skew help

[Jon Finch]

I sometimes get a wavy spiral surface finish when using my skew. I'll round the corners off the piece using my roughing gouge then grab my skew and remove all the gouge marks. Sometimes this works great and the piece is now a perfect cylinder with that awesome skew cut finish, but other times the skew leaves a spiral/wavy surface. There is no tearout, it's as smooth as a baby's bottom. The piece looks like curly maple until you feel it and all that "curl" is just a wavy tool finish.

If I lift my handle to try and stop it the tool starts taking too big of a bite, wants to catch and leaves tearout. Any idea what I'm doing wrong and what I might try to stop it?

[Bill Hensley]

Jon let me preface this by saying I'm not a skew expert so my response is purely speculative. It sounds to me like you may be riding too far back on the bevel while trying to make smooth, finess cuts. You're somewhat burnishing the surface while smoothing.

What I've discovered that works for me is the radius edged skews do a better job of smoothing a surface while the straight edge skews work better for detail cuts. I was recently smoothing a surface and grabbed a straight edge skew and every time I approached the wood it caught. I put it back and grabbed a radiused edge skew and completed the task in complete control.

My suggestion is watch a few Youtube videos and make sure your angle of approach is appropriate. Also try it with your tool rest above center line so the handle and approach is more horizontal. Good luck, I look forward to what others have to say.

[Marc Himes]

I get the same problem and I wonder if I am putting too much pressure on the tool. I will be interested in the solution. That wavy pattern interests me and though it is an imperfection, sometimes I wish I could get it in a controlled way, to use it as a design feature.
Good luck.

[Greg Just]

Jon:

You don't mention the diameter of the piece you are turning, but you could be getting come vibration that is causing the swirls. I would recommend checking out Alan Lacer's DVD's on the skew. He is the master. Be sure your skew is really sharp too. Alan recommends a diamond hone to get the sharpest edge possible and touch it up frequently. The skew is not an easy tool to master, but practice helps.

[Thom Sturgill]

Alan Lacer discusses this in his DVD on the Skew (which I just reviewed to make sure that I was correct). The problem is that the stock is flexing away from the tool. This is generally caused by
a) skew is not sharp enough,
b) too much pressure directed toward the center rather than along the axis [usually caused by a dull skew], and/or
c) a steady is needed.
d) too much pressure on the tailstock causing the spindle to bow
e) all of the above
In most cases you hand can provide both the steady and sufficient pressure on the skew to control it.

[Jon Finch]

thanks for the input. I'll look into this next time i grab my skew.

[Reed Gray]

One of the guys on the Australian woodworking forums mentioned a quote from a famous skew master, and he couldn't remember which one (I asked Alan if it was him, and it wasn't). "The bevel should rub the wood, but the wood should not know it". This applies to all bevel rubbing cuts.

robo hippy

[Bernie Weishapl]

Like Reed the bevel should rub on the wood but lightly. To much pressure the wood will flex and you will get a wavey cut.

[Mike Peace]

One of the guys on the Australian woodworking forums mentioned a quote from a famous skew master, and he couldn't remember which one (I asked Alan if it was him, and it wasn't). "The bevel should rub the wood, but the wood should not know it". This applies to all bevel rubbing cuts.

robo hippy

Or as Stuart Batty calls it, "Float the bevel."