Thread: The tamed skew

Hooray, the cutters have arrived from Germany. Which means that the Three Wise Men from the East will receive the tool for reviewing early next week. Can't wait for their comments!

Given that my description was not very clear, these pictures can probably help explaining what I was trying to say about how the square or rounded side of the skew and the bedan and the 45 degree sharpening angle of the corner of the TC insert affect the rolling cut. It makes the rolling cut much easier to execute, whether it also improves the finish to a level comparable to cutting with a much more acute steel blade, as I am suggesting, is something anybody will have to assess by themselves.
The "insert" is here used bevel up for clarity, using it bevel down makes it easier because the bevel is more supported.

Pictures 1 and 2 "skew", 3 and 4 "bedan", 5 and 6 "TC insert".

Love the big pics Frank.

Maybe your inserts work better that way, but that method of rolling beads isn't actually the one I use. I don't use the corner. Apologies to Mike Darlow. It gets all splintery and messy. If they are really narrow maybe they need to be done like that. Anyway, its still easier and quicker to use a gouge.

Thanks, I hope Mr Darlow does not sue me for dragging his name into the mud...

Originally Posted by tea lady

Love the big pics Frank.

Maybe your inserts work better that way, but that method of rolling beads isn't actually the one I use. I don't use the corner. Apologies to Mike Darlow. It gets all splintery and messy. If they are really narrow maybe they need to be done like that. Anyway, its still easier and quicker to use a gouge.

Gee, you have been watching.

Originally Posted by

Gee, you have been watching.

Sometimes its unavoidable!

I guess this means that your preference is for

'You can totally plane a bead, taking the shaving with the short point exposed, but because the shaving is far wider you will have to thrust much harder. A useful method for wide, shallow beads is to start by planing. You then gradually thrust the tool forward so that the shaving moves down to the short point towards the end of the cut. This procedure is called a slide cut" (page 91).

Hard thrusting seems to go well with axe wielding.

Just economical movement with much more control.

Just a question Frank.

How long did it take to turn this?

Originally Posted by Frank&Earnest

One specific point can be sorted out quickly: whether it is true that this tool can be used in a way that reduces the force applied perpendicularly to the axis of rotation and therefore allows certain kinds of work that would require a steady if done with conventional tools.

1 a 22x22x855mm strip of QLD stringybark flooring mounted, speed set at 1250rpm
2 roughed head and tailstock sections, straight pushing cut
3 closeup of the roughed part: reasonable surface
4 taking off the corners of the central section: light passes with the corner of the cutter
5 rounding the central section with the side of the cutter held at minimum side rake (say 5 degrees) pulling left
6 completed roughing
7 finishing cut like 5 but pushing right and slightly tapering in
8 sanding with 120 grit paper glued to a piece of wood, followed by 180 grit (not shown)
9 a generous coating of Shellawax
10 the result after burning in the shellawax at 2500 rpm.

Not sure, , I am not in the habit of keeping time ( I stopped wearing a watch the day I retired, on principle ) and always do a million things at once. About half an hour of actual work including sanding and polishing, I would say. For you, my guess is that if the job can be done with either, you should allow for 50% more time than you would need with the tools you are used to. In general, this tool can do quick roughing, as we have already established, and decent finishing if used slowly and carefully taking very fine shavings. Somebody with your expertise can also crank up the speed to a more effective level, 1250 rpm was just about the practical minimum, I think.

Which might mean that if you do it that slowly you are good enough to do it with a skew and no hand steady also... I am happy with that.

I have been away in NZ for a week so got back to find my Tamed Skew parcel waiting for me. First thing to do was put a handle on it but felt it best to cut 4" off the shaft before doing so. Had a play today and my first impressions are favourable. Rolled a few beads and it felt good and the cuts on the F/Back redgum were clean. I haven't done a lot with it (I need to something that earns money) so will get back to you when I have had more time to play.

Thanks Brendan, much appreciated.

Mine is here too.

Excellent. Ern's is probably in the letterbox while he is walking around in the desert...