Hi Kevin,

When turning I tend to hang on to the tool- be it a skew, gouge, or
scraper - like grim death.

Have any of you also experienced these discomforts? If so, how did you
deal
with them?

You just offered your own solution. Relax your grip on the tool. Hold it
firmly and in the right position and it will cut with almost no effort. If
it is going to catch, it will catch whether you hold it in a death grip or
not.

One other item that might contribute to your discomfort is the height of the
lathe. It is generally accepted that the spindle should be at your elbow
level. If it is much lower, you will be hunching over the work and that
certainly aggravates my back.

Just fool around with the tools on scrap wood until you understand how they
should be oriented to make a smooth cut. I firmly believe that one of the
differences between an experienced turner and a beginner is how quickly they
can put the tool in the correct cutting position. The experienced turner
puts the tool on the rest in the correct orientation and cuts with
confidence. The rest of us have to work a little harder.

Hope this helps,

Harry