"The Gouge"
This is the profile that I grind on the Continental Spindle Gouge. It is a rather blunt fingernail profile that looks like the end of my thumb, but it is better for making the planing type cuts than a more pointed profile.
I use a bevel angle that is 35-degrees from the bottom of the flute.
A larger 45-degree tool angle will be more tolerant of a beginners mistakes, but it will not leave as smooth a finish as the smaller angle.
"The Parting Tool"
The tip of the little parting tool has to be modified for best results. It is difficult to use as it comes from the factory.
Grind a small bevel on the tip of the tools as shown in the photo.
DO NOT jamb the end of the tool straight into the side of the pen barrel as you would a scraper.
Ride the small bevel on the wood. Pull back and up on the tool handle until it is making a shearing cut. Keep the bevel on the wood .
"The Skew"
This skew chisel comes with a flat bevel and a straight cutting edge. I keep them that way by sharpening it on a bench stone, just as I would a plane iron.
The flat bevel has the advantage over the concave bevel for the long planing type cuts on the shallow curves that we are putting on pen barrels. The entire surface of the flat bevel rides on the wood surface, making it easier to maintain a flat cut.
The concave bevel from the grinding wheel would be riding on the cutting edge and the heel of the bevel, giving it a tendency to turn into the wood and make a deeper cut. While this might be a good thing for turning beads, it doesn't work as well for the long flat curves of a pen.
I prefer the "Oval" shape of this skew for these relatively flat cuts. The oval will always be on the tool rest, rather than on its edge as would the flat-type skew. This makes less sensitive to rotation of the tool and makes it easier to control.
