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Skew with rounded sides

K

Ken Loy

Joined
May 21, 2020
Messages
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17
Location
Arlington, VA
Does anyone know of a skew with rounded sides?

1732641380059.png
I saw a pointed skew in a Richard Raffan video and thought that it would more easily slide on the tool rest when rolled on edge than a traditional, square edged skew.
 
I only have one skew with square edges. I can't remember, but I think the rest came already slightly "eased" on the corners for working up on the edges.

robo hippy
 
Doug Thompson (Thompson Tools) sells skews with a radius on one edge so they will roll nicely on the tool rest in use.
Any question, just call Doug!

I don't have a closeup photo of one of his skews, but the one in the middle here is one I ground into a negative rake scraper.
Note the rounded edge that would have been the bottom of the skew (the short point edge).

NRS_neg_rake.jpg

You can also make a smooth rounded edge of existing skews with a belt sander and some touchup/smoothing by hand.

JKJ
 

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Richard Coers said:
If that is a skew, it's being used as a scraper. You can make that from any scraper. Almost looks like a continental gouge.
Click to expand...

If you are referring to my post, you may have misunderstood. (If you are referring to Ken's post, then "nevermind"- please ignore the rest of this post.)

I showed a Thompson skew I purposely ground into a negative rake scraper. Here is a side view of those I use constantly, including the one (in the middle) I ground from the skew:

NRS_IMG_7778.jpg

I've tried numerous grind variations and quit experimenting when I came up with this one. I use it on every bowl and platter - the flats on the end make it especially useful when smoothing "air" (wings).

I burnish burrs to make them Left or Right handed as needed and mark the top side with a "T" so my feeble brain doesn't get confused.

NRS_IMG_7515.jpg

JKJ
 
Asley Illes sell a skew with rounded edges (please note steve now uses CBN wheel)
Please see video
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View: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1LD8HFnD94/


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I'll second the Doug Thompson skew (I use one in the videos I've posted here). Prior to getting one, I was using a larger Henry Taylor that required quite a bit of rounding on a belt sander...Doug shapes his skews perfectly imho.

Also! The tool you are looking at in the video is a spear point scraper and absolutely not a skew. It's a Richard Raffan signature type tool actually as he made it popular.
 
Ironically, my go to skew is the Richard Raffan signature model, I think from Henry Taylor. Many commercially sold skews have rolled corners, some on all 4 corners and some on just 2 corners. You can easily relieve the corners on a skew with a file and a few minutes time. If you have iron tool rests, rolled corners are essential.

As was mentioned, the tool shown in your photo is almost certainly not a skew. I suspect it's a spear point scraper, but that right edge does give a suggestion of a 'continental' spindle gouge, as Richard said.
 
Ken Loy said:
Does anyone know of a skew with rounded sides?

View attachment 69161
I saw a pointed skew in a Richard Raffan video and thought that it would more easily slide on the tool rest when rolled on edge than a traditional, square edged skew.
Click to expand...
That looks like a spear scraper
www.turningwood.com

Robust 1 3/8″x3/8″ XL spear scraper – UNHANDLED - TurningWood

Our extra large spear scraper is made of nitrided premium HSS and measures 1 3/8” across and 3/8″ thick. The bottom edges are radiused so that you can tip it at an angle for even more effective cutting. The tang is rectangular, but will fit the 5/8″ collet in either of our ER Collet based
www.turningwood.com www.turningwood.com
 
RichColvin said:
Are you referring to designs like Robert Sorby’s? https://robert-sorby.co.uk/product/oval-skew-chisel-809/

I had that one and didn’t like it.
Click to expand...

For a contrarian opinion :): I have two of those and find them great for turning. I find them easy to control for planing cuts and shallow curves, not my 1st choice for deep "v" grooves or facing cuts, and definitely not peeling.

What I DON'T like is sharpening them, especially at a small included angle - it's a pain to get both sides even enough that it won't annoy me! It would be better if I used a skew jig such as for the Tormek, but I always sharpen skews by hand on a platform. Maybe I should spend a few minutes to make a little cradle to assist in holding them.

Here I'm using one to thin a spindle:

skew_oval_IMG_5025_ec.jpg

JKJ
 
I have the Sorby one. The rounded edges help it slide along the tool rest but I also have the Tormek jig. I tend to do more bowl work so my skew work is less than perfect! So ease of sharpening (both faces) and of use helps me!
 
I like the idea of just putting a file to the edges of skew to make it roll more easily on the tool rest. I didn't think that modifying a tool wasn't something that you did... Ha.
Thanks @john for the explanation of the Sorby skew. I saw that at Woodcraft the other day, and I can see the difficulty of sharpening it
 
Both of my Alan Lacer skews have rolled edges.
 
I recently watched a video where Tomislav Tomasic showed how he sharpens his scrapers. He uses a technique that makes a very slightly convex edge. Maybe 1/16" of the scraper contacts the wood at any point along the scraper. I haven't sharpened mine this way yet, but I'm going to give it a try.
 
Kent Reisdorph said:
I recently watched a video where Tomislav Tomasic showed how he sharpens his scrapers. He uses a technique that makes a very slightly convex edge. Maybe 1/16" of the scraper contacts the wood at any point along the scraper. I haven't sharpened mine this way yet, but I'm going to give it a try.
Click to expand...
He uses a pretty severe angle on his scrapers (45° I believe). Catches would not be fun at all and it's a little more difficult (for me) to control at that angle. I tried it and went right back to 60°.

Edit: I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure Richard Raffan also uses 45° - which makes sense as that was his mentor (what an amazing opportunity/experience that must have been for him).
 
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John Kananis said:
He uses a pretty severe angle on his scrapers (45° I believe). Catches would not be fun at all and it's a little more difficult (for me) to control at that angle. I tried it and went right back to 60°.

Edit: I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure Richard Raffan also uses 45° - which makes sense as that was his mentor (what an amazing opportunity/experience that must have been for him).
Click to expand...
You are correct. Tomislav Tomasic's sheer scraper is patterned after Richard Raffan's. He calls it the "Refiner" and he has begun selling his own signature version of the tool.
 
GRJensen said:
You are correct. Tomislav Tomasic's sheer scraper is patterned after Richard Raffan's. He calls it the "Refiner" and he has begun selling his own signature version of the tool.
Click to expand...
Yep. I made my own just recently from a piece of thick M2 bar stock I got on Amazon, it works beautifully (though I've only just used it once so far, too busy with home projects to have shop time)
 
Brian Gustin said:
Yep. I made my own just recently from a piece of thick M2 bar stock I got on Amazon, it works beautifully (though I've only just used it once so far, too busy with home projects to have shop time)
Click to expand...
I've been thinking about picking up a piece of HSS to make one. I have John Jordan's double-ended shear scraper, and I suppose I could re-grind it, but I use it often and I hate to mess with it. Jordan showed me how to sharpen it at Turn-On-Chicago several years ago and it works like a charm.
 
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