I've noticed that in the turning club I joined, the "old hands" seem
to have found a particular type of turning - say

natural edged bowls (winged or not)
or
"closed forms", maybe with tiny openings in the top
or
plates and platters,
or
pens, rolling pins and other cylindrical things
or
"lidded boxes"
or
BIG semi open forms
or
thin walled forms (as in "paper thin" / translucent)
or
hats
or
goblets, with or without captured rings

and having found a type of turning they enjoy - and get really
good at - tending to stick primarily with that type of turning,
using one, two or maybe three tools almost exlusively.

That approach verifies that practice does make perfect - or
at least makes for doing pieces that are a cut well above the
typical example of the type of turning they are really into.
Focus on one thing, to the exclusion of almost everything
else, until you've perfected it. Once perfected keep making
variations of it.

I, on the other hand, am more like a BB in a boxcar, bouncing
around all over hell, trying just about any type of turning
I'm exposed to ("to which I'm exposed" for the English Majors).
I'll play with an idea or technique 'til I can do it, not necessarily
very well, but adequately, then, rather than get pretty good
at it, find something else to try. Maybe I have WTADD (Wood
Turning Attention Defecit Disorder) or perhaps just haven't
found a type of turning to really explore - yet.

Ironically, I tend to use one type of tool - a curved edge skew
- in 1/2" and 3/4" - for just about everything, though I have
a chisels and gouges holder full of other chisels and gouges.

So my questions is:

How long did it take you to find The One type of turning
you do almost exclusively?
or
How long have you been searching for The One?

charlie b
"condemned to wander the woodturning worl - forever?"

On Aug 8, 1:34 pm, charlieb wrote:
I've noticed that in the turning club I joined, the "old hands" seem
to have found a particular type of turning - say

natural edged bowls (winged or not)
or
"closed forms", maybe with tiny openings in the top
or
plates and platters,
or
pens, rolling pins and other cylindrical things
or
"lidded boxes"
or
BIG semi open forms
or
thin walled forms (as in "paper thin" / translucent)
or
hats
or
goblets, with or without captured rings

and having found a type of turning they enjoy - and get really
good at - tending to stick primarily with that type of turning,
using one, two or maybe three tools almost exlusively.

That approach verifies that practice does make perfect - or
at least makes for doing pieces that are a cut well above the
typical example of the type of turning they are really into.
Focus on one thing, to the exclusion of almost everything
else, until you've perfected it. Once perfected keep making
variations of it.

I, on the other hand, am more like a BB in a boxcar, bouncing
around all over hell, trying just about any type of turning
I'm exposed to ("to which I'm exposed" for the English Majors).
I'll play with an idea or technique 'til I can do it, not necessarily
very well, but adequately, then, rather than get pretty good
at it, find something else to try. Maybe I have WTADD (Wood
Turning Attention Defecit Disorder) or perhaps just haven't
found a type of turning to really explore - yet.

Ironically, I tend to use one type of tool - a curved edge skew
- in 1/2" and 3/4" - for just about everything, though I have
a chisels and gouges holder full of other chisels and gouges.

So my questions is:

How long did it take you to find The One type of turning
you do almost exclusively?
or
How long have you been searching for The One?

charlie b
"condemned to wander the woodturning worl - forever?"

Charlie I too am a dabbler. I spin up a piece of wood and see where it
will take me. I use just about all the tools I have, about a dozen and
really don't have a favourite yet. I also like to explore what ifs.
Man that can get you into all sorts of things. I'm still engrossed in
all things turned and have given up on all flatwork except for house
makeover which is now in it's 18th year. Oh well!

Interesting musing (*wink*, Arch), charlie.

I think there are a couple of forces at work here. First, it is fun
to do something you are good at and doesn't tax you to much when you
are doing it. If I have had a rough week, I am not much inclined to
go do something in the shop that will tear me up. I will go in and
make some Christmas oil lamps that are a little challenging, but not
difficult. I think there is a comfort level to turning something you
know, and it is easy to like turning something you get a lot of
positive attention for making.

Second, it seesm that the nationally known turners of today have a
style or some form that is closely associated with them. Take a look
at a couple of threads that were posted here a year ago when some were
debating if form turned by someone was similar in design to an artist;
the question was asked, "do I need to give that person credit?"

That is a subject that has been bandied about quite a bit, and
especially since simple woodturners have decided that they are artists
in their own right. They may have not been discovered yet, but hey...

This singular form turning seems to be exacerbated by the
encouragement doled out by any middle school art class: "find your
own voice". So I guess that lidded boxes are the voice some seek.

When I started out to be a "carpenter", my boss never considered me to
be a "carpenter" until I could do everything with wood on the job that
needed to be done. We started by setting the forms for concrete, and
ended up with crown molding. In that tradition I have endeavored to
learn all I can (when I am interested and can make the time) about
something.

Like you, my interests fly all over (currently studying competition
bbq) and I have turned anything that looked interesting. Bowls, pens,
treen ware, Christmas ornaments, jewelry, oil lamps, you name it. I
have a tendency to turn things for a while and then get bored with the
product. If I have another shape or skill to "get a handle on" I can
and will turn for hours and hours, days and days.

If I don't, the lathe will be quiet until I find something else.

I do have my favorite tools, though. And I find a way to use them on
just about everything, maybe just because I like to use them.

Robert

So my questions is:

How long did it take you to find The One type of turning
you do almost exclusively?

Gosh, I hope it takes forever! I would quit if I had to do the same thing
over and over again.

"Toller" wrote in message
...


So my questions is:

How long did it take you to find The One type of turning
you do almost exclusively?

Gosh, I hope it takes forever! I would quit if I had to do the same thing
over and over again.

On the other hand, you can always sell a salad bowl or two to get a new
tool, while some things have limited appeal to buyers. Had a couple of
"thin" pieces that I had to weight at one show with the wind off the lake
which are a turner's tour de force, but nobody did anything more than remark
on the lightness and translucence. Couldn't figure a good use for them, I
guess. Same with some undercut natural edge pieces. Other turners and I
had some good chats on how to do them, but the buyers weren't there. Didn't
take long to earn my new Bosch 18V cordless assortment selling salad bowls,
though!

If all else fails, turn an ornament. Most creative type of turning, to my
way of thinking. No limitations on you because of the size of the wood, and
stem up, stem down, both up and down, with endless assortment of shapes in
between.

"charlieb" wrote in message
...

