back in my own shop

[duncsuss]

The last few weeks I've not been able to do any work in my own shop -- I was at the club booth at the Topsfield Fair a couple of weekends, then threw out my back and had to take it easy for a while.

Yesterday I decided to do a quick project -- a Pentel mechanical pencil refurb, this in curly maple with CA finish. They are perfect for practicing use of the skew chisel

 

[Tony]

Very nice Duncan! I've carried a Pentel for years, never have seen one redone like that. Tony

 

[Jim Beam]

I've been turning two years now and have never used my skew chisel. I just don't understand it.

 

[duncsuss]

I've been turning two years now and have never used my skew chisel. I just don't understand it.

Take a look the post @deltatango made HERE as a starting point.

 

[Sprung]

Very nice, Duncan! Pentels are my favorite mechanical pencil and this is something I've wanted to try. Do you have the special step drill bit for making these?

 

[duncsuss]

Very nice, Duncan! Pentels are my favorite mechanical pencil and this is something I've wanted to try. Do you have the special step drill bit for making these?

Yes. I drill out to just short of the internal step using a regular (but longer) drill bit, then use a step drill for the last ~3/4". There's a guy on IAP who grinds the drill bits and makes a custom mandrel, I can't remember his name but I probably still have the private message in my inbox there. Shoot me a PM on IAP as a reminder and I'll dig it out for you.

 

[Tclem]

I've been turning two years now and have never used my skew chisel. I just don't understand it.

Learn it. I use it a lot

 

[duncsuss]

I've been turning two years now and have never used my skew chisel. I just don't understand it.

Another good resource for starting with the skew ... Alan Batty's video:

 

[Schroedc]

I learned my skew by chucking up some spindle blanks and just concentrating on turning them round and putting a taper or beads on them. Over and Over and Over...

 

[rocky1]

I learned my skew by chucking up some spindle blanks and just concentrating on turning them round and putting a taper or beads on them. Over and Over and Over...

I started with fir, extremely soft, it will teach you in a hurry if you have the wrong angle! Grew tired of that in a hurry as a beginner and moved to my firewood pile. Turned a pretty good pile of red oak round before I was done. And, by the time I was done playing with that, I pretty much had skew work down.

 

[Patrude]

Find workmanship, beautiful finish

 

[duncsuss]

Find workmanship, beautiful finish

Thanks Rich

 

[ripjack13]

Duncan, can you do a build topic on this next time you make one?

And that looks great, but I'm still partial to mine....
Heh heh heh.

 

[duncsuss]

I can't promise that, but I can offer you videos of the time I demonstrated it to the club --