That old skew

[Harry Goodwin]

I am not trying to get into a great discussion on items long discussed b ut.....
I have be4en able for a lon g time been able to produce what I want on my lathes but like others would like to be able to use the skew. Today we started the course with a really sharp skew that was 3/4 oval in figuration. The cutting angle of the tool out of the box was 15 degrees on a side and 30 degrees total.
It behaved like a beast using the classic approach which I think was OK. Some of my books recommend 30 degrees each face would that cause me to flunk skew 101. I think my techneque centering the cut was Ok but somethings wrong. Using a smaller skew my beads were OK. would increasing the angle help. Thanks Harry

[Matt Hutchinson]

Hey Harry,

Glad to hear that you're giving the old skew another chance! :)

I wasn't clear on a few of your points/questions, but it is possible you could benefit from grinding a greater bevel angle on the tool. I am not a fan of really low angles on skews. I grind my skews to around 20 degress each side (total of about 40*). The tool will also stay sharp longer as a result. Another factor is the skew angle. Some come from the factory with much too blunt of an angle (skew angle) for maintaining easy body mechanics. As usual, skew grinds are user defined preferences that require a bit of experimentation and practice to find what you like.

Hutch

[Matt Hutchinson]

Found a good thread on skew grind angle recommendations.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?66282-Another-Question-Skew-Bevel-Angle

-Hutch