3/8"round skew.

[Jonzjob]

Well, at long last I've been able to get into my workshop for a while without freezing to death in 5 mins! After about 45 mins or so I am now the proud owner of an HSS round skew chisel..

I ordered three 4" lengths of HSS bar from a company called Arc Euro Trade in Leicester. One of which is 3/8". So when I got into my workshop this afternoon I had a look at making the skew. I sorted out a nice piece of straight grained ash and cut a bit of 3/4" copper pipe, French copper pipe is as hard as hell and more like brass. I cut the ash blank to 1 1/4" square by 7 and a bit long. I drilled a 9.5 mm hole in one end and mounted it between centres using a live cone centre on the tailstock and turned down the part for the ferrule. That way it makes sure the hole a dead centre.. The rest of the handle was turned with a 1" oval skew.

The HSS was ground down to the edge on a white wheel and I was careful to get the grind the same on both faces. I was fairly lucky in that I got the correct angle on the faces to produce the angle on the skew adge that I wanted. The 3/8 HSS is perfect for a slight interference fit in the handle and no other fixing was needed as it had to be tapped into place.

It works well too and is very comfortable to use. The shaft is about 1 1/2" into the handle, maybe slightly more.

I think that it will be perfect for a lot of the small spindle turning that I do. Cost? The ash was given to me years back, the ferrule is off of some 3/4 pipe I had from plumbing in the solar for our pool and the HSS was £2.75.. I will be using the 2 smaller ones possibly for a small 3 sided scraper. Not sure what to do with the smallest bit, 1/4" dia.

 

[jumps]

Arc Euro Trade - check
Ash - check
bit of scrap copper pipe - check

skew - nope; I ended up with a thin parting tool!

I do like the quality of their steel, knife/butter comes to mind.

Impressed with the cut you got on those bevels; mine never match like that even when they start perfect - but I'm not too worried as I pick up the bevel by feel ie when I get a catch I can feel I got it wrong

 

[Woodchips2]

Well, at long last I've been able to get into my workshop for a while without freezing to death in 5 mins! After about 45 mins or so I am now the proud owner of an HSS round skew chisel..

I ordered three 4" lengths of HSS bar from a company called Arc Euro Trade in Leicester. One of which is 3/8". So when I got into my workshop this afternoon I had a look at making the skew. I sorted out a nice piece of straight grained ash and cut a bit of 3/4" copper pipe, French copper pipe is as hard as hell and more like brass. I cut the ash blank to 1 1/4" square by 7 and a bit long. I drilled a 9.5 mm hole in one end and mounted it between centres using a live cone centre on the tailstock and turned down the part for the ferrule. That way it makes sure the hole a dead centre.. The rest of the handle was turned with a 1" oval skew.

The HSS was ground down to the edge on a white wheel and I was careful to get the grind the same on both faces. I was fairly lucky in that I got the correct angle on the faces to produce the angle on the skew adge that I wanted. The 3/8 HSS is perfect for a slight interference fit in the handle and no other fixing was needed as it had to be tapped into place.

It works well too and is very comfortable to use. The shaft is about 1 1/2" into the handle, maybe slightly more.

I think that it will be perfect for a lot of the small spindle turning that I do. Cost? The ash was given to me years back, the ferrule is off of some 3/4 pipe I had from plumbing in the solar for our pool and the HSS was £2.75.. I will be using the 2 smaller ones possibly for a small 3 sided scraper. Not sure what to do with the smallest bit, 1/4" dia.

Well done John, you've saved yourself a bit of money, Gary Rance charges £17 for his http://www.garyrance.co.uk/products/tools/.

I made one from a bit of 1/2" HSS bought from Ashley Iles at a show but I think I paid £5. I like the round skew and is the one I use the most because it rolls so easily on the toolrest.

Regards Keith

 

[Jonzjob]

I have to admit that I am very impressed at the way it cuts. After the white wheel, no idea as to what the grit is, I honed it on my red DMT diamond bench stone. I have had that for best part of 15 years so it's probably finer than it was, but it don't arf give a good edge. I now wait to see just how the edge lasts? It won't get thrashed, but it will certainly get used..

 

[boysie39]

Nice one John, what lenght is the bevel on that tool . I keep putting off getting one ,but making the ball for the challenge has brought home to me that I am usless with the skew ,maybe this could be the answer.

I have one of those butchers steels we used to call them , they ran their knife down them to keep the edge sharp .
The one I have is about 30 yrs old . I have no idea what type of steel it is (not HSS) for sure but might give it a go on the grinder or better still bring it to the engineering shop and ask them to do it,if they cant use my steel the could make one from theirs. Thanks

 

[Jonzjob]

Ta Eugine.. The length of the bevel is just about 1/2". I can't really put an angle to it 'cause it's curved. It really feels nice to hold and has a nice ballance.

I'm not too sure about the butchers steel? They are very hard, but I have no idea as to how brittle they are. Chas would probably know. If it is suitable there is no reason why you shouldn't do your own grind on it. It is pretty straight forward and I reckon that even you could manage it :roll: :roll: Well, if I can :? :?

