Hollowing Deeper

Dan Mosley

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Location
Palm Springs, Ca
Decided to try to see how deep I can hollow with the tools I have today. The turning in the picture below is 12" long and 6 1/2 wide.

I mounted a pine log and turned it round, created the tennon, reversed it and finished creating the form, mounted my steady rest and using my index tool i hogged out as much as I could but at 10" plus off the rest things get a bit shakey at least for me so I changed over to the hollowing rig to finish the hollowing.

However, even with the tool rest adjusted up to compenstate for the drift of the tool downward that far off the rest..... it was slow going and probably not the safest thing but i was able to get it less than 1/4 thickness.

Toward the end of the hollowing when i stopped for a sec to clear chips i noticed that it had cracked bad :eek:.....being that far off the rest, using Pine for the project and the cutting probably caused the crack as i got thinner on the walls.......... so i scrapped it out. I think if i would have been turning it out of stronger wood like the mesquite I have it probably would have survived....................ahhhhh well ....some days are good turning days ;)and others not so good :( but still learning the ropes to....

Dan
 

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My problem with doing anything like this is I don't have a proper steady rest yet... I know after you get out a ways from the headstock, you start to get vibration that can cause lots of problems.... I have plans to build one, but haven't gotten to it yet...

I like the one you have, but likely my pocket is too shallow for that one...hence a home made one.
 
Be sure to get a proper rest when you do make your investment.
I have one of the Grizzly's http://grizzly.com/products/Steady-Rest-For-Wood-Lathe/H5569
and find it to be pretty wuthless. Opening very small and wheels way too small. I believe I would like much larger wheels.
Although part of my problems using this may have been self-generated. My woodturning club had a very good demo Saturday on making long stemmed goblets. The demo turner emphasized smoothing the area the steady rest whees will ride on. He skewed smooth then even sanded. This prevents any unevenness or bumps from shaking things up. Good advice.
 
Bummer that it cracked. It was looking promising.

I think the deepest I've gotten was about 11 1/2". You're right...by the time you get into that range, things start getting a bit chattery and light cuts are vital. The piece I did was an open-mouthed vase, but I still used the hollowing system since my hands can't hack the torque that long. For the same reason, I use the hollowing rig from the start (instead of starting with the Indexer) on pretty much any hollow form. The Indexer is probably a bit faster, huh?
 
I have went about 11" to 12" but it get dicey. I can't hack the torque on my old hands and arms anymore. When doing big HF's I use the rig all the way and then I can turn the next day.
 
Yep your right - the indexer with 3/16 bit allows me to hollow probably faster and hog out easier then i switch to the rig.

Again right - on this last vase my shoulder was so sore......but usually not that bad on other less large vessels.........The rotational force and the tool drift (even with the rest raised) make this not a safe thing to do really. I think a larger boring bar on the rig may help with stability - that would also mean a larger entry hole to though......not sure but it would work better I would think

I find that the 3/16 is the best tool all around for hollowing - just my opinion.
 
Hi Dan- i dont belive in useing rigs- i can hollow out to 12 without an internal rest or 14/15" with. A couple of points looking at your pictures is- a longer tool handle would help control the cut(my handles are 28" long) and instead of usinga a steady why not leave some extra wood for support then once the hollowing is done turn the extra wood away. This is how i do it and i find it helps to stop vibration better than a steady can.
 
George - - The longer handles is a good idea and your right now that i think about it because my indexer is 28" long and I have a bowl scrapper that is 30" long and the control is much better. A problem I run into to is that I can not find anybody lately that sells spindle stock in the 2' or longer lengths.
Question: Who do you buy your spindle stock from ?
On the other part of your response - do you mean to rough turn and form the outside and then hollow out the inside to completion. Then return to the outside and turn to final demension and shape ? Not sure if I understand your response correctly..............Then if thats the case - are you using the tailstock for support by sliding it into the vessels opening ? I would think very light cuts would have to be done due to the risk of cracking it....and constant checking on the wall thickness.........or am i not seeing it correctly?..........thanks Dan
 
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hello Dan

I buy my ash tool handle stock in boards and cut it to size myself or i buy steel handles like the kelton or oneway etc

sorry for the confusion i didnt explain my self very well about the hollowing.

here's some pictures of a vase i did a few years ago which hopefully shows the technique.

in this photo the vase is mounted on a 6" faceplate (i dont use chucks for hollow vessels)
I have shaped the top 2/3rds of the vase and left extra waste wood to support it while i hollow it out.
I hollow it out to the 2/3rd point which allows me to check wall thickness.

DSCF4888.jpg


once the inside is hollowed out to the 2/3rd area i move back outside and remove the extra/waste wood and finish the external shape o fmy vase.
I then go back inside and remove the final wood from the bottom 1/3rd area.
the vessel is now ready to sand -oil the part of.

DSCF4890.jpg


This method works for me and does away with any tailstock or steady involvement. diffrent timbers need diffrent amounts of support and only pratice will tell you how much "extra" wood to leave but leaving this extra wood does away with the majority of stress and vibration caused by reduceing the base diamter (thus making the piece very top heavy) to soon

I always make my vessels from wet wood and allow them to move as they want- the above method does not work for rough turning then returning to the lathe to finish them of.

I hope this helps

best wish's
george
 
George thanks for the info and pictures and ill try that way in the near future. The way I currently do my vessels is similar.....
I mount with a 2 prong and turn the tenon and rough shape the vessel. Then hollow it out to finish thickness. I sand and wet down slightly the outside prior to hollowing. Once the hollowing is complete I sand down the outside to 220 or 320 or whatever and then use the mandrel shown in the picture #1 below. I know where the bottom is and the mandrel holds it fairly tight and i can finish turn and sand the bottom at this point. Then part off the nub or take it down to a pencil size and saw off.....Then sand the bottom lightly and call it done...............
I know others do it differently but this has been working very well for me but im always game to try new things................

Picture #2 natural edge bowl I finished today
Picture #3 small vessel finished now that was on the mandrel -the camera pic makes it look like the inside is raw wood but actually i usually put linseed oil in in and swirl it around good and let dry.......it must be a lighting thing.....

Thanks Dan
 

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