pete ryalls
10-31-2009, 5:08 PM
saw this on the IAP forum and thought people should see this
Quote
Thought I would share this, as Halloween is coming soon. Here is a pumpkin that I turned on my lathe. It may sound crazy, but I've made one for each of the last 4 years, and people really like them. (If you are gonna try one, buy SEVERAL pumpkins; they like to explode on the lathe).
To answer a couple of questions:
It says "Extreme Pumpkins" on it because I entered it in their contest.
I use a gouge and a hollowing tool; you'd be surprised how much "wall thickness" is on a pumpkin.
They last about a week if you keep it regrigerated except when you are displaying it.
Yep, VERY messy indeed. Lathe goes outside for these.
And, yes, the rounder the pumpkin the better. I usually buy the "pie pumpkins" from the grocery store.
I mount it between centers, turn a spigot on the bottom end, mount in Nova chuck and support with tailstock, turn the outside, cut the top off, then hollow, then part spigot off. I re-mounted the top between centers to turn a spigot that fits into the hole on top. Hollowing is when they usually explode if they are going to, whole process only takes about 10 minutes. Hint: DON'T try to sand, LOL.)
I won $100 three years in a row for a pumpkin carving contest at work. The fourth year, I think the judges were tired of seeing them and I came in third, which only pays $25.
Quote
Thought I would share this, as Halloween is coming soon. Here is a pumpkin that I turned on my lathe. It may sound crazy, but I've made one for each of the last 4 years, and people really like them. (If you are gonna try one, buy SEVERAL pumpkins; they like to explode on the lathe).
To answer a couple of questions:
It says "Extreme Pumpkins" on it because I entered it in their contest.
I use a gouge and a hollowing tool; you'd be surprised how much "wall thickness" is on a pumpkin.
They last about a week if you keep it regrigerated except when you are displaying it.
Yep, VERY messy indeed. Lathe goes outside for these.
And, yes, the rounder the pumpkin the better. I usually buy the "pie pumpkins" from the grocery store.
I mount it between centers, turn a spigot on the bottom end, mount in Nova chuck and support with tailstock, turn the outside, cut the top off, then hollow, then part spigot off. I re-mounted the top between centers to turn a spigot that fits into the hole on top. Hollowing is when they usually explode if they are going to, whole process only takes about 10 minutes. Hint: DON'T try to sand, LOL.)
I won $100 three years in a row for a pumpkin carving contest at work. The fourth year, I think the judges were tired of seeing them and I came in third, which only pays $25.