Am I missing it or is there no forum for lathe work?
Since I can’t find one, I’ll ask the question here….
I’ve heard, and read, different opinions on how to sharpen a skew chisel. Some say it should not be hollow ground, ie on a machine such as the Tormek or other type of wheel grinder that would produce a hollow grind due to the way the tool is presented tangentially to the wheel. I’ve tried putting a ‘flat’ grind on a skew chisel and it seems to be a little easier to control but – being new to the art of turning, it’s the one tool I’m the furtherest from getting used to.
Dennis in Bellevue WA
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[email protected]
Replies
Dennis,
I've tried both ways, flat ground (using the side of the grinding wheel) and hollow ground; didn't seem to make much difference. Try this: grind (or hone) a slight arc in the edge. In other words, instead of sharpening the edge to a dead straight line from heel to toe, put a slight convex curve to it. I had a Sorby 1/2" oval skew for years and hardly ever used it because of frustration in inability to control it without catching and ruining the cut. This technique, plus a lot of practise, helped a lot.
Also, I agree with your comment on the inability to find a decent forum for turners. The couple I have found all seem to be ether hard to use or consist only of people wanting to show photos of their work or talk about the latest turning conference they attended.
I wonder if the powers here (FWW) would consider adding a category for Turners and Carvers. Anybody else with me on this, or can anyone suggest another forum for turners? GP
Try http://www.woodmagazine.com they have forums for carving and turning also try http://www.carvingworld.com . I cant seem to get the wood magizine link to work, sorry
Dale
Edited 8/19/2002 1:48:38 AM ET by timber
Edited 8/19/2002 1:50:21 AM ET by timber
Edited 8/19/2002 1:53:47 AM ET by timber
Edited 8/19/2002 1:55:38 AM ET by timber
Thanks for the links, ....
First we have to realize that this is a free service and a good one to boot. So to the sysop, I appreciate all your work (I ran a CAD BBS back in the good old days of FidoNET so I understand what you're up against!) None the less, if you could see your way to creating a turners' forum (not into carving yet but I suspect you'd find a lot of takers there as well), I for one would be greatful.
Dennis in Bellevue WA
[email protected]
Edited 8/19/2002 2:18:01 AM ET by DENNIS02
Dale? Timber?? Is this the Okie from Ta-le-quah? What is your nick alluding to?? :)
10-4 on having a lathe forum here!
U ready to cut some walnut?? I'm in a slash and burn mood!
PlaneWood by Mike_in_KatyPlaneWood
Timber is actually short for my buisiness name Timberland Craftsman. It is also my dogs name, he is the shop mascot I guess you could say.
Dale
Thanks for the reply, Dale
Yeah, I learned about the arced or curved edge for skews in Raffin's "Turning Wood" - recommended reading for the one turning class I took. I have a 3/4" Sorby skew with the slightly curved edge.
I know you can't learn any of this stuff from a book, of course, but I try to practice the Raffin and others show. I don't understand how they manage to use the chisel with the edge practically parallel to the piece to get such a nice planing cut.
And yes, the intent of this thread was to get the sysop's attention! (hehe)
Dennis in Bellevue WA
[email protected]
Edited 8/19/2002 2:17:01 AM ET by DENNIS02
You mentioned 3/4 Sorby skew, is that a oval skew? I have one I like to try this technique.
Paul
Edited 8/19/2002 9:00:31 AM ET by PAULGEER1
> ... You mentioned 3/4 Sorby skew, is that a oval skew?
Yes.
I got a set of cheapie tools that came with my first lathe. Other than the fact they wouldn't hold an edge from the time I sharpened them to when I started using them, the skews all had square edges.
The steel, iron or whatever it's made from tool rest on that and even my present lathe seem to be pretty "soft" and the edges of those chisels would create little divots from the all to frequent catches I experience. Required frequent draw filing and waxing to keep the toolrest smooth. The oval skew with the rounded edge doesn't ding up the toolrest much at all.Dennis in Bellevue WA
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Ok, I understand but I thought you putting a slight arc in the cutting edge of your oval skew, the skew is a tough tool to work with and I thought this technique was making it a little friendlier.
Paul
> .....
oops .... sorry - missinterpreted the question.
