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