the skew

[Jeff Gilfor]

My skews still scare the hell out of me! I use them anyway. Say a little prayer each time.

[Geoff Whaling]

I 'fool around' with a couple of cheap skews every now and then just for practicing. Question...what other applications, if any, does a skew serve if one never does spindle work?

Opening paint cans ;-)

[Thom Sturgill]

I 'fool around' with a couple of cheap skews every now and then just for practicing. Question...what other applications, if any, does a skew serve if one never does spindle work?

It makes an excellent dovetail scraper for the tenon.

[John K Jordan]

I 'fool around' with a couple of cheap skews every now and then just for practicing. Question...what other applications, if any, does a skew serve if one never does spindle work?

As mentioned, you can use a skew for grooves, especially in end grain used as a scraper/point tool. And it works as a flat scraper for delicate surfacing - but since the skew is usually sharpened at a 25-40 deg, a razor-sharp edge doesn't last long as a scraper. However I find other tools better for both of these things.

For those who are primarily bowl turners with limited spindle experience, consider what some experts say - two told me recently that mastering spindle turning will teach tool-handling control that can very much improve face turning. It evidently doesn't work the other way. In a class making a lidded bowl with dry ash and maple, Jimmy Clewes watched me for a moment and asked if I was a spindle turner. He said he thought so by my technique. He encouraged the class of mostly bowl-turners to take up spindle turning, said if you are good at spindles you can turn anything. Frank Penta told me essentially the same thing - he always teaches spindle turning first to a beginner, not because it is easier (in general it is not) but because it teaches control.

I personally find turning spindles more fun and satisfying than bowls, and I've turned a bunch of both. I especially like turning small things. In fact, I sometimes cut up big chunks of exotics on hand, like cocobolo and bloodwood, into small spindle blanks. (This makes some people cry) I can make 20-30 people happy with hand bell ornaments with the wood that will make one bowl!

JKJ

[Doug Ladendorf]

Love those bells John. Do you have a thread/video on making them?

At my turning club meeting last night there were three different demos going on that we could wander between. One was on the skew and I got a bit of hands on with guidance. Very helpful to correct those little things that can make a big difference.

Doug

[Geoff Whaling]

In a class making a lidded bowl with dry ash and maple, Jimmy Clewes watched me for a moment and asked if I was a spindle turner. He said he thought so by my technique. He encouraged the class of mostly bowl-turners to take up spindle turning, said if you are good at spindles you can turn anything. Frank Penta told me essentially the same thing - he always teaches spindle turning first to a beginner, not because it is easier (in general it is not) but because it teaches control.

JKJ

I agree. With spindle turning you are forced to "work with the grain" and you learn to accommodate all sorts of grain issues relatively quickly. Spindle turning techniques must cater for cross and along the grain cuts and every possible permutation in between. It also teaches fine bevel control as you will find out very quickly using a skew. I love the skew, mine are Hamlet rolled edge skews and Thompson's that I had modified to be rolled edge on both long an short point sides.

Very nice spindle work John.

[John K Jordan]

Love those bells John. Do you have a thread/video on making them?

Doug, thank you! I love making them. I have no video but I could probably put together a tutorial when things slow down. (This is the busiest time of the year here on the farm - beehive work today, shearing llamas this week, building a second barn this month.) I did a club demo on these last year. I made diagrams and notes for the demo - I can see if they are available in our club newsletter. If you ever find yourself near Knoxville TN come visit and we can make some!

I've made dozens of these to give away and I have never had anyone turn one down. :-) I've gotten pretty quick at making the bell but the clapper is more tedious. Some people make bell ornaments without clappers and people even pay good money for them, but I think it's more fun to have one that makes a noise. I'd rather make these than hollowed ornaments - they are less common and very light weight even from lignum vitae since they are so thin.

I haven't taken any new photos for years, but attached is a quick and unprofessional cell phone photo I took a few minutes ago. I cut one in half to show the wall shape. (made of tulipwood) I make them thin at the edge and thicker where joined to the handle. (fyi, I don't take the time to make the inside surface as good as the outside since you usually can't see much of it) Good clean fun!

If you are interested, I have a few more photos of mostly spindle things on a facebook photp album, nothing recent. (Assuming the link works!)

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...1&l=7913a23da6

JKJ

[Guy Belleman]

I found "The Taming of the Skew" dvd helpful years ago. Of course, the title alone amongst the elders is amusing.

As my eyes have worsened, I found that for final smoothing of pen blanks, I tend to use the skew more than the gouge.