Yes, this Sorby has the arced edge and yes, it's easier (a relative term, of course) to control. Dennis in Bellevue WA
[email protected]
There are two active forums for turners that I know of. One is on WoodCentral; this site has a turning chat every Wed. night also http://www.woodcentral.com/ Additionally, there are some very talented carvers who frequent the site.
The other is on the Wood Magazine site. The turning section is hosted by Phil Brennion. The Wood site also has a carving section.
http://talk.woodmagazine.com/woodtalkindex.html
I ended up with two 1in skews, so I ground the short point down on one, leaving the long point pretty much intact to end up with an edge kind of like a pirate's cutlass. It seems easier to control like that (or, at least, not as easy to catch). I think the trick to the planing cut must be in getting the skew to run parallel to the work - I either pull the edge up and off the wood or tilt it in, taking a deeper and deeper cut.
I also did the other thing, knocking the sharp corners off the metal so it doesn't catch on the tool rest - that helped a lot.
And yes, I'm new to turning, just got started (hooked?) last year, and I'd be interested in a turner's forum.
The tool that gives me the most trouble is the Sorby Spindlemaster I bought because it was supposed to avoid catches - I cannot get that thing to work without catching! Anybody have one, or a similar tool?
Graeme
> ... I think the trick to the planing cut must be in getting
the skew to run parallel to the work...
Sorry to bust into your conversation but - you must have some kinda steady hand if I understand what you're saying correctly. I simply *cannot* avoid a catch if I have the edge parallel to the work piece.
I've seen the illustrations in Raffin's books where he shows a beautiful shaving coming off a skew chisel in the position you describe. But I don't seem to be able to cut wood with one unless I have the long point down and the edge at least at a 45 degree angle to the axis of the lathe.
Do you hollow grind the edge on your skew(s)?
Dennis in Bellevue WA
[email protected]
Glad to here there are other tuners out there. One way or another we are all beginners.
In the yahoo groups forum I mentioned earlier there is a special group just for segmented turning. Creativewoodturners. It would be nice to have a discussion group for turners here in Knots. I guess this will have to do for now.
The secret to skew chisel is practice. How you shape the cutting edge and bevel are a personal thing. There is no right or wrong. Its like learning to ride a bike. practice!
turrningtom
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Edited 8/22/2002 1:13:12 PM ET by turningtom
One thing that having the edge closer to paralled with the axis does is to lower the effective angle of the bevel. That can aid in getting a nice planing cut (this holds true for any tool - hand chisel, plane etc. It's why it helps to hold a plane at an angle when plaining end grain.)
The way to master the skew, as any other chisel, is lots of practice. When one is practicing these cuts its tempting to use "junk" wood that's lying around the shop. This can be self defeating, because some kinds/pieces of wood are virtually impossible to cut with a skew. Try to get a piece of green wood with parallel grain for practice until you get the feel of it.
Raffan gets catches too, by the way.
Keep the bevel rubbing! :-)
John Weeks
Sorry, that's not what I meant. I meant holding the cutting edge at almost 90 deg. to the axis of the work, facing either head or tailstock and nearly flat on top of the wood. Now push the skew forward and (the tricky bit) keep the tool at exactly the same angle to the work as you move. I find I either move the handle down a little (and leave the wood) or up (and the blade starts diving deeper into the wood). Very much like a plane blade, except a plane blade has a hefty plane body to support it, the skew has me.
I use a hollow grind on the skew. I tried grinding it flat once but it didn't seem to make any difference and I wasn't real comfortable about grinding on the edge of the wheel.
I agree with the other post, about choosing a good wood to practice on. I was playing with a piece of soft figured maple earlier this evening and was surprised to find wood tearing out - ahead of the blade!
Graeme
I took your advice last night and centered up a piece of wood for practice (birch). For whatever reason I turned an (almost) perfect cylinder, several beads and some tapers on the spindle without nary a catch. This was a piece that has been seasoning for several months. Seemed to be easier than the green stuff I had been practicing on.
Maybe there were too many sunspots the last time I worked with the skew (grin)
I didn't notice much difference with a flat grind, either, and I, too, don't like grinding on the side of a grinding wheel. Besides, I've got a good jig for regular (hollow) grinding to get a consistent edge so I think I'll stick with that method.
Thanks for the reply.Dennis in Bellevue WA
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As a turner I understand the need to communicate with other turners about your craft. There are a couple of sites where turners gather. One is yahoo groups ( http://www.groupsyahoo.com ) . In yahoo groups there are hundreds of groups, dozens of woodworking groups and a few turners groups such as Woodturninginformation . Check it out .
