Learn to use the skew

ByWalter Jones
Suncoast Woodturners
The following instructions, Assume that you are familiar with a woodturning lathe and its tools. That you understand turning on a lathe can be dangerous. These instructions are meant to be a help in learning how to use a skew. After following the instructions you should be able to learn how to use the skew with out to much trouble. Be safe and enjoy learning
First turn the blank round. Then draw line around the circumference. Now draw a line off the first line at about a 45* line. [No more than 45*] on the right side of the line around the blank.
After you have completed the two lines, use a marker to make a line 1/3 of the way up from the short point of the skew from the cutting edge to the back of the bevel. This is where the shavings should come off the tool when you are turning.
Place the skew on the blank with the lathe off. Arrange the line on the skew with the joint of the two lines on the blank with the tool resting on the tool rest and the wood. The tool rest should be above center so that the skew cutting edge is at about 10:00 if the end of the blank at the tailstock is used like a clock face. This is the correct position for the tool. Now rotate the lathe by hand and raise the handle of the skew keeping the tool on the rest and you should start to get a cut. Move the tool to the left and shavings should be coming off. Lift the tool off the wood and start the lathe and then place the tool on the rest and then the bevel on the wood at the angle that you learned while the lathe was off. With a slight raise of the handle you should get shavings coming off the wood moving to the left. the handle would be in your right hand and the blade in the left. If you are left handed then the set up would be on the opposite side of the line and the tool and you would move the tool to the right. The same process can be done with the long point down and the line would be 1/3 the way up from the long point. Follow the same start up list and you will find that the handle is in a much different position but the cutting angle would be the same as with the short point down. Once you have got this part down you need to Practice, Practice, Practice!
The only two mistakes you can make with the skew is to get to high above the 1/3 mark and you will get a catch that is a dig in and takes a sizable chuck of wood out. The other is to get up off the bevel and the tool will skate backwards causing a spiral cut along the wood that looks a little like a thread on a screw.
After you master that part of using the skew you may move on to learning to use the skew to make beads on the wood. That will be another lesson.
Be safe and enjoy the skew.
Walter

Instructions for Winged Bowl

By Walter Jones

The blank I used was 1/2 a log of Osage Orange. [12" long 5" wide and 4 1/2" thick] I used a worm screw to hold the blank [Flat side] to the chuck with Masonite spacer between the wood and the chuck jaws. Slow speed [as the lathe will want to move around] The turning tool was a fingernail grind 1/2″ bowl gouge. BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU PUT YOUR HANDS AND THE TOOL ; Put the tool rest parallel to the wood as close as possible without touching. the gouge is applied to the wood with the flute rolled over to the left and the left cutting edge [lower edge] cutting the wood with the right edge [upper] about 1/16″ from touching Do not open up the gap between the upper cutter and the wood., It will result in a catch. Start shaping the wood to get a tenon while removing wood to create the wings. Create the wings before you get to much wood removed from the outside of the bowl. It is important to keep the mass of wood in the center to cut down on vibration in the wings. Leave enough wood to allow for sanding them smooth also some room for wood removal on the top side. You may want to have the rim of your bowl show on top as to make it look as if it comes through the plank creating the wings. You will need some room for sanding on top as well. After you have reversed the bowl for hollowing Clean up the wings and create any rim on the bowl you wish to. if you do this you need to make the rim the same diameter as the bow. coming up from the bottom. Otherwise it will not look right. Now that you have completed this part you can hollow out the bowl as if you were doing a regular bowl. [WATCH OUT FOR YOUR HANDS} When the bowl is completed. You then reverse chuck the bowl to clean up the bottom. Your choice of methods. i hope this is of some help. if you have any questions Please contact me at the store 727- 532- 6888 or home 727 734-4078 or wjones101@tampabay.rr.com Take care
Walter
And enjoy turning.

Second Skew Lesson

By Walter Jones

Learning to use the Skew
Second Lesson
The following instructions, Assume that you are familiar with a woodturning lathe and its tools. That you understand turning on a lathe can be dangerous. These instructions are meant to be a guide in learning how to use a skew. After following the instructions you should be able to learn more about using the skew with out to much trouble. Be safe and enjoy learning
You have learned to use the skew to smooth a round spindle between centers.
We will move on to making a bead.
Use the skew with the long point down. Place the tool on the tool rest at 90* to the blank. Gently press the tool into the blank, cutting a small V shaped cut into the wood. After that you will move the skew over to one side or the other of the first line about the same space as the tool is wide [example ¾” skew the space should be ¾”]. Continue this until you have crossed the entire blank. Place the long point just to the side of one of the original cuts. Following the bevel of the tool on the right side of the tool, make a cut into the original cut so that it finishes at the same place the first cut did. Do the same with the left side. Continue until all of the cuts have been widened. Take the skew short point down and having the shavings come off of the cutting edge one third of the way up from the bottom [same thing learned in the first lesson] Roll the cutting edge up so the tool is straight up on the tool rest and in the wood, at the same time you will be lifting the handle up causing the cutting edge to move into the bottom of the cut. This will cause a curved surface [hump rather than valley] from the upper area of the wood down into the cut. Then pull the tool straight out,
[Do not climb back up the hill]
There are two possible reasons for a catch while in the process of making a bead. First is lifting the bevel off of the wood while moving into the cut. The other is leaning the tool into the hill on the way out.
Repeat the process until you reach the center between two cut lines. Do this until all the cut lines have been done on one side. Repeat the process on the other side of the cut line until you reach the center and you will now have a bead [hump] between two cut lines. If you do not get a round topped bead you are not rolling the tool enough and you are raising the handle causing a pointed top kind of like a triangle.
Practice, Practice, practice
Don’t get frustrated this can take lots of practice. Doing the cuts all on one side at a time is teaching you body the moves it needs to make. You will learn this faster than doing both sides of the same bead and then moving to the next one. Constant practice will develop your skills. Remember to practice what you learned in lesson one.
Have fun and enjoy learning the skew. After you learn to use the skew you will find it to be a very useful tool.
Walter jones