An Almost Hollow Form

I’m glad that no one was hurt when it blew. Looks pretty good to me. Keep on practicing.

-- ~ Inspiring those who inspire me ~

are those the natural colors. if so, I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like it . Amazing and nice save. It would have been a shame to see that end up as firewood. beautiful work.

As a hollowform turner, I’d offer you the following advice-

1.) Always a tenon, never a recess. I don’t know what happened, but I’d guess that it came out of the chuck. Size your tenon 1/8” large in diameter than the chuck jaws diameter when they are fully closed for maximum holding power.

2.) If you have any reservations about the tenon’s strength because the wood is a bit soft from the spalt, soak it (the tenon only!) in CA glue. It will turn off later when you reverse the form, and won’t leave you any finishing problems like uneven sanding or finish that won’t cure.

3.) Don’t worry about it. I’ve lost more hollowforms than most people have turned. It’s part of learning how to do it. I have a couple of hundred or so under my belt, and probably cut through close to 100 in learning how to turn them thin.

4.) You picked the hardest form to turn. The best beginner form is taller and narrower, since it require little undercutting and is relatively easy to measure. Think more like a wine bottle than a jug for the next one, only without the long neck! I know exactly where you cut through the top and the typical beginner doesn’t have the tooling to measure that area well. Google Ellsworth Hollowform calipers (if you get a picture of a bent wire, you found it…)

Keep at it. They get lighter, the holes get smaller and amazingly, they end up taking much less time.

Steven

-- Steven

It’s a beautiful piece regardless!

(A lot harder than turning a pen, I’ll bet.) <g>

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

very nice job, the lathe does keep you on your toes, i threw a bowl the other day just missed me as it went flying by.have fun and good luck.

-- Roper - Master of sawdust-

It turned out beautiful, that’s the main thing.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

This is gorgeous. Beautiful colors in that spalting.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com

The colors really pop, and the bowl looks great.

-- Brian, Lebanon PA, If you aren’t having fun doing it, find something else to do.

Very nice looking form and wood Kerux. The hollow forms require a whole new set of skills. I too would like to possess these skills someday. Thanks for the tips Steven.

Thanks for sharing.

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

Great save Kerux. Amazing colours in that wood. nice finish on the wipe on poly, I am using it for the first time on pens, very happy with the result.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

great save Kerux, too nice a piece of wood to relegate to the burn pile.

Thanks for that insight Steven, will no doubt answer many questions for us newer turners.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

that wood just catches my eye!

-- http://www.woodsongsfurniture.com

Thanks for all your wonderful thoughts folk. I’ll get that HF in one of these blanks yet.

-- http://inhisgrip1.blogspot.com/