another tool question

[Mike Minto]

do you all use a skew much? for what particular tasks? in what size, and by what maker? thanks, mike

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mike,

The skew is perhaps my favorite tool when doing spindle work and it can be used as a scraper too.

I have 3 that I use regularly...a 5/8" and 1 1/4" Lacer and a 3/4" straight Robert Larson.

The Lacers are both radiused skews.

A skew takes a bit of work to learn to use but once you get the hang of it no other tool leaves a finish like a skew. Sometimes, any sanding you try to do diminishes the quality of the finish left by the skew. It can truly leave a wonderfully smooth surface.

4 rules for using a skew:

1. Practice, practice, pracitice.
2. Sharp, Sharp, Sharp!
3. Your mantra....ride that bevel....ride that bevel....ride that bevel.
4. Commitment...you need to visualize your cut beforehand and then once you start it, follow through with it. There is no turning back and any hesitation on your part WILL result in a catch.

[Scott Conners]

I use it often, but mostly just for small cleanup type tasks, such as in between beads to finish the cut's depth and as a negative rake scraper. I still need practice for sure, but I do find that when I hone and can shave with the edge, it is far easier to use.

[Reed Gray]

Well, I am mostly a bowl turner, but do some spindles. I prefer a skew for striaghter things, but once anything more than very simple curves are involved, I go to a spindle gouge, or a skewchigouge (got to try one at a Allen and Stewart Batty workshop, love it for beads and coves). I use my small skew a lot on threaded boxes. Not for turning the outside, but for adjusting the shoulder of the box down so the grain will match. It is used as a negative rake scraper in that situation. I have a 1/2 and 1 inch one from Craft supply, and a 1 1/4 Doug Thompson one as well.

robo hippy

[Brian Novotny]

I can roll beads with a skew, but that's about it. Alan lacer has about 3 dvd's on using the skew and I've seen one and it's really good. According to Alan there is ALOT of work involved in grinding a "normal" skew to acceptable usefullness. If you don't buy one of his skews outright, there are a number of steps to turn a "regular" skew into something that can excell. It's really for spindle work, so if you're doing bowls only the planing factor could really be used, and actually, that one cut alone almost makes it worth buying one of his skews or dvd's, as the the plane is so smooth it's incredible in the right hands.

[Chris Stolicky]

I use 1/2" and 3/4" oval skews for pens after I rough them down.

On wood, I usually start sanding at 220, but sometimes that actually roughens up the blank.

[Brian Novotny]

That's about what I do with my bowl gouge, Oneday I'll do it with a skew.

[Richard Madison]

Mine is used to fill one of the spots in the tool rack. At one time I ground it into a round nose scraper. Later quit using scrapers and ground it back into a skew. Still not using it.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have 5 skews from 1/4" round to Lacer's big 1 1/4". I use them all and are my favorite tool.

It is all old Fitz's fault.:eek::D:rolleyes:

[Mike Minto]

thanks for the replies. i use a 3/4" skew some, and today just bought 2 Thompson tools, including his 1 3/8" skew; it's a tool i'm determined to learn. thought about lacer's skew, but decided on Doug's tool instead. i'll post a pic when it gets here, along with the 1/4" spindle gouge i ordered. big difference in price in Doug's 1 1/4 " skew to his 1 3/8", but hey, you live once. mike

[Scott Conners]

Getting Doug's 1 1/4" skew and putting a Lacer grind on it was when I started to actually be able to use the skew on a piece of wood I liked. It works very well, the big size and a curved edge help immensely in learning.

What I really want to try is the grind with a convex bevel instead of hollow ground. Harder to grind and maintain, but I think it'd make a big difference in the handling.