Thanks for all the responses.

I have done a little more research and from other pictures I have seen of an
oval skew chisel, the angles on mine seem to be about right. When I was
talking about the bevel looking more like 10-15 deg, I was only speaking of
a single bevel to the cutting edge. Taken as a hole using both bevels, the
angle would be closer to 30 deg. when I am sharpening it, it looks like I
am holding it at about a 15 deg angle from the stone.

I am kinda curious why I am only having problems with this oak when I go
from my right to left. It was working fine for me going left-to-right (this
oak, btw, is very dry. Musta been sitting in BigB for a long time.). I
have used this same chisel on poplar, pine, and redwood from local sources.
I have also used it on some limb wood from tree trimmings in my yard (I am
just learning after all) and that includes some apple, peach, more redwood,
and some ash. I even tried a small piece of a rose bush that my wife
decided she no longer wanted. None of these woods gave me any significant
trouble. I have also turned a few pens using several woods like Lignum
Vitae, Honduran Rosewood, Bloodwood, Purpleheart, etc. I didn't use this
skew chisel, but I did use a small oval skew chisel in the penturning set I
bought. Does that count? I use the skew almost exclusively for pens.

Someone mentioned that it might be a cheap asian import, and I'm sure it is.
If you know the brand it is called SteelX from Grissly. The other tools in
the set are doing a fine job and I use the roughing gouge and the parting
tool a LOT. As an aside note here, the tool handles on the SteelX tools
are an exact copy of the Sorbys from the shape, the groves and their
placement, right down to the brass button on the end of the handle. Just a
different name on them. Funny.

As for sharpening the chisel, I do have a grinder with a Wolverine attached,
but it is just so much quicker for me to grab my diamond stone. It is 12"
long and lately has always been on my bench. I can just grab it, take it
out of it's protective case, run a couple of passes and I'm done. To use my
grinder I have to take the time to set it up and adjust it. pita.

I would like to get some training, but I don't think there is much in my
area. The nearest club that I am aware of is the Diablo Woodworkers, but it
is a little out of range. 45min to an hour drive. I live out on the border
of who knows and nobody cares. I could buy a vid but that would mean that a
tool with my name on it would have to stay lonely that much longer. I can't
let that poor little tool go unbought.

Oh well. The bottom line is that it looks like the chisel is fine and I am
not. More a problem with my technique than the chisel. May have to break
down and buy the vid anyway.

Thanks for our help.

Wayne


"NoOne N Particular" wrote in message
...
Hi all. I am new to turning having just bought a used Delta 14" lathe
about 6 weeks ago. I found one in very good shape and paid $275 for it.
(a side note: If I hadn't found that one I had made up my mind to go to
Woodcraft and buy a Rikon mini later that afternoon. Was that
fortunate???).

Anyway, I was turning some white oak to make an ornament and was having
some trouble with the skew chisel. I was making a ball shape and if I
used the skew from my left-to-right it worked great. If I turned it
around and went from my right-to-left, it wouldn't cut worth a . . .crap.
Actually, it wouldn't cut at all. When I examed the edge there was a
beautiful (and huge) burr on the edge.

I thought I must have done something wrong so I resharpened the skew. I
have been doing this using a 750 grit diamond stone. Could almost shave
with it. Tried cutting the oak again and the skew almost immediately got
the burr again and wouldn't cut. Unfortunately I didn't find it out quite
in time and wound up with a quite nasty spiral that I hadn't planned on.
(insert several of your favorite expletives here).

The skew is one from a six piece set that I got from Grizzly a while back
when I thought I would be getting a lathe, but it didn't work out then.
It is a HSS steel oval skew. I have been reading some books and watching
some videos, but none of them use an oval skew. I have noticed that my
skew has a rather sharp bevel compared to the pictures/videos that I have
seen. Most seem to have a bevel of about 25-30 deg, but this one seems
more like about 10-15 deg. It is closer to a knife edge.

So to sum it all up, should I work on my technique more (I need to do that
anyway), get a new skew with a "standard" profile, regrind the one that I
have, or . . .???

Sorry for being long winded,

Wayne