# Using the skew chisel



## Kenbo (Dec 28, 2011)

I have been turning for a little while and I am trying to hone my skills. For the record, I have never, and I mean never, been able to cut anything with the skew chisel. I've tried and tried with no luck. Nothing but catches, snags, breaks and frustration. I got the skew grinding attachment for my wolverine system for Christmas and I decided to sharpend my skew. It was sharpened beautifully and I decided to give the skew another try. No luck again. It was at that point, that I decided that I was not giving up until I got the chisel to do something. Anything other than catch and snag, supposing that all it did was keep the door to the shop propped open while I carried stuff in and out of the shop. I remembered that John Lucas had made some very nice turning videos and I took it upon myself to search him out, subscribe to his you tube channel and watch his videos. Armed with the skew knowledge that John gave me through his videos, I headed to the shop today to try again. I was blown away. All this time, I was having issues because of the way I was holding the skew and the way I was approaching the stock with the skew. By watching John's video, I was able to have my first success with the skew EVER!!! I still had a few catches, but nothing serious. I ended up with a ton of shavings. Long, flowing, curly, thin shavings from the piece that I was practicing on. I wasn't concerned about shape or actually making something; I was concentrating on just being able to use the skew without getting catches and trying to pay attention to the conditions that caused the catches when I got them. The piece finally broke in half when I got a larger catch but what an eye opening experience. I can't wait to hit this shop again next weekend for another practice session with the skew. I'm gonna master this bad boy yet. 


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I know that this doesn't look like much to you more experienced turners, but this was a huge victory for me to be able to use the skew without a complete disaster.


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## Kevin (Dec 29, 2011)

I have very little experience turning Ken, and when I first started to use the skew it was a little tricky. But for whatever reason that didn't last long. I can use it for almost anything (except as a gouge!) without much trouble. 

One problem you had with that piece IMHO is using the skew on pine before you have gotten real comfortable with it. Soft wood is more prone to catching a skew than hard. Practice on harder woods with the skew and work your way into softer ones. FWIW I have never read that anywhere, it's just the route I took getting used to the tool & it worked for me. I can skew with the best of them. Well no, that's a big fat lie, but I ain't bad with one!  




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## woodtickgreg (Dec 29, 2011)

I'm gonna master this bad boy yet. Yipee

Atta boy kenbo, good attitude!


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## Kenbo (Dec 29, 2011)

Thanks guys. I'm not concerned about the species of the wood at this point. Nor am I concerned about if I can make anything useful. It was just so nice to have shavings from the skew instead of catches and gouges. I'm not sure what this wood is. I saved it from the burn pile and roughed it to round to play with the skew. One more day of work and I'll be practicing again. Sorry Kevin, but it will be on the same species as this one. I'm not about to use a good piece of wood just to turn it into test shavings.


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## Kevin (Dec 30, 2011)

Kenbo said:


> . . . Sorry Kevin, but it will be on the same species as this one. I'm not about to use a good piece of wood just to turn it into test shavings.



Surely you have some smaller hardwood scrap blocks. Start small. Hardwood turns down slower anyway giving more time to use the chisel before thye block gets too small. I say it's worth it even if you have to use a good block. 

Grab a stick of oak firewood if you have to to make practice blanks. You'll save a lot of time & material in the end.


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## phinds (Dec 30, 2011)

Congratulations Ken. I HATE that damned skew chisel. I gave up on it early on and now only use it as a scraper. Since I don't do many spindle turning, it's not important to me, but maybe I'll try the video you found so helpful. It does seem silly not to be able to use it properly.

Paul


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## Kevin (Dec 30, 2011)

I feel special then. All you guys who turn such beautiful stuff but are frustrated by that simple piece of flat, angled steel. I'm serious when I say I use it more than the others when finish turning except for hollowing of course. 

Maybe because I'm self-taught & didn't know I was supposed to fear it? I hope ya'll haven't shaken my confidence with it now! :scare:



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## phinds (Dec 30, 2011)

Kevin, you ARE special


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## Kenbo (Dec 31, 2011)

I'm determined and I'm not giving up. This was an awesome day in the shop. One of the best ones that I can remember recently. I finished up quite a few projects (which I will be posting later) and managed to get another great practice session with the skew. Armed with the knowledge gained in John Lucas' latest video, I threw a junker piece of wood on the lathe and roughed it to round. I then practiced plane cutting with the skew both left and right handed. Once I had a pretty good feel of that, I move on to the barrel cuts.
This is how I made out.
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## CodyS (Dec 31, 2011)

WARNING WARNING WARNING :shout::timeout::timeout: WARNING WARNING WARNING

Kenbo has shavings in sight in his shop :scare:

(secretly )

Seriously though nice work! Looking better every time!


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## Kenbo (Dec 31, 2011)

Believe it or not, my shop does get dusty smart guy. Very funny though. I think I have a reputation for having a neat shop.


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## phinds (Jan 1, 2012)

showoff


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## Mike Mills (Jan 9, 2012)

Looking good Kenbo.
One tip that help me was in a Dave Hout video (I have never heard anyone else bring it up). I’m a long way from being good but every tip can help.
Holding the handle, align your pointer finger with the flat of the blade, this will automatically place your hand higher on the handle. (Back of you hand about 12:00 instead of about 1:30 for a normal grip). You are now able to rotate your hand a full 90* without the hand moving out of alignment with the arm. That may not make sense but hold the tool “normally” and you will see your hand/wrist twist towards you about 2/3 way in the turn, now hold it with the hand more on top of the handle and the hand/wrist will not turn. Per Dave, it is this automatic twist (the way our bodies are made) that leads to the spiral cut about 2/3 of the way into a bead when the bevel is pulled away from the wood. Of course rolling to the opposite side you need to start lower than normal (with the back of you hand at 3:00).
The same principle applies in aligning with the flute of a spindle gouge for beads or coves.


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