straight skew vs a radius skew

[Dennis Taylor]

I have been a watcher on this site for a long time, and decided now is the time to ask a good question, at least good for me, because I do not know the answer. I am adequate with a skew, and I attended a demo on Saturday where a box was turned mainly with a skew. The skew was had a radius, turner was a Raffan student, is there any benefit to a radius on the skew? Goes it make it function better. Cannot seem to find a solid answer one way or the other, the pro turner indicated that he used it because that is how Richard Raffan taught him. thanks in advance and great web site. Dennis

[Michelle Rich]

I like a radius, as I feel it makes it less prone to catching. But I could be full of beans! Not scientific, just my preference from years of turning

[Jake Helmboldt]

Lots of pro turners prefer the radius, so there is probably something to it. Supposedly makes it more versatile and gives better control.

I started putting a radius on my skews and I think it works well, but it make sharpening a little more challenging until you get the hang of it. Note that it is difficult to put a radius on an oval skew.

[Jim Burr]

About half of the pro's like it and half don't. I will regrind any of mine for a specific purpose...try both and see what you like!

[Michael Mills]

I tried it but went back to a straight. First, straight is easier to hone to me. Second, I am not a professional and use the heel point to roll a bead instead of the center as you are supposed to. The bottom of the shaft is rounded over to prevent catches on the tool rest and it seemed to me the point was much harder to see (even with my glasses) where the two curved surfaces blended together.
Give it a try, it's only a little bit of steel.

[Dennis Taylor]

I figured putting a radius on an oval skew wouldn't be something to undertake myself, does anyone know of a radius skew out there? I have searched around on the web, and most are not radius but straight, other than Alan Lacers for $100. plus. Any suggestions or recommendations? Dennis

[Allan Ferguson]

I reground my straight skew (flat sided) and prefer it to the oval straight skew, easier for me to use. Before I became an RN, I worked 27 years as a butcher. Ground curved skinning knifes and finished to shave.

[David Gilbert]

I was at the Penn State Industries store outside of Philidelphia on Friday and saw their skews which have the radius you are looking for. Here is the link: http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LXRSET.html

Cheers,
David

[Mike Stephens]

D-way makes a very fine looking radius skew. I have never used 1 but looks sweet and the price is right.

I have a H. Taylor ground with a radius that I like quit a lot.

[Scott Hubl]

I figured putting a radius on an oval skew wouldn't be something to undertake myself, does anyone know of a radius skew out there? I have searched around on the web, and most are not radius but straight, other than Alan Lacers for $100. plus. Any suggestions or recommendations? Dennis

Alan Lacer is a advocate for the Skew Chisel and has a couple vids you can get. And then just grind one of your own rounded.(Not an oval one tho.)

Richard Raffan has several vids as well and he also shows how to grind a regular skew into a rounded one.
I forget which video has him doing the how he sharpens all his chisels? (I have a pretty big dvd turning library so it's hard to remember what each one has on each.)
Check youtube, maybe some one has posted a how to.

I have skews of all shapes and sizes, and I can get a nice Catch equally well while using any of them. lol :D
(I need to turn alot more often.)

[Greg Just]

Dennis:

I prefer the radius grind. I took a class with Alan Lacer and he showed me how to re-grind my 1.25 inch skew. The first 1/4 inch is straight and then the curve starts. He also showed how to hone and I don't go to the grinder as often.

[Joe Watson]

... Before I became an RN, I worked 27 years as a butcher...Butcher to Nurser, crazy world we live in :)

[Bernie Weishapl]

I own several shews. I have both radius and square skews. Each has a use so I would try each and see what you are comfortable with. I don't get as many catches with the radius skew.

[George Jungerman]

I figured putting a radius on an oval skew wouldn't be something to undertake myself, does anyone know of a radius skew out there? I have searched around on the web, and most are not radius but straight, other than Alan Lacers for $100. plus. Any suggestions or recommendations? DennisCrown makes a decent radius skew for Pinnacle. They are sold at Woodcraft. There is also Lacer's. I think the Pinnacle is about $75 or so.

[Charles Bjorgen]

Alan Lacer has an eight-minute video on You Tube called: Woodturning:Sharpening the Lacer Skew. It shows how he free hands the sharpening of his signature tools but I believe the technique can be used for converting the straight tool. Lacer advocates rounding the edges of the skews so they don't bite into tool rests and ride easier over their surfaces. I own his 5/8" skew but frankly it has never felt like an advantage to me. Maybe I just haven't used it enough.

[Joshua Dinerstein]

I figured putting a radius on an oval skew wouldn't be something to undertake myself, does anyone know of a radius skew out there? I have searched around on the web, and most are not radius but straight, other than Alan Lacers for $100. plus. Any suggestions or recommendations? Dennis
Penn State Industries has a set of radius edged skews. I bought the set and before I could use them WoodCraft had a major sale on Lacer skews and I bought a set of those. So I have never used them. But they do have them. My set had red stained handles.

Joshua

[Ryan Baker]

I have and use both straight and radiused skews. They each have their place, but it's mostly preference. I think the radiused edge works better on larger skews. I mainly use a curved edge on my 1.25" Lacer skew, and straight edges on everything else (1/4 - 1"). There are some things you can do with the curved edge that you can't with the straight (like using the straight section to do a peel cut tight into a corner without the rest of the edge getting in the way). I think the curved edge is sort of a production tool in that it allows you to do multiple types of cuts without picking up another tool. (Watch some of Raffan's videos and he hardly ever uses anything else.) Curved might be slightly easier to avoid catches, but can be harder to position properly at times. The Raffan and Lacer videos demonstrate these things best. Put a curve on a skew and try it for a while. If you don't like it, it is pretty easy to go back.