed to gain an effectively lower cutting angle and less resistance.  You do it, not some guy who decided what set of angles would make your grip most effective, and ground the tool at that skew angle. 


Oh yes, the double bevel, the one that can get you in trouble planing, can be an asset it making beads, because it wants to dive as you change the angle.  That's why beading tools, or your straight chisel works so well, and why the bodger picked it up first.  Two jobs, with only one more tool actually needed to make coves - a gouge.  Not the crummy cylindricals of today, but a forged shallow pattern with slightly relieved edges, like the guy who curves his skew, so it could slide/sever into one side of the cove and slide roll out the other, all points on the nose being equal.  

Best advice as above, cut absolutely at the top of the turning when planing, so that pesky point will never find wood. and let your angle determine the thickness of the shaving and the slope of the cut.  If you can find a straight chisel, so much the better, because you can bead just fine with the same tool.  Coves, well bad design once again, unless you own forged patterns, but you may find yourself forced to use other than the point of a cylindrical gouge to make a smooth roll in, slice down, roll in opposite.  Use what we've got.