My First Hollow form - another one of these threads

[Jon Prouty]

Hi All,

So, here is my first attempt at a hollow form. Shoestring Acacia, approx. 5.5" diameter / 2.5" high. Sanded to 400grit. Finish is Danish Oil with four coats of gloss WOP then buffed.

I really like the way the HF shows so much of the beauty of the wood. I may have to do some more of these (finial next time).

I got a bit thin on the bottom so I had to leave a foot - I am not a fan of a foot on a form like this but otherwise I woulda had a blow out. Entire form is about 1/8" or so in wall thickness - had me nervous there a couple times.

Oh yeah... I did this entire form with my Easy Wood Tools (Rougher, Finisher and Hollower). I grabbed a 3/8" DT V Bowl gouge to clean up the tenon but probably didn't even need to.

Going to build my own articulated hollowing system I think... or if motivation fails, wait till I can afford Doug's Monster.

Let me know what you think (good, bad or ugly - anything I can do to improve attempt number 2?). I know the pics are not great but I gotta prioritize future spending. :cool:

Thanks all for the inspiration - I cannot thank you all enough.

Jon
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[Dan Forman]

Very good!! Nice form, beautiful wood. The main things to play with form wise are the location of the widest portion, size of foot and opening, and degree of slope to the sides. I think yours is well proportioned, the main thing is not to have the widest part too close to the middle, and you have avoided that.

Dan

[John Keeton]

Jon, this is an excellent first HF!! You have accomplished a smooth, even curve on the outside profile, and the sanding and finish are great. It is hard to tell from the pics, but it appears you have the widest part at one third down from the top - and, that is good. Other than the foot, which you are aware of, about the only change I would suggest is that I prefer the top to have just a slight lift to it. The top on this one appears to be level until it gets to the opening, and then it rolls a slight bit downward. Again, it is difficult to see if this is the case. I also prefer just a little crisper edge on the opening - not sharp, but not quite as rounded as you have.

But, none of this takes away from a very nice piece of work you have here - well done!! I suspect that we will see some very nice HFs from you in the near future!! And, you are going to enjoy the finial turning!

[Donny Lawson]

Jon, I have to say that is a really nice HF. Looks like you know how to use the hollowing tools.Great wood and Great form.

[Michelle Rich]

great first!

[Roger Chandler]

Nice first one Jon!

[Fred Belknap]

That is a great HF. It just looks nice. As for how thin they are I don't think going real thin has many benefits but it depends on the project:D.

[bob svoboda]

FIRST??? That's almost unbelievable. Very nice form and while I am not a fan of feet on HF's, I would much rather see one on a piece this nice than to see it in the burn barrel. Well Done!

[dan carter]

Good job, all it needs now is a pot pourri lid.

[Mark Hubl]

Congrats on your first HF. Looks good, nice curve and finish. To me the shape is reminiscent of a Moulthrop piece, nice. To foot or not to foot? On most "pebble" pieces maybe not, but sometimes just a bit of lift changes the shadow line and really draws interest to the curve. Good work.

[Jim Burr]

Great effort Jon! Forget thin. Turners only turn thin HF's to impress other turners. Joe Public has no idea what thin is and what a waste of a great piece because it snapped. I really like the orientation of the grain...kind of a swirly effect! Finish and proportions look good. Where is your next one?

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great work on your first. Nice form and finish.

[Jon Prouty]

Thank you all for the feedback - I really appreciate it. Kinda fun to come into the office and check out the comments on the Creek. I look forward to finishing my next project (a mesquite vase (ish) form that is end grain hollowed - I still have a bit of work on that one to do but will post pictures eventually.

John - your comment about the top is spot on... originally I was going to do a pot pourri lid but I got it too thin to do it right so the form evolved. I too prefer a bit of flare or rise to the top opening (I was able to do this on my vase thing that is in process).

I am really enjoying this turning thing... pretty fun.

Thanks again everyone!
Jon

[Rob Cunningham]

Very nice Jon. Good form and beautiful finish.

[Jon Nuckles]

Really impressive first, Jon! Can't wait to see what follows.