How long did it take you to find The One type of turning
you do almost exclusively?
or
How long have you been searching for The One?

An interesting inquiry, Charlie. Certainly in the year and one-half I've
been turning, I've discovered some preferences for certain woods and certain
tools. For example, I love wet maple of all types, but especially hard
varieties. And I love my Ellsworth gouge--it does almost everything
reasonably well.

However, finding myself no better than an experienced novice in turning, I
try virtually every tool on almost every piece of wood I turn. Within
reason, of course--I don't use spindle tools on bowls, and vice versa. The
learning curve is flattening out a bit now, but I still glean something
every time I turn a new piece of wood. For example, yesterday I found
myself thinking that wet yellow poplar doesn't seem to scrape well, notably
the end grain.

No doubt I'll form some strong preferences with time, but for the present
I'll attempt to be as flexible as possible. I have a lot to learn.

Max

"George" wrote in message
. net...

On the other hand, you can always sell a salad bowl or two to get a new
tool, while some things have limited appeal to buyers. Had a couple of
"thin" pieces that I had to weight at one show with the wind off the lake
which are a turner's tour de force, but nobody did anything more than
remark on the lightness and translucence. Couldn't figure a good use for
them, I guess. Same with some undercut natural edge pieces. Other
turners and I had some good chats on how to do them, but the buyers
weren't there. Didn't take long to earn my new Bosch 18V cordless
assortment selling salad bowls, though!

An interesting point. I've sold only a few items so far, noticing that the
unsophisticated buyer tends to equate weight with quality. My segmented
pieces assembled from purpleheart, lignum vitae, and zircote seem to sell
first and occasionally are the only pieces that sell. Similar pieces of
thin cherry, maple, and stained holly, which I find more attractive than the
exotics, quite often go home with me. (sigh)

Max

I don't turn a lot, but I do sell the occasional piece through gallery, and
I dont' think I've ever intentionally turned two pieces the same - like
others said, I like to see what the wood "makes" me do - and looking at what
sells, I don't see any pattern - heavy, light, shiny, dull, natural or rough
edges or smooth, dyed or not, spalted or not - so, I make what I like, and
let people buy what they like. but, I'm not giving up my day job
either.....

like any artisan, you need tecnical skills (and there are many better than
I) and you need to develop an ability to use those skills - lack of skills
can be a preventive force, but even great skills don't make you a real
artist, right?


"charlieb" wrote in message
...

snip -------------------
So my questions is:

How long did it take you to find The One type of turning
you do almost exclusively?
or
How long have you been searching for The One?

charlie b
"condemned to wander the woodturning worl - forever?"



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

I too like to dabble and try my hand at all sorts. One thing that annoys
me is the guy who turns only boxes say, but is not really much good at
anything else, then claims that he is an artist in wood. Another one is
the chap who takes a poorly turned bowl, distorts it in the microwave and
then says it is a work of art.

I believe that woodturning is a craft that has to be learned in all its
aspects.

Tom.

Everytime I use the skew I get a lot of design (redesign) opportunities.
Ostrich eggs become hummingbird eggs.

Ellsworth gouge would seem fairly easy to duplicate yet I've never had
another feel like the "real" one. It's not cheap but I agree it's sweet to
use and very versatile.

Woods and designs are like a buffet table. I can't just eat or think of just
one item. In fact, the variety is such that sometimes I'm overwhelmed by the
possibilities and just go mentally blank :-) Sorta like shooting at the
flock instead of an individual bird.

The most intriguing project that I've yet to try is a Bonnie Klein type
lidded top. Tops have a lot of appeal and the surprise of being a box and
the possibilities for enclosures is cool. I gotta reach financial nirvana to
get the $350 threading tool, though.:-) Considering what the stock market
has done AGAIN recently to my retirement and the cost of fuel and house
insurance I can't afford.........

TomNie


"charlieb" wrote in message
...
I've noticed that in the turning club I joined, the "old hands" seem
to have found a particular type of turning - say

natural edged bowls (winged or not)
or
"closed forms", maybe with tiny openings in the top
or
plates and platters,
or
pens, rolling pins and other cylindrical things
or
"lidded boxes"
or
BIG semi open forms
or
thin walled forms (as in "paper thin" / translucent)
or
hats
or
goblets, with or without captured rings

and having found a type of turning they enjoy - and get really
good at - tending to stick primarily with that type of turning,
using one, two or maybe three tools almost exlusively.

That approach verifies that practice does make perfect - or
at least makes for doing pieces that are a cut well above the
typical example of the type of turning they are really into.
Focus on one thing, to the exclusion of almost everything
else, until you've perfected it. Once perfected keep making
variations of it.

I, on the other hand, am more like a BB in a boxcar, bouncing
around all over hell, trying just about any type of turning
I'm exposed to ("to which I'm exposed" for the English Majors).
I'll play with an idea or technique 'til I can do it, not necessarily
very well, but adequately, then, rather than get pretty good
at it, find something else to try. Maybe I have WTADD (Wood
Turning Attention Defecit Disorder) or perhaps just haven't
found a type of turning to really explore - yet.

Ironically, I tend to use one type of tool - a curved edge skew
- in 1/2" and 3/4" - for just about everything, though I have
a chisels and gouges holder full of other chisels and gouges.

So my questions is:

How long did it take you to find The One type of turning
you do almost exclusively?
or
How long have you been searching for The One?

charlie b
"condemned to wander the woodturning worl - forever?"

Just for fun and to answer a question on spindle stock preparation, I took
the chain saw to a piece of birch and readied a piece for a potato masher
and then turned it. (The video is on my blog.) Whatever happened to spindle
turning? At the club most of the guys bring in faceplate stuff. There is
hardly a mallet or a gavel to be seen. I like to turn a variety and while
the Oland is my favorite tool for faceplate, where would I be without a 1"
skew or straight chisel for spindles. Never mind the oregano, variety is the
spice of life.

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS
http://aroundthewoods.com
http://roundopinions.blogspot.com

"Tom Nie" wrote in message
...
Everytime I use the skew I get a lot of design (redesign) opportunities.
Ostrich eggs become hummingbird eggs.

Ellsworth gouge would seem fairly easy to duplicate yet I've never had
another feel like the "real" one. It's not cheap but I agree it's sweet to
use and very versatile.

Woods and designs are like a buffet table. I can't just eat or think of
just one item. In fact, the variety is such that sometimes I'm overwhelmed
by the possibilities and just go mentally blank :-) Sorta like shooting at
the flock instead of an individual bird.

