File as a skew - safety concern

[Maurizio]

Hi all,

Just received an ebay purchase, and the 'skew turning chisel' has clearly been made from an old flat ******* file. Without access to the manufacturing methods I'm not too happy about this - my concern is that it will be too brittle and I risk having it snap off and cause grievous bodily harm.

Any thoughts?

 

[Dalboy]

If it was sold as a skew and not a modified file go back to the seller. I certainly would not entertain using it. Unless someone knows what they are doing then buy the proper tool for the job

 

[Maurizio]

Hi Dalboy,

Thats just it. If I knew the metal composition and heat treatment method, I'd feel safer, but I dont think the risk is worth it.

 

[Robbo3]

You have two issues to be addressed.
The first is the description by the seller who may be ignorant of commercial tools & has taken the description from a picture. However, I wouldn't be happy with a tool unless it was made perfectly clear that it was home made or it couldn't be discerned as such from the seller's photo.

The second, is the tool safe to use? As a skew, I can't see a problem because it doesn't come under stress like a scraper when it overhangs the rest. The skew is always supported by the work & the tool rest, whether planing or peeling & when incising it has a relatively massive thickness.

 

[CHJ]

…….The skew is always supported by the work & the tool rest, whether planing or peeling & when incising it has a relatively massive thickness.

Don't think I'd like to risk a catch with a potentially brittle tool on less than forgiving wood.

 

[Maurizio]

Fair enough Robbo,

As it stands I've returned the tool, it seems the seller wasnt aware. As for the latter, I was in a similiar mindset when starting this thread, but have read a few examples on line of individuals who have had a file made skew snap on them while turning - while their use might not be representative of mine, after a family members recent accident with spinning tools I'm currently more prone to the 'better safe than sorry' approach.

- for the breakages described elsewhere on t'internet, there is a chance that they happened when the individual got a catch with the skew. At least, that is the most likely scenario I can think of when a torsion force is applied to a skew.