I find most groups discuss bowl or faceplate turning. Although I have done my share of fancy bowl work, my primary interestes are in small production hand turning. This is how I have made my living for the last 25 years. I make pieces for chair repair as well as 12 ft custom columns I made for DisneyWorld in Orlando. I am always interested in how other turners run the businesses and what kind of equipment they use, etc.
If you or anyone for that matter with simiar interestes, lets chat.
Turningtom
That reminds me of another group http://groups.google.com/groups?oi=djq&as_ugroup=rec.crafts.woodturning
I don't subscribe but read rec.woodturning at the above site.
Hi;
12' columns!! Yoiks. That's gotta be some kinda lathe! (grin)
I'm very, *VERY* much a biggener in this whole business of turning in particular and woodworking in general. Last November I bought myself a little Delta 1236 bench lathe. It took me all of two months to find it wasn't going to keep up with what I wanted to be doing along the way.
Thanks to a show special here in Seattle last May, I picked up a Powermatic 2442. Now I have something that I can grow into for years and years to come!
My primary interest right now is in segmented turning; cannister type pieces in particular. I'm working on site at a high-end residential construction site and the stuff that gets thrown in the dumpster would make a grown man cry. Thus I now have half my garage filled with little pieces (well not all that little but nothing big enough to build a cabinet out of), scrap pieces of Claro Walnut, nicely figured maple, Chechen, Canary, Grenadao(sp) ...
Being scrap, I find it a welcome challenge to figure out ways to mill it so it can be glued up (coopered) to make the kind of pieces I mentioned. Being cheap, I can't stand to see all this nice wood get turned into chips and shavings thus I try to glue up stuff so it takes the least amount of waste to make the finished piece.
Now, having said that, I have a basket full of questions I could ask about the process but I'll wait to hear if you're receptive to a turner wannabe buggin the beegessus out of ya (grin)
Dennis in Bellevue WA
[email protected]
I agree. We need to have a forum dedicated to turners. I can see that there are a lot of novices like me out there in need of such a forum. I also see that there are quite a few "people in the know" who would gladly share their knowkedge on turning.
I have been a cabinet maker for over 25 years and just recently decided to try my hand at turning. I bought a NOVA 3000 (A GREAT machine by the way) and some select Sorby tools. I found that "turning" is the "funest" way to make sawdust and wood chips. I AM HOOKED!
My first project was to make 16 small spindles for my fiest grandson's cradle. Turned out pretty well although there were mistakes. Hopefully I'll remember what I learned from those mistakes.
I am now trying to get a handle on turning "green" wood. You want a chalenge!? Try turning (The easy part) and then drying your project in such a way it doesn't check. Anyway, WE NEED THIS FORUM!
Hey, I'm as green as the wood we like to turn but I'll share what little bit I've gleaned in the past few months.
I read an article, I belive it was in FWW, where a guy had been searching for a long time for a substute for PE (PolyEthelyne<something> that's used to stabilize wood and prevent the checking of green turning blanks). He hit on soaking the blanks in a diluted solution of ... dishwasher liquid!
I tried rough turning a few pieces and threw them in a bucket of about 60/40 soap and water with varying degrees of success. Softer, less dense woods seem to work pretty well. But I get too impatient and probably don't let the pieces soak long enough.
I scored a trunk piece of Monkey Puzzle tree wood and decided to see what was inside, turning wise. Turned a vase about 12" high with a rim that was thin enough it was translucent. The rim didn't crack at all but further down around the base I still did get some small shrinkage cracks. This was turning straight into the center of the log after debarking it. And the log had been cut about three days before I rough turned it.
But you're right - there's nothing like having a continuous greenwood shaving flying over your shoulder for the length of the workpiece! (grin)
Dennis in Bellevue WA
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It's called PEG for short. Polyethylene glycol. I've heard it does wonders to keep green wood from checking but hinders the finish.
What works for me so far is after turning your bowl to within 1/4" wall thickness all around (and this is important) you boil the wood for 30 m9nutes to get rid of the sap and stuff. Let it air dry after that for about 3 weeks depending on your humidity situation. Weigh it every day till the weight is consistant. Then it is ready for sanding and finishing. Believe it or not IT WORKS!
Al
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