The most intriguing project that I've yet to try is a Bonnie Klein type
lidded top. Tops have a lot of appeal and the surprise of being a box and
the possibilities for enclosures is cool. I gotta reach financial nirvana
to get the $350 threading tool, though.:-) Considering what the stock
market has done AGAIN recently to my retirement and the cost of fuel and
house insurance I can't afford.........

TomNie


"charlieb" wrote in message
...
I've noticed that in the turning club I joined, the "old hands" seem
to have found a particular type of turning - say

natural edged bowls (winged or not)
or
"closed forms", maybe with tiny openings in the top
or
plates and platters,
or
pens, rolling pins and other cylindrical things
or
"lidded boxes"
or
BIG semi open forms
or
thin walled forms (as in "paper thin" / translucent)
or
hats
or
goblets, with or without captured rings

and having found a type of turning they enjoy - and get really
good at - tending to stick primarily with that type of turning,
using one, two or maybe three tools almost exlusively.

That approach verifies that practice does make perfect - or
at least makes for doing pieces that are a cut well above the
typical example of the type of turning they are really into.
Focus on one thing, to the exclusion of almost everything
else, until you've perfected it. Once perfected keep making
variations of it.

I, on the other hand, am more like a BB in a boxcar, bouncing
around all over hell, trying just about any type of turning
I'm exposed to ("to which I'm exposed" for the English Majors).
I'll play with an idea or technique 'til I can do it, not necessarily
very well, but adequately, then, rather than get pretty good
at it, find something else to try. Maybe I have WTADD (Wood
Turning Attention Defecit Disorder) or perhaps just haven't
found a type of turning to really explore - yet.

Ironically, I tend to use one type of tool - a curved edge skew
- in 1/2" and 3/4" - for just about everything, though I have
a chisels and gouges holder full of other chisels and gouges.

So my questions is:

How long did it take you to find The One type of turning
you do almost exclusively?
or
How long have you been searching for The One?

charlie b
"condemned to wander the woodturning worl - forever?"

Darrell,
Didn't see anything about "potato masher".

TomNie

"Darrell Feltmate" wrote in message
news:rBCui.83006$tB5.50638@edtnps90...
Just for fun and to answer a question on spindle stock preparation, I took
the chain saw to a piece of birch and readied a piece for a potato masher
and then turned it. (The video is on my blog.) Whatever happened to
spindle turning? At the club most of the guys bring in faceplate stuff.
There is hardly a mallet or a gavel to be seen. I like to turn a variety
and while the Oland is my favorite tool for faceplate, where would I be
without a 1" skew or straight chisel for spindles. Never mind the oregano,
variety is the spice of life.

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS
http://aroundthewoods.com
http://roundopinions.blogspot.com

"Tom Nie" wrote in message
...
Everytime I use the skew I get a lot of design (redesign) opportunities.
Ostrich eggs become hummingbird eggs.

Ellsworth gouge would seem fairly easy to duplicate yet I've never had
another feel like the "real" one. It's not cheap but I agree it's sweet
to use and very versatile.

Woods and designs are like a buffet table. I can't just eat or think of
just one item. In fact, the variety is such that sometimes I'm
overwhelmed by the possibilities and just go mentally blank :-) Sorta
like shooting at the flock instead of an individual bird.

The most intriguing project that I've yet to try is a Bonnie Klein type
lidded top. Tops have a lot of appeal and the surprise of being a box and
the possibilities for enclosures is cool. I gotta reach financial nirvana
to get the $350 threading tool, though.:-) Considering what the stock
market has done AGAIN recently to my retirement and the cost of fuel and
house insurance I can't afford.........

TomNie


"charlieb" wrote in message
...
I've noticed that in the turning club I joined, the "old hands" seem
to have found a particular type of turning - say

natural edged bowls (winged or not)
or
"closed forms", maybe with tiny openings in the top
or
plates and platters,
or
pens, rolling pins and other cylindrical things
or
"lidded boxes"
or
BIG semi open forms
or
thin walled forms (as in "paper thin" / translucent)
or
hats
or
goblets, with or without captured rings

and having found a type of turning they enjoy - and get really
good at - tending to stick primarily with that type of turning,
using one, two or maybe three tools almost exlusively.

That approach verifies that practice does make perfect - or
at least makes for doing pieces that are a cut well above the
typical example of the type of turning they are really into.
Focus on one thing, to the exclusion of almost everything
else, until you've perfected it. Once perfected keep making
variations of it.

I, on the other hand, am more like a BB in a boxcar, bouncing
around all over hell, trying just about any type of turning
I'm exposed to ("to which I'm exposed" for the English Majors).
I'll play with an idea or technique 'til I can do it, not necessarily
very well, but adequately, then, rather than get pretty good
at it, find something else to try. Maybe I have WTADD (Wood
Turning Attention Defecit Disorder) or perhaps just haven't
found a type of turning to really explore - yet.

Ironically, I tend to use one type of tool - a curved edge skew
- in 1/2" and 3/4" - for just about everything, though I have
a chisels and gouges holder full of other chisels and gouges.

So my questions is:

How long did it take you to find The One type of turning
you do almost exclusively?
or
How long have you been searching for The One?

charlie b
"condemned to wander the woodturning worl - forever?"

On Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:34:36 -0700, charlieb wrote:

Just my personal thing, Charlie, but I love any kind of learning and trying new
things...
There are some things that I haven't tried yet, and others that I probably never
will, (like closed forms), but I'd like to think that I'm constantly mastering
new tools and techniques and exploring new-to-me styles, shapes, etc...

Most folks have a favorite tool, style, wood, etc., but hopefully very few are
stuck in a one-thing pattern...

I've noticed that in the turning club I joined, the "old hands" seem
to have found a particular type of turning - say

natural edged bowls (winged or not)
or
"closed forms", maybe with tiny openings in the top
or
plates and platters,
or
pens, rolling pins and other cylindrical things
or
"lidded boxes"
or
BIG semi open forms
or
thin walled forms (as in "paper thin" / translucent)
or
hats
or
goblets, with or without captured rings

and having found a type of turning they enjoy - and get really
good at - tending to stick primarily with that type of turning,
using one, two or maybe three tools almost exlusively.

That approach verifies that practice does make perfect - or
at least makes for doing pieces that are a cut well above the
typical example of the type of turning they are really into.
Focus on one thing, to the exclusion of almost everything
else, until you've perfected it. Once perfected keep making
variations of it.

I, on the other hand, am more like a BB in a boxcar, bouncing
around all over hell, trying just about any type of turning
I'm exposed to ("to which I'm exposed" for the English Majors).
I'll play with an idea or technique 'til I can do it, not necessarily
very well, but adequately, then, rather than get pretty good
at it, find something else to try. Maybe I have WTADD (Wood
Turning Attention Defecit Disorder) or perhaps just haven't
found a type of turning to really explore - yet.

Ironically, I tend to use one type of tool - a curved edge skew
- in 1/2" and 3/4" - for just about everything, though I have
a chisels and gouges holder full of other chisels and gouges.

So my questions is:

How long did it take you to find The One type of turning
you do almost exclusively?
or
How long have you been searching for The One?

charlie b
"condemned to wander the woodturning worl - forever?"


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Sorry Tom.
The video on the blog is the one about the wood prep with chainsaw and
bandsaw. I just finsihed the video for the potato masher (sort of) but it
works out to about 30 minutes. I think I would like to add some audio and
some other perspectives on viewing before I put it up the web site for
download.

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS
http://aroundthewoods.com
http://roundopinions.blogspot.com

"Tom Nie" wrote in message
...
Darrell,
Didn't see anything about "potato masher".

TomNie

"Darrell Feltmate" wrote in message
news:rBCui.83006$tB5.50638@edtnps90...
Just for fun and to answer a question on spindle stock preparation, I
took the chain saw to a piece of birch and readied a piece for a potato
masher and then turned it. (The video is on my blog.) Whatever happened
to spindle turning? At the club most of the guys bring in faceplate
stuff. There is hardly a mallet or a gavel to be seen. I like to turn a
variety and while the Oland is my favorite tool for faceplate, where
would I be without a 1" skew or straight chisel for spindles. Never mind
the oregano, variety is the spice of life.

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS
http://aroundthewoods.com
http://roundopinions.blogspot.com

"Tom Nie" wrote in message
...
Everytime I use the skew I get a lot of design (redesign) opportunities.
Ostrich eggs become hummingbird eggs.

Ellsworth gouge would seem fairly easy to duplicate yet I've never had
another feel like the "real" one. It's not cheap but I agree it's sweet
to use and very versatile.

Woods and designs are like a buffet table. I can't just eat or think of
just one item. In fact, the variety is such that sometimes I'm
overwhelmed by the possibilities and just go mentally blank :-) Sorta
like shooting at the flock instead of an individual bird.

The most intriguing project that I've yet to try is a Bonnie Klein type
lidded top. Tops have a lot of appeal and the surprise of being a box
and the possibilities for enclosures is cool. I gotta reach financial
nirvana to get the $350 threading tool, though.:-) Considering what the
stock market has done AGAIN recently to my retirement and the cost of
fuel and house insurance I can't afford.........

TomNie


"charlieb" wrote in message
...
I've noticed that in the turning club I joined, the "old hands" seem
to have found a particular type of turning - say

natural edged bowls (winged or not)
or
"closed forms", maybe with tiny openings in the top
or
plates and platters,
or
pens, rolling pins and other cylindrical things
or
"lidded boxes"
or
BIG semi open forms
or
thin walled forms (as in "paper thin" / translucent)
or
hats
or
goblets, with or without captured rings

and having found a type of turning they enjoy - and get really
good at - tending to stick primarily with that type of turning,
using one, two or maybe three tools almost exlusively.

That approach verifies that practice does make perfect - or
at least makes for doing pieces that are a cut well above the
typical example of the type of turning they are really into.
Focus on one thing, to the exclusion of almost everything
else, until you've perfected it. Once perfected keep making
variations of it.

I, on the other hand, am more like a BB in a boxcar, bouncing
around all over hell, trying just about any type of turning
I'm exposed to ("to which I'm exposed" for the English Majors).
I'll play with an idea or technique 'til I can do it, not necessarily
very well, but adequately, then, rather than get pretty good
at it, find something else to try. Maybe I have WTADD (Wood
Turning Attention Defecit Disorder) or perhaps just haven't
found a type of turning to really explore - yet.

Ironically, I tend to use one type of tool - a curved edge skew
- in 1/2" and 3/4" - for just about everything, though I have
a chisels and gouges holder full of other chisels and gouges.

So my questions is:

How long did it take you to find The One type of turning
you do almost exclusively?
or
How long have you been searching for The One?

charlie b
"condemned to wander the woodturning worl - forever?"

"Darrell Feltmate" wrote in message
news:rBCui.83006$tB5.50638@edtnps90...
Just for fun and to answer a question on spindle stock preparation, I took
the chain saw to a piece of birch and readied a piece for a potato masher
and then turned it. (The video is on my blog.) Whatever happened to
spindle turning? At the club most of the guys bring in faceplate stuff.
There is hardly a mallet or a gavel to be seen. I like to turn a variety
and while the Oland is my favorite tool for faceplate, where would I be
without a 1" skew or straight chisel for spindles. Never mind the oregano,
variety is the spice of life.

I don't turn a lot of spindlework, but I have done a number of maple
baseball bats recently. And I turned half a dozen belaying pins (an archaic
boating item) a while back. I do enjoy spindle turning, but enjoy facework
more. One of the quandaries I now face is my next lathe--should I buy a
long bed which will allow me to turn the occasional spindle, or buy a short
bed, or something like the Vega, which will make facework easier. The jury
is still out on that.

Max

My wood pile is a testament to dabbling. When I first started
turning, I did a bunch of small bowls and ornament spindles. I cut up
a bunch of spindle blanks and small bowl blanks. I still have bunches
of them after almost 10 years. I still have them because I went onto
boxes. I started getting loads of exotic 2"x2" and 3"x3" sticks for
boxes. Made a bunch. Still have loads of box sticks nine years
later. I have my vase stock, nested bowl stock, large vessel stock,
small vessel stock, dozens of egg blanks, a couple of hundred pen
blanks (I made three), and about 2 dozen sphere blanks. Oh yeah, a
have about $1,000 of Australian burl caps for a project that is about
25% complete (before Pasadena) and a stack of canister blanks too.
Right now I'm collecting light colored and figured woods for coloring
(or stacking). Not sure which it will ultimately be.
Joe Fleming - San Diego


On Aug 9, 6:27 pm, "Maxprop" wrote:
"Darrell Feltmate" wrote in message

news:rBCui.83006$tB5.50638@edtnps90...

Just for fun and to answer a question on spindle stock preparation, I took
the chain saw to a piece of birch and readied a piece for a potato masher
and then turned it. (The video is on my blog.) Whatever happened to
spindle turning? At the club most of the guys bring in faceplate stuff.
There is hardly a mallet or a gavel to be seen. I like to turn a variety
and while the Oland is my favorite tool for faceplate, where would I be
without a 1" skew or straight chisel for spindles. Never mind the oregano,
variety is the spice of life.

I don't turn a lot of spindlework, but I have done a number of maple
baseball bats recently. And I turned half a dozen belaying pins (an archaic
boating item) a while back. I do enjoy spindle turning, but enjoy facework
more. One of the quandaries I now face is my next lathe--should I buy a
long bed which will allow me to turn the occasional spindle, or buy a short
bed, or something like the Vega, which will make facework easier. The jury
is still out on that.

Max

On Fri, 10 Aug 2007 01:27:52 GMT, "Maxprop" wrote:


"Darrell Feltmate" wrote in message
news:rBCui.83006$tB5.50638@edtnps90...
Just for fun and to answer a question on spindle stock preparation, I took
the chain saw to a piece of birch and readied a piece for a potato masher
and then turned it. (The video is on my blog.) Whatever happened to
spindle turning? At the club most of the guys bring in faceplate stuff.
There is hardly a mallet or a gavel to be seen. I like to turn a variety
and while the Oland is my favorite tool for faceplate, where would I be
without a 1" skew or straight chisel for spindles. Never mind the oregano,
variety is the spice of life.

I don't turn a lot of spindlework, but I have done a number of maple
baseball bats recently. And I turned half a dozen belaying pins (an archaic
boating item) a while back. I do enjoy spindle turning, but enjoy facework
more. One of the quandaries I now face is my next lathe--should I buy a
long bed which will allow me to turn the occasional spindle, or buy a short
bed, or something like the Vega, which will make facework easier. The jury
is still out on that.

Max


My next lathe will be set up for outboard turning... best of both worlds, IMHO..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

"mac davis" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 10 Aug 2007 01:27:52 GMT, "Maxprop" wrote:


"Darrell Feltmate" wrote in message
news:rBCui.83006$tB5.50638@edtnps90...
Just for fun and to answer a question on spindle stock preparation, I
took
the chain saw to a piece of birch and readied a piece for a potato
masher
and then turned it. (The video is on my blog.) Whatever happened to
spindle turning? At the club most of the guys bring in faceplate stuff.
There is hardly a mallet or a gavel to be seen. I like to turn a variety
and while the Oland is my favorite tool for faceplate, where would I be
without a 1" skew or straight chisel for spindles. Never mind the
oregano,
variety is the spice of life.

I don't turn a lot of spindlework, but I have done a number of maple
baseball bats recently. And I turned half a dozen belaying pins (an
archaic
boating item) a while back. I do enjoy spindle turning, but enjoy
facework
more. One of the quandaries I now face is my next lathe--should I buy a
long bed which will allow me to turn the occasional spindle, or buy a
short
bed, or something like the Vega, which will make facework easier. The
jury
is still out on that.

Max


My next lathe will be set up for outboard turning... best of both worlds,
IMHO..

For that reason, the Powermatic 3520b ranks high on my current list of
prospects. The headstock will traverse the entire length of the ways until
outboard turning is a given. It is possible to use the tailstock for
stability when roughing a bowl, then remove it and move the headstock to the
right until there's just enough room for the banjo. Very kewl. Oneway's
larger machines also have outboard turning features, but at more than double
the price tag.

Any opinions from others??

Max

On Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:34:36 -0700, charlieb
wrote:

So my questions is:

How long did it take you to find The One type of turning
you do almost exclusively?
or
How long have you been searching for The One?

Why pick only one? I do whatever the hell I feel like at the time on
the lathe!

It's like anything else- I work in a job shop where we do a
combination of one-offs and almost production-level runs. Some people
love the security of doing one or two things over and over, and others
don't care to see the same project twice.

The world needs both kinds- when it comes time to do the long runs,
I'm terribly grateful for the guys who want to set up a big job once
and coast through the day, and leave all the short ones for me. They
feel the same about me burning up all the little jobs at a frenetic
pace so that they can get back to pressing a button and shooting the
breeze.

charlie b
"condemned to wander the woodturning worl - forever?"

I hope you do keep up your wandering- not everything you've shown here
is my cup of tea, but you've come up with some real gems.

Prometheus wrote:

How long did it take you to find The One type of turning
you do almost exclusively?
or
How long have you been searching for The One?

Why pick only one? I do whatever the hell I feel like at the time on
the lathe!

I've noticed that the more experienced turners in the turning
club I joined seems to have found one or two types of turning
they really enjoy and have gotten really good at. Some turn
BIG, some turn tiny, some do hollow forms, others do mainly
Natural Edge bowls. By focusing on one area of turning, they
refine their techniques and develop on eye for what shape
works best for a given chunk of wood.

By focusing they get really good at it and pretty fast at
it - no time wasted deciding on what tool to use, what
technique fits the need at the moment.

It's like anything else- I work in a job shop where we do a
combination of one-offs and almost production-level runs. Some people
love the security of doing one or two things over and over, and others
don't care to see the same project twice.

Having worked on an assembly line - at Ford - I can see both
sides. Repetative tasks can leave your mind free to do other
things. One of the guys I worked with had a masters degree
in English Literature. I asked him why he was still On The Line.
"I've written three novels while working here, all worked out
in my head while my hands were doing something else." Since
I was a "utility guy" - I filled in all over The Line when a guy
was out sick, on vacation, etc. so I was seldom doing the same
thing more than a day or two - which, for some jobs, was
quickly mind numbing. Eight hours of building dash boards
is really boring.

The world needs both kinds- when it comes time to do the long runs,
I'm terribly grateful for the guys who want to set up a big job once
and coast through the day, and leave all the short ones for me. They
feel the same about me burning up all the little jobs at a frenetic
pace so that they can get back to pressing a button and shooting the
breeze.

Thankfully some of the grunt work of production runs has
been automated. But there's the danger of becoming
careless. Automated processes don't care if it's your
hand or a piece of wood they cut.

I hope you do keep up your wandering- not everything you've shown here
is my cup of tea, but you've come up with some real gems.

Head over to alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking and have a
look at "Just Skewing Around (with Santos Mahogany)".

After turning the Ants (of Ants & Ahnks) legs I turned a Spider
(for September). Got pretty good at turning small diameter
stuff so I did four "Spires" as Extra Credit for the September
turning club meeting.

If the JET mini/midi had more between centers room I'd have
a go at a real Trembleur. Maybe someday . . .

Back to my original question
Try Them All?
or
Get Really Good With One?

By using a curved edge skew a LOT, I can do things with
one tool where others might use three or four, and can
work almost uninterrupted and almost without thinking.
Stuff just seems to flow. I guess it's sort of like to
old dancing partners - the music starts and the dance
just happens.

I like dancing with my skew ; ).

charlie b

Charlie, you and that skew :-)
Let me be sure of something. "curved edge skew" to me is one that sorta
looks like a bell curve. Mostly a straight edge that curves back toward the
handle on its right edge. Which makes me wonder if you have right hand and
left hand skews? Or maybe you're just keeping a straight edge in the middle
with both ends curved back?

I noticed Lacer? uses that curved corner and maybe that's the root of my
problems since mine are simply straight. A skew guarrantees me two things: a
beautiful finish and redesign practice.

TomNie


"charlieb" wrote in message
...
Prometheus wrote:

How long did it take you to find The One type of turning
you do almost exclusively?
or
How long have you been searching for The One?

Why pick only one? I do whatever the hell I feel like at the time on
the lathe!

I've noticed that the more experienced turners in the turning
club I joined seems to have found one or two types of turning
they really enjoy and have gotten really good at. Some turn
BIG, some turn tiny, some do hollow forms, others do mainly
Natural Edge bowls. By focusing on one area of turning, they
refine their techniques and develop on eye for what shape
works best for a given chunk of wood.

By focusing they get really good at it and pretty fast at
it - no time wasted deciding on what tool to use, what
technique fits the need at the moment.

It's like anything else- I work in a job shop where we do a
combination of one-offs and almost production-level runs. Some people
love the security of doing one or two things over and over, and others
don't care to see the same project twice.

Having worked on an assembly line - at Ford - I can see both
sides. Repetative tasks can leave your mind free to do other
things. One of the guys I worked with had a masters degree
in English Literature. I asked him why he was still On The Line.
"I've written three novels while working here, all worked out
in my head while my hands were doing something else." Since
I was a "utility guy" - I filled in all over The Line when a guy
was out sick, on vacation, etc. so I was seldom doing the same
thing more than a day or two - which, for some jobs, was
quickly mind numbing. Eight hours of building dash boards
is really boring.

The world needs both kinds- when it comes time to do the long runs,
I'm terribly grateful for the guys who want to set up a big job once
and coast through the day, and leave all the short ones for me. They
feel the same about me burning up all the little jobs at a frenetic
pace so that they can get back to pressing a button and shooting the
breeze.

Thankfully some of the grunt work of production runs has
been automated. But there's the danger of becoming
careless. Automated processes don't care if it's your
hand or a piece of wood they cut.

I hope you do keep up your wandering- not everything you've shown here
is my cup of tea, but you've come up with some real gems.

Head over to alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking and have a
look at "Just Skewing Around (with Santos Mahogany)".

After turning the Ants (of Ants & Ahnks) legs I turned a Spider
(for September). Got pretty good at turning small diameter
stuff so I did four "Spires" as Extra Credit for the September
turning club meeting.

If the JET mini/midi had more between centers room I'd have
a go at a real Trembleur. Maybe someday . . .

Back to my original question
Try Them All?
or
Get Really Good With One?

By using a curved edge skew a LOT, I can do things with
one tool where others might use three or four, and can
work almost uninterrupted and almost without thinking.
Stuff just seems to flow. I guess it's sort of like to
old dancing partners - the music starts and the dance
just happens.

I like dancing with my skew ; ).

charlie b

Tom Nie wrote:

Charlie, you and that skew :-)
Let me be sure of something. "curved edge skew" to me is one that sorta
looks like a bell curve. Mostly a straight edge that curves back toward the
handle on its right edge.

First - to the curved edge - I use a long radius curve with the
center well
above the point of the skew. There are no flat/straight areas on the
cutting
edge - all one continuous curve. (first image on this page)

http://web.hypersurf.com/~charlie2/T...urning14C.html

What it gives me is an almost single point of contact anywhere along
the
edge when doing peeling cuts or scraping cuts when the tools is on
its side.
As I pull the tool towards the headstock, Long Point to the right,
entering
the cut in about the middle of the curved edge, I can swing it
horizontally
gradually - in either direction - along the cut, continuously
changing the
cutting edge.

For spindle type cuts I almost always use the skew Long Point down,
starting
the cut with the point and then rolling to cut a shape, lowering the
point as I
roll the skew left or right for a bead or cove, and, as the cut
progresses I get
into the sweet spot (actually an area) on the cutting edge.

That curve also comes in handy when cutting a "tear drop" shape - the
long curved taper at the top of the droplet. Starting with the
skew, long
point down and to the right, almost horizontal I roll the edge
clockwise
to almost vertical then while pushing to the right, roll it
counterclockwise
towards horizontal as I cut down and then to the right "up" the
droplet's
taper.

Which makes me wonder if you have right hand and
left hand skews?

All the readily available skew chisels I know of are double beveled
so
you can ride a bevel as you roll the cutting edge. Problem is that
you
end up with an included angle of about 45 degrees. This limits how
close
your can do small beads and balls as one side of the bevel rubs
against
the far side of the cut. In those instances I use a 1/4" bench
chisel
which has a single bevel for getting into tight places. Haven't
reground
a curve in it because I also use it for chopping the waste out of
dovetail
sockets. One of these days I'll get a couple of 1/4" bedans and put a
curved edge on one of them.

Or maybe you're just keeping a straight edge in the middle
with both ends curved back?

I think after you see the picture of the curved edge skews
things will be a bit clearer.

I noticed Lacer? uses that curved corner and maybe that's the root of my
problems since mine are simply straight.

I don't know what his tool looks like, but there is a tool called
the
SpindleMaster that is flat on the top and curved on the bottom.
It's ground to have a slightly pointy "U" shape so supposedly
there's
no "point" to catch. I've got one and despite the hype, find I can
get it to catch without even trying.

A skew guarrantees me two things: a
beautiful finish and redesign practice.

If you have a sharp skew. preferably with a polished bevel, you
certainly can get a nice burnished finish - especially when rolling
balls,
beads and coves.

As for designs, other than a very general idea of what I want to
do, things change in The Doing and I just go along for the ride
- and the endorphin rush the brain rewards me with for doing
something creative. If you lock yourself into a specific design
you often preclude a more promising, unforeseen one.

Fun this turning thing.

charlie b

Charlie,
I love the stuff you do - the way you document it - the way you express
yourself. So cool. You bring a lot to this group.

Thanks for the link. It answered my questions perfectly. I've got to grind
things differently and see how it goes. I love the finish a skew gives and
am embarrassed I haven't been able to constantly control it.

Your finials/spindles got better each time IMHO. Cindy Drozda does some of
the finest finials and works very hard on subtle differences. I've been
playing some with the CAD program Fred Holder put me on to. It's amazing how
such tiny changes make such a difference to what feels right. Opening the
program several times and tiling the pictures side-by-side highlights the
subtleties.

Now the trick becomes moving the image from the screen to the lathe exactly
as you want it. At least, it gives you a visual to compare to. On the screen
you can put "wood" back when it doesn't look better. Haven't mastered that
on the lathe yet :-)

TomNie

Thanks f
"charlieb" wrote in message
...
Tom Nie wrote:

Charlie, you and that skew :-)
Let me be sure of something. "curved edge skew" to me is one that sorta
looks like a bell curve. Mostly a straight edge that curves back toward
the
handle on its right edge.

First - to the curved edge - I use a long radius curve with the
center well
above the point of the skew. There are no flat/straight areas on the
cutting
edge - all one continuous curve. (first image on this page)

http://web.hypersurf.com/~charlie2/T...urning14C.html

What it gives me is an almost single point of contact anywhere along
the
edge when doing peeling cuts or scraping cuts when the tools is on
its side.
As I pull the tool towards the headstock, Long Point to the right,
entering
the cut in about the middle of the curved edge, I can swing it
horizontally
gradually - in either direction - along the cut, continuously
changing the
cutting edge.

For spindle type cuts I almost always use the skew Long Point down,
starting
the cut with the point and then rolling to cut a shape, lowering the
point as I
roll the skew left or right for a bead or cove, and, as the cut
progresses I get
into the sweet spot (actually an area) on the cutting edge.

That curve also comes in handy when cutting a "tear drop" shape - the
long curved taper at the top of the droplet. Starting with the
skew, long
point down and to the right, almost horizontal I roll the edge
clockwise
to almost vertical then while pushing to the right, roll it
counterclockwise
towards horizontal as I cut down and then to the right "up" the
droplet's
taper.

Which makes me wonder if you have right hand and
left hand skews?

All the readily available skew chisels I know of are double beveled
so
you can ride a bevel as you roll the cutting edge. Problem is that
you
end up with an included angle of about 45 degrees. This limits how
close
your can do small beads and balls as one side of the bevel rubs
against
the far side of the cut. In those instances I use a 1/4" bench
chisel
which has a single bevel for getting into tight places. Haven't
reground
a curve in it because I also use it for chopping the waste out of
dovetail
sockets. One of these days I'll get a couple of 1/4" bedans and put a
curved edge on one of them.

Or maybe you're just keeping a straight edge in the middle
with both ends curved back?

I think after you see the picture of the curved edge skews
things will be a bit clearer.

I noticed Lacer? uses that curved corner and maybe that's the root of my
problems since mine are simply straight.

I don't know what his tool looks like, but there is a tool called
the
SpindleMaster that is flat on the top and curved on the bottom.
It's ground to have a slightly pointy "U" shape so supposedly
there's
no "point" to catch. I've got one and despite the hype, find I can
get it to catch without even trying.

A skew guarrantees me two things: a
beautiful finish and redesign practice.

If you have a sharp skew. preferably with a polished bevel, you
certainly can get a nice burnished finish - especially when rolling
balls,
beads and coves.

As for designs, other than a very general idea of what I want to
do, things change in The Doing and I just go along for the ride
- and the endorphin rush the brain rewards me with for doing
something creative. If you lock yourself into a specific design
you often preclude a more promising, unforeseen one.

Fun this turning thing.

charlie b

Tom
I tried a curved skew for a while and just did not like it.I prefer the
straight grind and find it just as friendly if not friendlyer than the
curved.

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS
http://aroundthewoods.com
http://roundopinions.blogspot.com

"Tom Nie" wrote in message
...
Charlie,
I love the stuff you do - the way you document it - the way you express
yourself. So cool. You bring a lot to this group.

Thanks for the link. It answered my questions perfectly. I've got to grind
things differently and see how it goes. I love the finish a skew gives and
am embarrassed I haven't been able to constantly control it.

Your finials/spindles got better each time IMHO. Cindy Drozda does some of
the finest finials and works very hard on subtle differences. I've been
playing some with the CAD program Fred Holder put me on to. It's amazing
how such tiny changes make such a difference to what feels right. Opening
the program several times and tiling the pictures side-by-side highlights
the subtleties.

Now the trick becomes moving the image from the screen to the lathe
exactly as you want it. At least, it gives you a visual to compare to. On
the screen you can put "wood" back when it doesn't look better. Haven't
mastered that on the lathe yet :-)

TomNie

Thanks f
"charlieb" wrote in message
...
Tom Nie wrote:

Charlie, you and that skew :-)
Let me be sure of something. "curved edge skew" to me is one that sorta
looks like a bell curve. Mostly a straight edge that curves back toward
the
handle on its right edge.

First - to the curved edge - I use a long radius curve with the
center well
above the point of the skew. There are no flat/straight areas on the
cutting
edge - all one continuous curve. (first image on this page)

http://web.hypersurf.com/~charlie2/T...urning14C.html

What it gives me is an almost single point of contact anywhere along
the
edge when doing peeling cuts or scraping cuts when the tools is on
its side.
As I pull the tool towards the headstock, Long Point to the right,
entering
the cut in about the middle of the curved edge, I can swing it
horizontally
gradually - in either direction - along the cut, continuously
changing the
cutting edge.

For spindle type cuts I almost always use the skew Long Point down,
starting
the cut with the point and then rolling to cut a shape, lowering the
point as I
roll the skew left or right for a bead or cove, and, as the cut
progresses I get
into the sweet spot (actually an area) on the cutting edge.

