HF roughouts

[Ron Stadler]

I'm curious on how most of you go about doing your Hf's, espially from greenwood. Iv'e turned a few roughouts lately mostly from bradford pear and left the pith in the center of the form lengthwise, but as I tried to get the most of the log the pith is actually coming out on the side of the rim or entry hole. So I was wondering how most of you orient your piece on the lathe to avoid this, I have watched the Ellsworth video where he has the pith running through the lower portion and through the side of the form but was wondering if any of you do it differently and what the results have been for you. Mostly right now I have smaller logs so I would have to deal with the pith in someway or another, the only other thing I can think of is to line the pith on center on my lathe and turn most of it away and leave a small amount it on the bottom of the form that don't get turned away but I don't know if this works or not.
Iv'e been searching for more information on these, like books or video's on doing hf from greenwood, roughing them out and everything but the only thing I came across is the Ellsworth video's which I have.

[Michael E. Thompson]

I've done a few HF with the pith in the side and bottom from green wood. I use a DNA soak for most everything, then bag it. Before the DNA soak I will inspect the entire piece and find any cracks, fill the small ones with CA glue and if need be epoxy on the larger cracks. I use both thin and thick CA. The thin will wick into the wood getting good penitration and use the thick to fill small gaps. I have had good luck.

Mike

[Dennis Ford]

I try to avoid the pith completly most of the time but have seen quite a few pieces with the pith in either the sides or the bottom. Do avoid having the pith in or near the rim of a HF. Turning to final thickness (THIN) while wet is the most crack-free method of utilizing the pith. This will result in considerable warping usually. Michael's method work's for lots of people, try it.

Trying to get the most out of our blanks is the natural thing to do but often results in poorer quality work than trying to get the best from the wood.

[Ron Stadler]

Thanks Michael, haven't tried the DNA thing yet but will keep this in mind if I do.

[Jeff Myroup]

I turn all my urns from green wood with the pith in the center. I leave them about 1/2" to 5/8" thick. I soak the pith on the bottom of the tenon with thin CA and put it on the shelf until dry. Once dry, I true up the tenon and return the outside.

[Bernie Weishapl]

On all of my HF including those with the pith in I turn them thin and to finial thickness 3/8" or less. Once the tenon is removed and while still in the donut chuck I saturate the pith with CA. I then finish turning and sanding the bottom. Once that is done it is soaked inside and out with Antique Oil till it won't take anymore. Then 2 or 3 more coats after each coat dries for 24 hrs.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Ron
I turn all my vessels from green wood and I will center the log on the pith. By this I mean both ends will be centered on the pith, not just the bottom. I try to rough turn them to around 3/8" to 1/2" thick. Another thing that helps is to turn a tenon at the base of the vessel as small as possible. After rough turning I'll coat the outside with anchorseal & hang them upside down to dry.
Not every piece will make it but I've had a lot of success with this process.

[Thomas Canfield]

Trying to get the most out of our blanks is the natural thing to do but often results in poorer quality work than trying to get the best from the wood.[/QUOTE]

You mean that I don't have to turn it as I found it? I am still working on this concept, and my wife says that I need to dump a lot of wood that I have been accumulating.

[David E Keller]

Trying to get the most out of our blanks is the natural thing to do but often results in poorer quality work than trying to get the best from the wood.

You mean that I don't have to turn it as I found it? I am still working on this concept, and my wife says that I need to dump a lot of wood that I have been accumulating.[/QUOTE]

I agree with this statement. Nobody knows what size the piece of wood was to begin with, so no one but you can appreciate the fact that you got a 6" form from a 6.25" piece of wood. What people do tend to notice is form and proportion. You're better off getting a great 5" form from that example piece of wood than something larger with less pleasing proportions. I struggle to make myself do this at times especially if the wood was expensive or very nicely figured, but I know that it's better to end up with a smaller form that I like than a larger form that I don't.

As for the pith, I do as the others suggested if I'm turning an endgrain form from green wood... Center the pith at the top and bottom, rough hollow, CA the base, DNA, dry, and return. I don't win them all, but it works more often than not. The only thing else I do that I didn't see mentioned... I paint the outside of the rough out with anchorseal about 30 minutes after taking it from the DNA. I seem to get less cracking that way.

[Ron Stadler]

Thanks everyone, sounds like all good information. I'll have to give all these methods a try and see what works best for me.

[Wally Dickerman]

Geez you guys..don't you have any BIG trees where you live? Nothing but wimpy 7 inchers so that you have to take chances and turn with the pith in? You end up with cracked 6 inch hollowforms? Even here in dry old Arizona we get mesquite trees bigger than that.

[Don Alexander]

heck i'm still trying to get a 12" bowl out of a 6" log :D:D

[Donny Lawson]

Good information here. I am learning alot by reading,reading,reading. I've got a beautiful Walnut log that is about like a 6" stove pipe and has some nice designs in it and I've been saving it for a few months now. Looks like this could be my chance to use it.