Please help with skew purchase

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Hi All, I'm getting into more spindle work and away from doing bowls and it's a lot of fun. I'm learning a lot of new techniques that bowl turning never demanded of me. But I don't like my current skew. It's just a regular angled one from a cheap set that I've reground and I still don't like it.

Is there something wrong with my grind?
Can anybody recommend a specific skew you like and where you bought it? Thanks!

[Thom Sturgill]

Is there something wrong with my grind?Yes I think so. I am not an expert, so some of our skew experts will chime in. I think it needs to be even on both sides, about 70 degree from square. From the side view that angle is probably OK. Then hone it until you can shave with it.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Alan - seems to me that the bevel is supposed to be 1.5 times the thickness of the steel and should be angled more so that you have a long point and a heal. I'll see if I can find some info to back up those statements.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Alan,

Two things I would do to that skew as recommended by Alan Lacer.

1. round over or grind the sharp corners off the short point sides down the length of the tool...thus your skew will slide without catching on your toolrest. It will leave fewer dings in your toolrest should you experience a catch. Leave the long point sides square.

2. Hone the bevels....so they are sharp....sharp.....sharp. A really sharp skew will cut the fibers rather than bunching and eventually catching on them.

3. Practice.....take some "waste" wood and waste a lot. I spent a couple of consecutive weekends just playing with the skew. It is now one of my favorite, if not my favorite, tool. It will leave a finished surface that any sanding will degrade. Incredible tool when sharp!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Steve...that's what Lacer recommends in his video. You measure the length of a bevel....it should be 1 1/2 times the thickness of the skew. This sets the correct bevel angle. Don't be too annal about this, however.

Keep in mind, the shallower the bevel angle will be more agressive and harder to control. Thus.....1.4 times the thickness will control easier than 1.8 times the thickness.

[Mike Minto]

i have doug thompson's big skew (1 3/8", iirc). with it's mass, it is very easy to use, but then i'm a real newb at using this tool. i have a 3/4" sorby i like alot for general use, too - both ground to 30 degrees, inclusive angle, i think.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Thanks Ken - couldn't remember where I saw or read that.

Here's some additional reading material:

http://www.bigtreetools.com/articles/sharpening1.html

http://wiki.woodbase.org/index.php5?title=Skew_chisel_%28woodturning%29

[Kyle Iwamoto]

How are you sharpening you skew? Your skew should have the same bevel all the way across. Unless you radius like Lacer does. It should still have a rather even bevel although the short point will be different. Doug does some really great tools.

[Greg Just]

I second everything Ken said about Alan Lacer and his method of sharpening a skew. I used to hate the skew until I took a class with Alan last summer and re-ground my 1 inch skew with the curved bevel. In my opionion, bigger is better.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Thanks guys for all the help. It looks like this tool requires a whole education in itself. I've got some reading to do but I think it will be worth it. Steve, thanks for those great links. They pretty much explain it all. And thanks again to all whole responded. O.K. back to the spinny thing.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Alan I have both of the Lacer skews. I love them. My favorite tool is the skew as I have 7 of them. I would get Lacer's DVD "The Skew Chisel, The Light Side and The Dark Side." Extremely well done.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

How are you sharpening you skew? Your skew should have the same bevel all the way across. Unless you radius like Lacer does. It should still have a rather even bevel although the short point will be different. Doug does some really great tools.

Kyle, If you look at my pic, I think I'm sharpening it with an even bevel. But even to me might not be even to others.