Thread: Skewing beads

Originally Posted by

If I remember rightly you reshaped your skew a little while ago and lengthened the bevels.

Longer bevels require a better "feel" than shorter ones and are more likely to bite quicker than a shorter bevel.

You're right! I did increase the length of the bevel and that is the only thing I've done differently so it must be that because previously (with the shorter bevel) I don't recall having this problem. I suppose "feel" can only be gained by practice or would a slight alteration of technique help?

Practice, practice, practice.
Find some scrap and work on that until you get the 'feel' of what you need to do.

Rifleman has it. Practice practice practice. And more practice. I'm pretty good with a skew but if I go out there right now after not turning for a few days I'll have trouble turning one side of the bead more so than the other.
My friend Nick Cook has a saying. There are just so many catches built into a skew. You have to use them up.

Thanks everyone for your contributions. They are all helpful, I have turned thousands of beads mostly successful over the years, what had me perplexed was why suddenly the skew was behaving differently. Just shows that one subtle difference in sharpening can change a tool's performance.

Theres' a lesson in that for all of us huh .
Cheers for bringing it up Tiger .

This is a problem I too have been having. Now I know why!!

Thanks for posting.

Cheers

Originally Posted by

If I remember rightly you reshaped your skew a little while ago and lengthened the bevels.

Longer bevels require a better "feel" than shorter ones and are more likely to bite quicker than a shorter bevel.

Is this another way of saying that the more acute the sharpening angle the more aggressive the tool?

To a certain extent yes, particularly on the skew chisel.

It is good in the right hands but it requires a gentle touch because if you lift it too quick to start the cut it will "dig in", (not a catch as such), looking for bevel support.

Hope that makes sense.

Originally Posted by

To a certain extent yes, particularly on the skew chisel.

It is good in the right hands but it requires a gentle touch because if you lift it too quick to start the cut it will "dig in", (not a catch as such), looking for bevel support.

Hope that makes sense.

Totally