If you have an engineering shop near you it would be worth trying to blag some HSS off them with the offer of a nice bowl for the boss? The worst answer you could get is no? You could then even try turning a handle for it, I think that you may have the skill to do that :twisted: :twisted: ish?

(Ducks down behind a very large wall 8) )

 

[nev]

lovely jubly!
when you grind the bar down, is this done slowly with lots of pauses or quenching so that the end does not blue at any time?

 

[Jonzjob]

A little off subject, but this is sharp! BIG time :shock: :shock:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgg8JqUJEsY

Edit : - Sorry Nev, I missed your post. Yes it was quenched frequently and not just to stop it blueing. It got too hot to hold. I ground it before I put it in the handle, but I will put the handle on the next one before grinding, it was a swine to keep it correct, but it did keep my fingers warm in a very old workshop :mrgreen:

 

[boysie39]

A little off subject, but this is sharp! BIG time :shock: :shock:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgg8JqUJEsY

Edit : - Sorry Nev, I missed your post. Yes it was quenched frequently and not just to stop it blueing. It got too hot to hold. I ground it before I put it in the handle, but I will put the handle on the next one before grinding, it was a swine to keep it correct, but it did keep my fingers warm in a very old workshop :mrgreen:

Jonzjob, Ya bloody eejit that was an ad for that Cyanacralite glue stuff . :roll: :roll:
You thought it was a sharp knife :lol: :lol:

 

[Jonzjob]

Cyano :? :? :? You've lost yer 'bottle'. You 'water' look at it agin before you pass 'cutting' remarks that could 'cut' like a 'sharp knife' :mrgreen:

 

[Mark Hancock]

Edit : - Sorry Nev, I missed your post. Yes it was quenched frequently and not just to stop it blueing. It got too hot to hold. I ground it before I put it in the handle, but I will put the handle on the next one before grinding, it was a swine to keep it correct, but it did keep my fingers warm in a very old workshop :mrgreen:

How did you quench it?

 

[Jonzjob]

Just water, but as soon as the bit I was holding started to get warm it was quenched. As my fingers were only an inch back from the end it didn't have a lot of chance to get very hot and definately didn't blue at any time. as the end got finer it was quenched more often.

The last part of my last post should have read 'cold workshop' I hate dyslequsique keyboards!

 

[Mark Hancock]

Just water, but as soon as the bit I was holding started to get warm it was quenched. As my fingers were only an inch back from the end it didn't have a lot of chance to get very hot and definately didn't blue at any time. as the end got finer it was quenched more often.

The last part of my last post should have read 'cold workshop' I hate dyslequsique keyboards!

Quenching in water isn't advisable for HSS. Abrupt changes in temperature can cause fine cracks. You may have been lucky by not allowing the HSS to get too hot before you quenched it in the water.
When re-profiling any grind I always do it over a period of time allowing the HSS to air cool between each go.

 

[Jonzjob]

Thank you for that Mark. I didn't know about that possible problem?

I couldn't let it get too hot for the above reasons, so just as well!..

 

[boysie39]

John, does the piece os HSS have to be round or would a 10mm square piece do ,whaddya think . I suppose it would kind of curtail the rolling of the skew .
Dont know what the said chisel I have is for ,it was in a lot I bought from a bloke who was emigrating as well as a load of woodworm in some timber he gave me . I think it was Elm put a piece on the lathe yesterday and opened a right can of worms. Had to dump the lot of it, spent the day serching through my timber to see had it spread.
Have just cut the grass and am going to search some more. Would that chisel be a Bedan do you think.
Sorry for hijacking your thread just annoyed.

 

[jumps]

Eugene

10mm square woud make a great bedan or splay tool - both have a single flat bevel to grind....

 

[Jonzjob]

Bedan or splay tool? What are they prey tell?

A square stock HSS piece will definately not make a round skew, but as long as the absolute corners are taken off there is no reason why it shouldn't make a square skew? Take the corners off so that it will traverse the tool rest without catching?

Why not?

 

[Mark Hancock]

Bedan or splay tool? What are they prey tell?

A square stock HSS piece will definately not make a round skew, but as long as the absolute corners are taken off there is no reason why it shouldn't make a square skew? Take the corners off so that it will traverse the tool rest without catching?

Why not?

There is not such thing as a "square skew". The class or type of tools are called chisels. It's a skew chisel if the cutting edge is at an angle and a straight chisel if straight across as in the Gary Rance style round bar straight chisel.

A bedan, usually made from 10mm square, is a French version of the beading parting tool, again usually made from 10mm square, and has one longish bevel as opposed to two bevels. You'll find a good image of both on the Hamlet web site here http://www.hamlet-crafttools.com/

can't help you with a splay tool - probably one of those gimmicky tools :lol:

 

[jumps]

can't help you with a splay tool - probably one of those gimmicky tools :lol:

just make the same single bevel on the same 10mm sq stock - but the 'other way'

quick snap in use on lathe...

sorry for the previous mess up!

 

[Jonzjob]

Well Jumpsie-baby I can see the word "image".. Any chance of a pikky instead :twisted: :twisted: