# The Trouble With Skews



## davidgiul (Apr 1, 2012)

[attachment=3658]I am new to the woodturning business and I have purchased 3 different skews. Skew A is flat, Skew B has a rolled edge and Skew C is more oval. The problem with Skews A and B is that they will catch my work and explode it. This gets frustrating when I have spent a certain amount of effort with the blank. Skew C is getting short as a result of use and sharpening something that is happening to a certain member of my body but I digress.

Any advice from you woodturning pros on the former problem(the latter is rather hopeless).


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## arkie (Apr 1, 2012)

Buy or borrow Alan Lacer's skew videos. Watch repeatedly. You don't have to use his skew or shape yours like his, but watch how he does planing and shearing cuts.

You shouldn't have to sharpen the skew much unless you are scraping with it, or ding it on something. A fine diamond hone is usually sufficient.



davidgiul said:


> I am new to the woodturning business and I have purchased 3 different skews. Skew A is flat, Skew B has a rolled edge and Skew C is more oval. The problem with Skews A and B is that they will catch my work and explode it. This gets frustrating when I have spent a certain amount of effort with the blank. Skew C is getting short as a result of use and sharpening something that is happening to a certain member of my body but I digress.
> 
> Any advice from you woodturning pros on the former problem(the latter is rather hopeless).


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## West River WoodWorks (Apr 1, 2012)

I was just at a demo with Alan yesterday!

First ease all the edges of the scew with a file and clean your tool rest of any dents using the file as well. Then wax your tool rest so the skew will move effortlessly.
The little skew looks to be an oval shape:scratch_one-s_head:, Allen did not have much good to say on these types of skews. To many planes to sharpen easily and the angle constantly changes as you arc through a cut.

His videos are a great help, and you can watch parts of them for free on You tube.
Its amazing to watch what all he does with a skew!

Tom


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## DKMD (Apr 1, 2012)

The skew can be a tricky tool, but there's nothing that will leave a finer finish on a turned surface… In other words, it can be a PITA, but it's worth the effort. The 'skates' are caused by losing bevel contact. Keep your cuts on the lower half of the blade, and concentrate on maintaining the bevel contact. Mr. Lacer recommends practicing with a safety center which will allow the work to slip if you get a catch. Pen turning is a great way to practice your skew skills while still working on a project. As the others said, Alan Lacer is the king of the skew, and I've found his DVDs to be quite helpful.

As for the style of the tool, I guess everyone has different preferences. I won one of Alan's signature skew chisels in a contest on WoodturnersAmerica.com, and I still can't believe how much better it performs than the ones I'd had prior. The biggest thing about his skews is that they're thick and beefy. The other thing is that he's already rounded the corners and radiused the entire edge on the heel side of the chisel… You can do this with your existing chisels, but it's nice that his come that way right out of the package. 

Honing has made a big difference for me, and I rarely have to sharpen the tool at the grinder. If you're looking for something else to try, check out the youtube video showing the Eli Avisera grind. Jimmy Clewes is also proponent of this grind. There are a number of videos in this series on Eli's techniques. FWIW, I don't use this grind on my Lacer skew… I just haven't found it necessary to change anything about it.


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## davidgiul (Apr 1, 2012)

[attachment=3672]Thanks for the advice. I will check out the recommended videos.

Dave


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## Mike Mills (Apr 1, 2012)

I use flat skews myself, without the rounded corner. 1+ on the Bill Grumbine DVD (The sweet side, the dark side).
I prefer the 1” rather than the ½” of the two that I have.
If you work is “exploding” my guess is you are getting the trailing point into the work (usually the long). In many cases losing bevel support just causes the spirals. The cuts can be made in a lot of different positions but for planning I like a cut high on the piece, about 11:30 with the tool rest about 10:30 for a 2” or so diameter. The wider blade helps me keep the point out of the wood.
I won’t offer any suggestions because there are so many variables and different cuts. When I started I was told by everyone to cut from the center down and never get the long point into the wood. For most cuts that is true, but it was _pure heck _ trying to cut a V groove.


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## davidgiul (Apr 3, 2012)

Thanks for the responses and tips

Dave


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