The Making of the Oak Burl HF

[Steve Schlumpf]

I spent a long time looking at this blank – right at a year! – trying to decide what it was I wanted to turn. I kept coming back to a hollow form because of all the voids and bark areas that I knew would open up once turned.

So, here are a few shots of the blank – before being turned.
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I wanted the rotted branch area to end up on top of the hollow form, so I mounted it on the lathe with that end of the blank at the chuck. I used a woodworm screw in the chuck to secure the blank.
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[Steve Schlumpf]

First step was to round over the form and balance it so that the speed could be turned up. When first starting out, the speed was only around 400 rpm because the blank was very unbalanced.
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Next step - form a tenon and shape the bottom of the hollow form.
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Reverse the blank so that the chuck now grabs the tenon. The tailstock was used for support but first took some photos for an uninterrupted view of the blank.
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Last step before hollowing is to shape the top of the hollow form.
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[Steve Schlumpf]

Captured hollowing system set up in place.
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Next photos show the hollowing process as the piece gets progressively thinner.
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[Steve Schlumpf]

At this point the hollowing has been completed and the form is sanded.
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Form is mounted in the donut chuck so the tenon can be turned away and the area sanded.
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The finished hollow form with a couple of coats of wipe-on gloss poly.
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I hope the photos help explain a little of the process of turning something from a rough chunk of wood to the finished product. If you have any questions, please let me know!

[Roger Chandler]

Great tutorial Steve! That process is something that pictures really help the reader of the posts to get their minds wrapped around.

Thanks for taking the time to help the rest of us! Your doughnut chuck, and the captive rig really are helpful to understand what one needs to successfully undertake a turning such as this one.

Super job, and thanks again!

[Nate Davey]

Thanks for that Steve, and all the others who have taken time to post their progress pics. This if very helpful for me as a new turner.

[William Hutchinson]

Very helpful tutorial, thanks for posting. What I found especially interesting is how you envisioned the rough form when deciding on how to position it on the lathe. It takes a practiced eye to get the most out of the material. The result was a beautiful HF, as usual.

[Ted Calver]

Steve, This a wonderful piece and a great photo sequence. Thank you for posting and sharing your techniques. I know this is not the first time you have shown us a photo sequence, but I just wanted to let you know how much it is appreciated.

[Robert McGowen]

Thanks for the photo sequence, Steve. You really have to know where you want to end up before you start cutting!

[Ray Bell]

Steve, thank you for this picture tutorial. I actually turned a chunk of box elder yesterday, that I knew was the proper shape for a HF, but just didn't know how to do it. So it ended up as yet another simple bowl:o I do have some pieces now that I want to try this on, and this thread helped clear up some things for me.

[charlie knighton]

thanks for sharing Steve

[Richard Madden]

Steve, Thanks for taking the time to put this together.

[Steve Vaughan]

That's a great tutorial for us. Thanks!

[Jack Tyree]

Very enlightening - pictures are worth a thousand words and also answer a lot of questions and concerns I have had about getting into hollow forms. I appreciate the time you took very much.

[brian watts]

Thank you for posting and sharing your techniques

[gary Zimmel]

Great tutorial Steve. Thanks for taking the time to post it.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Steve thanks for sharing. That is a great looking HF.

[Michael James]

Steve,
Even tho Im wading my way into these forms, this is very helpful.. as was the earlier post by another turner. Still wanking away with my Nicol hollowning device, as I wait for the mini monster.
I see by your post there is no avoiding the donutchuck for the forms I have in mind.
mj

[John Keeton]

Neat pic tutorial, Steve!! I notice you left out a step I try to put in sometimes - the part where it flies off the chuck and bounces off the floor!!:eek::D If I had thought to take some pics of that part, I could have filled in the gap for you!;)

[James Roberts]

Excellent tutorial Steve, thanks so much for putting it all together for us.

[Baxter Smith]

Thanks for the tutorial. I found it very interesting and helpful!

[Rob Cunningham]

Thanks for posting the photo tutorial Steve. Pictures really do speak volumes.

[Curt Fuller]

Great tutorial Steve! I couldn't tell, does this piece have a flat or foot at all or is it kind of a round 'rock and roll' bottom?

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Ok, Showoff...So you've learned to turn without any curlies. I don't know if I will ever reach that level of skill. All kidding aside, very helpful tutorial thanks.:)

[Michelle Rich]

Thank you Steve. Amazing progression. Having the capacity to see the HF in that bizzare shaped piece of wood is a luxury for a turner. Must take years and many pieces to "know" your quarry.

[Mike Cruz]

Steve, that was exactly what I was looking for when I asked folks to post progressive pics of their turnings. Thanks a million. Oh, and of course, very beautiful HF.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Glad to hear that everyone liked the photo sequence. Don't usually take a series of photos - just a few of the finished turning. Will think about a series more often - when the wood looks like it might be interesting.

Curt - the bottom of the HF is round but with a very slight concave area so that it will sit on a table/shelf without rolling away!