Interesting video on using the skew *LINK*

beautifully done

john lucas

Very good video. Just a slightly different technique than I use but mostly the same. It's fun to watch a practiced hand do things like that. I took a class with Curtis a very long time ago. I didn't date my chair but it had to be between 15 and 20 years ago. We used a spring pole lathe to turn the chair leg tapered tenons. We didn't do the classic leg he shows in this video. That is where I really learned to use the skew. With the pole lathe the wood is passing the tool slow enough you can really see and feel what's happening.

He has an excellent article in Fine Woodworking this month. My only problem with the article is he advocates turning with a 25 degree included bevel. I find that new turners have more problems with a skew that sharp. I find 35 or 45 degrees much less grabby for new turners. My skew is 30 degrees. That's partlly because I turn all sorts of woods and the 25 degree edge won't hold up as well on harder woods. Curtis turns primarily maple.

He is a wonderful guy and fantastic teacher. If you really want to have fun (although it is hard work) then take his class. You won't regret it.

Re: beautifully done

David Walser

One of the things I like about Youtube is that you get to see so many good turners accomplish the same task is slightly different ways. (And, sometimes, vastly different ways.) By comparing and contrasting I find I learn a lot.

One of the things I got from Curtis's video is how he did most of the forming of the "bottom of the onion" with is roughing gouge. He then used his skew to shape and finish the bead in one cut. I would have turned the entire thing with the skew and it would have taken me a lot longer. So, that's a different approach that I can add to my data bank.

Re: beautifully done

john lucas

I thought I had a video showing how I use the spindle roughing gouge to almost completely turn my mirror handles. I sharpen my spindle roughing gouge at 45 degree included bevel. It used to be 35 degrees but I've found that the edge chips to easily when turning harder woods so I backed off a little. I sharpen it this sharp so I can turn most of the handle with it. It is far faster to rough out to shape this way and the gouge is far easier to sharpen than my skew. By roughing almost to final dimensions I don't have to use the skew but a tiny bit to clean up. I can turn quite a few handles before I need to touch up the skew. I have a belt sander set up to sharpen my spindle roughing gouge so it litterally takes me about 15 seconds to walk over sharpen the gouge and come back.

Thompson V skew-apologies to Keith *LINK*

john lucas

OK until today I don't guess I really gave the Thompson V skew a good run for it's money. Yes I played with it but I don't think I really understood it. After watching Curtis's video I wanted to play with the skew. (that and I had turn a project to get a photo for my Craft Center class). Anyway after playing with my normal skew to see the difference between my cuts and Curtis's cuts which are only very very slightly different. I thought I would try the same cuts with the V skew. It worked so well I though I would try some more. and then some more. I found some really fun things.

First of all I started the cove at the top of the candlestick with the V skew. No problem. This would be extremely hard with a regular skew and most people would probably get nothing but catches. It was very easy to control. Then I did the steeper cove below the first rounded over bead. Just a little problem right at the bottom but then this would be all but impossible with a regular skew.

Then if you'll do your beads with more of a push cut the way Curtis shows in the video it's really easy to do with the V skew. Of course planing cuts are very easy. I'm really going to have to use this tool more. I didn't use it as much as I should have simply because I'm so comfortable with my Doug Thompson skew that I use every day.

The only down side might be when it gets to the point that I have to regrind it rather than just honing. It might take some practice. I'll call Keith and get some more instructions before I do that. It's been a while since we talked anyway.

If your thinking about buying a skew I would put the V skew at the top of my list. If you already own a skew and having trouble rolling beads it also might be a good purchase. If your already good with a skew then it would just be a good tool to play with.

You can see in the photo this project is straight off the V skew. No sanding at all. Sanding would actually dull it. This was pressure treated pine (yes I did use protection to turn it). It was just a scrap that was handy and makes a good test because it will tear out without sharp tools and good technique.




http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=packard&Product_Code=100031&Category_Code=

Tompkins

John K Jordan

Yikes, I was confused by your post until I realized you meant Tompkins instead of Thompson! I have a V-skew, but like you, I probably never gave it a fair chance. Thanks for the encouragement.

JKJ

Re: ThomkinsV skew-apologies to Keith

John C Lucas

Gosh i must have been high on the decongestion drugs i was taking. Sorrynabout that Keith. Hope ill have time to play with the V skew tomorrow. I am doing a demo for the TAW tomorrow night wbich is a 2 hour drive.

