Replies

1. 
   user-64052 | Jan 20, 2012 06:31pm | #1

   one has more control

   with a hollow ground tool. the hollow grind follows the circumference of the round. the flat grind or convex has less control on the wood as you have 2 opposing surfaces. you have to have a firmer grip it to control it so that your concentration is higher; that may be helping. when do the catches present themselves to you when you first enter the chisel to the wood or aftewards. it is much easier if one can watch what the person is doing of how they are applying the tool to diagnose the the problem and it is easier to show then to tell but bear with me

   Put a 4 x 4 perhaps 18" long of say clear pine between the  centres and we need it round  for this exercise; so however that you can have that accomplished. set you tool rest just above 1/2 way. it would be nice if you had 2 skews , 1 sharpened either way to see my point. If you only have the one then let's have it hollow ground for this experiment. we are not going to turn the lathe on power wise. we are going to turn the wood around by hand.  you can have someone else do this for you but is not nescessary . You can turn it with 1 hand and apply the chisel with the other. it is not going to bite you so don't worry. I want you to put the heel of the bevel on the wood and at about between 45-60 degrees(90degrees straight ahead). now rotate the wood round towards you and as you do this raise the heel of the bevel up until you get a cutting action( what I mean by raising the heel of the bevel is by raising the handle up until the cutting edge is starting to do it's jog). if you raise it a hair more it will be cutting wood. keep turning the wood by hand. you should be cutting shavings by now, you should be able to direct where you want the cut to be happening by either moving the hanlde of the chisel forwards or backwards. you should  now be able to direct on the cutting edge where you want the cutting action to take place. the corners will be out of the way and not digging in right. now try travelling the cut towards the h/stock. I know that you are only using one hand , but you can't get in any trouble. if you want a little thicker shaving , just lift the handle up a little. if you are getting closer to the corners of the blade then just move it either forwards or backwards to adjust where you want it cutting. you should be cutting wood quite well by now and with one hand. if you had either a flat or convex grind on there you wouldn't have the control that you now have with the one hand; it would be trying to wander on you. have you got the hang of it. try it a bit more until you have the hang of it. I know that it may all sound stupid,but that is actually how it all works, now if you turn thepower on and follow exactly the same steps, the only difference in application is that the power is on. It should operate exactly as how it did with the power off. you should now have both hands on the chisel

   people learning to use the skew seem to have a tendency to clench their jaw. so after using it for awhile you may notice a sore jaw. that is what it is from. of all the tools the skew is the one that people are the afraid of the most.  just remember how it cuts by hand and apply that practise while under power.

   the chisel doesn't cause digs, you do

   have fun

   ron

2. 
   Westchester | Jan 21, 2012 08:11am | #2

   Turning

   Swen,

   I never found it necessary to sharpen turning tools like a carving tool.  A light grind or touch up with the white or blue wheel - good turning technique is more important than an ultra sharp tool  - that's all I've ever done and have always gotten good results -

   SA

3. 
   hammer1 | Jan 21, 2012 10:00am | #3

   I switched to a Sorby Spindlemaster a while ago, several sizes. Has kind of a thumbnail shape, highly polished on the thumbnail back, flat on the oposite side. You simply sharpen the flat on a stone, polished side rubs on the work. When you get it right, the surface is truly amazing, couldn't get it that smooth and flawless with 4000 grit paper. Makes sense you would have similar results with a polished bevel skew. Keep your eyes open for a Sorby demo at your local Rockler. They usually discount their tools that day and they are excellent, so are the demonstraters.

   http://www.robert-sorby.co.uk/

   http://compare.ebay.com/like/330673813916

1. 
   user-64052 | Jan 21, 2012 11:34am | #4

   when you get it right

   it is all in learning how to use the tool properly, for the purpose of what it was intended. one can get a good surface pretty well with any of the tools

   ron

4. 
   Rob_Sp | Jan 21, 2012 05:16pm | #5

   Honing

   "it is all in learning how to use the tool properly,"

   With all due respect, if the above is true, then taken to it's logical conclusion why hone a chisel or plane iron or scraper for that matter? They will all work for their intended purpose right off trhe grinder, or a file in the case of the cabinet scraper.With a good bit of sanding after, no one is the wiser...

1. 
   user-64052 | Jan 21, 2012 07:40pm | #7

   with all due repect

   to you. never once in my conversation did I mention honing. I was explaining how to present the skew to the wood in order to help someone from getting snags. and speaking of honing very seldom do I hone and I don't need that much sandpaper. there are instances though when it is warranted.

   I think though that if an individual is having a problem using a tool, honing isn't going to correct his problem and I don't think that they would be at the point that honing would improve their work yet

   a sharp tool off the the grinder at this point would be quite adequate, so back to,"it is all in learning how to use the tool properly".

   what comes first.crawling , walking or running?

   ron

5. 
   joinerswork | Jan 21, 2012 07:07pm | #6

   Hi gordon,

   I hone all my spindle turning tools.  Like a plane iron, if you want a good surface on the wood, you need a good surface on the edge that is making the surface.

   Lots of turners use the tool right from the grinder, but they are doing a lot of sanding afterwards, depends on what your methodology is.

   Ray