LEARNING TO USE THE SKEW

By Walter Jones

Suncoast Woodturners

 

The following instruction, 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 instruction you should be able to learn how to use the skew with out to much trouble. Be safe and enjoy learning.

 

First turn a blank round. Draw a line around the blank.

Now draw a line off the line around the blank at about 45* angle [no more than 45*].

After getting your lines drawn, use a marker to draw a line on the bevel of your skew 1/3 the way up from the short point. This is where you want the shavings to be coming off. [lathe off] Place the skew on the tool rest and with the line on the tool at the point where the two lines on the blank cross.  The tool is now in the right position to make a cut. Raise the tool handle [keeping the tool on the rest and keep the bevel rubbing] and rotate the blank by hand and you should start to get a cut with a slight raise of the handle. Move the tool to the left keeping the angle the same. If you are left handed then put the line on the other side of the

line around the blank and on the other side of the skew and follow the instructions moving to the right.  Now you can lift the tool off the wood and start the lathe and begin to cut the wood as described.

REMEMBER THE ABC’S

OF TURNING

A= ANCHOR THE TOOL ON THE REST

B= RUB THE BEVEL

C=RAISE THE HANDLE TO GET A CUT

Credit to NORM ROSE for the ABC’s of turning.

 

The same process can be followed with the long point down putting the line on the bevel 1/3 the way up form the long point and placing the tool on the same line as done with the short point down.   NOTE that the handle is in a much different position than it was when using the short point down. The cutting angle is the same with long point down as with short point down but with the handle in a different position.  Both starting positions can also be done from the left hand side. The tool rest should be a little higher than it is when using other kinds of tools.