That curve also comes in handy when cutting a "tear drop" shape - the
long curved taper at the top of the droplet. Starting with the
skew, long
point down and to the right, almost horizontal I roll the edge
clockwise
to almost vertical then while pushing to the right, roll it
counterclockwise
towards horizontal as I cut down and then to the right "up" the
droplet's
taper.

Which makes me wonder if you have right hand and
left hand skews?

All the readily available skew chisels I know of are double beveled
so
you can ride a bevel as you roll the cutting edge. Problem is that
you
end up with an included angle of about 45 degrees. This limits how
close
your can do small beads and balls as one side of the bevel rubs
against
the far side of the cut. In those instances I use a 1/4" bench
chisel
which has a single bevel for getting into tight places. Haven't
reground
a curve in it because I also use it for chopping the waste out of
dovetail
sockets. One of these days I'll get a couple of 1/4" bedans and put a
curved edge on one of them.

Or maybe you're just keeping a straight edge in the middle
with both ends curved back?

I think after you see the picture of the curved edge skews
things will be a bit clearer.

I noticed Lacer? uses that curved corner and maybe that's the root of my
problems since mine are simply straight.

I don't know what his tool looks like, but there is a tool called
the
SpindleMaster that is flat on the top and curved on the bottom.
It's ground to have a slightly pointy "U" shape so supposedly
there's
no "point" to catch. I've got one and despite the hype, find I can
get it to catch without even trying.

A skew guarrantees me two things: a
beautiful finish and redesign practice.

If you have a sharp skew. preferably with a polished bevel, you
certainly can get a nice burnished finish - especially when rolling
balls,
beads and coves.

As for designs, other than a very general idea of what I want to
do, things change in The Doing and I just go along for the ride
- and the endorphin rush the brain rewards me with for doing
something creative. If you lock yourself into a specific design
you often preclude a more promising, unforeseen one.

Fun this turning thing.

charlie b

Darrell Feltmate wrote:

Tom
I tried a curved skew for a while and just did not like it.I prefer the
straight grind and find it just as friendly if not friendlyer than the
curved.

For rolling a round or oval bead straight edge or curved edge doesn't
matter at all. But when it comes to "S-curves", like on the top of
a tear drop shape typical or spinarets (think onion shaped) the
curved
cutting edge allows you to transition from a roll in one direction to
a roll in the other to a straight tapering cut in one continuous
move.
In the transition you're cutting with the Sweet Area of the skew,
with
the long point AND heel corner back off the wood. I added an
illustration at the bottom of this page to hopefully give you an idea
of how such a cut can be made with a curved edge skew. This
cut can be done in reverse, starting at the narrow end of the
tear drop and pulling back towards the wide part of the tear drop
shape.

http://web.hypersurf.com/~charlie2/T...urning14C.html

With a straight edged skew, for peeling cuts, you have to raise the
long point and drop the heel - AND angle the edge about 45 degrees
to the cutting axis to stay in the Sweet Spot on the cutting edge.
With the curved edge skew you've got a longer part of the edge
that's "sweet" and since you're using a "point of contact" between
the edge and the wood you can hold the tool almost horizontal and
on either side of square to the long axis of the piece. As long
as you stay ABOVE centerline, it's difficult to "dig in", even on
small diameter, unsupported on one end fine tapering cuts.

So, while both are skew chisels, the straight edge and curved
edge skews work VERY differently. If you try and use a curved
edge skew using the methods that work for a straight edged
skew you're almost guaranteed frustration - and visa versa.
They're different tools requiring different methods of use.

I practice for more frustrating hours than I care to remember
with the straight edged skew. Even a slight lapse in concentration
and it was dig in or a nasty spiral cut time. Those pretty much
went away once I ground a curve in the cutting edge. Since
then I keep finding new, at least to me, cuts I can make fairly
easily with the curved edge skew.

While doing these delicate pieces I had NO catches and only
two or three spiral cuts, all minor and easily fixed. With a
straight cutting edge skew, those spiral cuts would have
been a mini-disaster and one would have meant Do Over.

For anyone who has given up on straight edged skews, I
strongly recomend trying a curved cutting edge skew and
initially skip pine, fir or poplar and go with cherry, or walnut
or mahogany.

charlie b

ps - will try doing some illustrations on how to regrind a
straight edged skew to make it into a curved edge skew.
It can't be done with any griding jig I'm aware of but it
really is fairly easy to do free hand - on a sanding disk
or the sides of the slow speed, wet TORMEK wheel. DO
NOT try grinding with sides of a dry wheel grinder, slow
or high speed ( if 1780 rpms can be called "slow" - the
TORMEK turns SLOW - as in 50 rpms - and the wheel is
THICK - and wet.

"charlieb" wrote in message
...
Darrell Feltmate wrote:

Tom
I tried a curved skew for a while and just did not like it.I prefer the
straight grind and find it just as friendly if not friendlyer than the
curved.

For rolling a round or oval bead straight edge or curved edge doesn't
matter at all. But when it comes to "S-curves", like on the top of
a tear drop shape typical or spinarets (think onion shaped) the
curved
cutting edge allows you to transition from a roll in one direction to
a roll in the other to a straight tapering cut in one continuous
move.
In the transition you're cutting with the Sweet Area of the skew,
with
the long point AND heel corner back off the wood. I added an
illustration at the bottom of this page to hopefully give you an idea
of how such a cut can be made with a curved edge skew. This
cut can be done in reverse, starting at the narrow end of the
tear drop and pulling back towards the wide part of the tear drop
shape.

http://web.hypersurf.com/~charlie2/T...urning14C.html

With a straight edged skew, for peeling cuts, you have to raise the
long point and drop the heel - AND angle the edge about 45 degrees
to the cutting axis to stay in the Sweet Spot on the cutting edge.
With the curved edge skew you've got a longer part of the edge
that's "sweet" and since you're using a "point of contact" between
the edge and the wood you can hold the tool almost horizontal and
on either side of square to the long axis of the piece. As long
as you stay ABOVE centerline, it's difficult to "dig in", even on
small diameter, unsupported on one end fine tapering cuts.

So, while both are skew chisels, the straight edge and curved
edge skews work VERY differently. If you try and use a curved
edge skew using the methods that work for a straight edged
skew you're almost guaranteed frustration - and visa versa.
They're different tools requiring different methods of use.


Then there's the straight chisel and the forged gouge. I don't use the skew
for much, them for a lot.