Re: ThomkinsV skew-apologies to Keith

Keith Tompkins

Hey John, No apologies necessary....I'm glad you spent some time with the V-skew chisel. With some time, you will discover it gives the same confidence level as a spindle gouge. I turn some of my finials with nothing but the V-skew. Something else to try...begin to roll a bead, then slide the tool during the cut, from the "heel" to the "toe" as you do the cut, ending with the very point at the base of the bead. Nothing happens. Try that with a regular skew. Also, if you lower the tool rest, and start with the center point, it will cut end grain leaving a surface as smooth as glass. With a bit more time, you will be able to use the tool blindfolded. (DAMHIKT)

Re: beautifully done

Brad Vietje

Really like to watch highly skilled people do what they are so good at. 17 Minutes went by like 5 -- it was just so much fun to watch.

Also interesting to see the little (and big) differences... so much to learn from others.

* Wooden tool rest about 3/4" wide means his overhang is at least 1.5", since the tool contacts the rest on the turner's near edge. I'd bevel that, or get a long, tapered steel rest with 2 banjo's if I did that for a living (but maybe that's just all theory and textbook, since it sure does work for him!)

* Really small, wimpy-looking skew for that sort of reach; I'd have thought he'd get too much vibration like that (wrong again). The one he uses to mark out the spindle looks like the one I'd want to use.

* looks to be an oval skew (?) I can't tell for sure from the video, but that would lower stiffness even more...

* He grinds his spindle roughing gouge with a very short (blunt) bevel. That I would definitely change. Been there, done that, and ain't going back. Works for him, but I wonder if he's tried a longer bevel?

What fun. I'd never heard of him, but now I want to look up his other vid's.

Thanks for posting David!

Safe spinning,

Brad Vietje

Newbury, VT

Re: beautifully done

john lucas

I agree on the the spindle roughing gouge. He's cutting mostly maple so a sharpen cutting angle on the gouge would cut really fast and clean.

Hollow grind on skew not good?

Karl_TN

How about this video from Captain Eddie Castelin explaining why the hollow grind on a skew isn't the best way design. He suggest using a convex grind instead. Your thoughts?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt2U9qmDfH8

Re: Hollow grind on skew not good?

David Walser

Years ago, when I first saw Captain Eddie's video, I thought: "Come on! You're not asking me to give up all the expensive skew-sharpening jigs I've accumulated, are you?" Seriously, if I were in the Captain's shop, I'd give his skew a try and might adopt it. I've just never been willing to learn how to sharpen that way without knowing that I'd like the end result.

Re: Hollow grind on skew not good? *LINK*

john lucas

Well I did try convex, flat and hollow ground when I did my skew experiments a few years ago. My problem with convex may have been me but I the edge angle was slightly different each time. Not a huge deal but bothered me. I saw no advantage to it in actual turning. Might have been a little easier to use for planing cuts but I found it harder to do steep sided beads.

Concave straight off the wheel was OK but I prefer my skew sharper than I get off a 180 grit CBN. So I grind concave and then hone the skew placing the diamond hone on the high points of the concave so in reality I have a flat grind skew.

I did grind one flat. Didn't find any real advantage other than it took longer to sharpen because you had to remove a fair amount of metal. I was reading a turning book printed in the 60's and the guy stressed that all turning tools needed a flat bevel to be used successfully. I think we have all debunked that one.

Sharpening and practice is the key to being able to use a skew successfully. You need to be able to sharpen consistently and quickly. Whatever method you use will work, concave, convex or flat. If you can get a good sharp edge it will work for you. If your a production turner you need to get that edge quickly.

I have found that beginners have fewer catches with a skew that doesn't have a reallly acute angle. 25 degrees is what a lot of pro's recommend. I have mine at 30. I find beginners have better luck with 35 or 45. Blunter than that you have to push the tool through the work and really move the handle when turning beads. 25 degree requires less movement of the handle but can be really grabby and cause a lot of spiral kick backs.

Below is my video. I played with 17 different skews during a 2 year period. However I didn't give Keith Thompkins V skew a good enough test. I think for some cuts it is definitely superior.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFlZyGKYro4

Re: Hollow grind on skew not good?

John K Jordan

>>> I find beginners have better luck with 35 or 45.

I noticed the same thing and keep one at about 45-deg for teaching. That one also has a slight curve. I start by turning the work by hand until the person discovers how the bevel and edge work to make shavings. (This only takes a few seconds!)

I also found that a particular wood might be splintery with a 20-deg skew but not with a 40-deg.

Great video - I hadn't seen that one. Makes me wonder which others I've missed. I'll trade you a skew chisel for a DVD with all of them - no, wait, I think you have enough skews... :-)

JKJ