Maple HF

[Darren Jamieson]

Well after seeing a few of the other posts with hollow forms I decided that it was time to give one a shot. I had to make the opening a bit larger and then put a ring on top only because I only have a Termite tool and a gouge for hollowing so a tight opening would have been to difficult for me. The finial I am not 100% excited about but again I had never done one so I guess you have to start somewhere. The total height is about 8" and maybe 5 1/2" at the widest part. The Mapleis from the tree that stood in the front yard of my childhood home and was somewhere over 100 years old when it was taken down.(knowone counted rings but it was over 4' across) The wood was so wroughten that I threw it in the garbage earlier and then weeks later thought about doing this peice. The top and the lid are walnut that I had in the shop. Three coats WOP and I will wax and buff it at a later date,CC as usual always welcome.
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[Mark Hubl]

Looks good, awfully good for your first. Love spalted wood, but it can be challenging. Good result for sure. Your form and proportions look good to me. Next!

[John Keeton]

Darren, that is excellent work! Great form on the maple, and good, clean tool work on the collar and finial. I like the ogee in the collar, and the flow of the form/collar/finial is good - nice fair curve created by the elements. For a first, the finial is excellent! You will progress quickly on the finial thing - just takes doing a few.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Darren - congrats on your first HF! Very nice work! Great looking wood! As John said - these things get easier with time and lots of practice! Looking forward to seeing HF#2!

[Darren Jamieson]

Looks good, awfully good for your first. Love spalted wood, but it can be challenging. Good result for sure. Your form and proportions look good to me. Next!
Thanks for the kind words Mark. Anything spalted is by far my favourite. I have about three good peices of that same maple left so we'll see what I can come up with.

Darren, that is excellent work! Great form on the maple, and good, clean tool work on the collar and finial. I like the ogee in the collar, and the flow of the form/collar/finial is good - nice fair curve created by the elements. For a first, the finial is excellent! You will progress quickly on the finial thing - just takes doing a few.
Thanks John, it means alot to here you veteran turners chiming in with so many incouraging words.

Darren - congrats on your first HF! Very nice work! Great looking wood! As John said - these things get easier with time and lots of practice! Looking forward to seeing HF#2!
Thanks Steve, the LOML has about two months of flat work for me so after the peice on the lathe right now is done it might be awhile till I get back at it. Seeing the work that has been on display here lately makes me want to be in the shop all day everyday.

[Ron Stadler]

I really like the shape and the walnut ring goes well with it, not really sure about the finial but I think I like it. If anything it might be just a hair bulky to me otherwise I think it a great piece. Also the spalting in the wood is really cool, definetly a keeper in my book.

[Baxter Smith]

Nice wood and hollowform Darren. Wood with a history is an added bonus!

[Dan Forman]

Really glad you didn't toss that maple! Really nice wood and form. The collar and finial are well done, but to me are too massive for the form. If it were mine, I'd do just a thin walnut collar (the walnut compliments the maple well), and leave it with the large opening.

Dan

[Darren Jamieson]

Thanks all for the kind comments. the poll has been taken and it would seem that the finial is a bit bulky and I think maybe I might try another one at a later date. Because the piece isn't totally finished yet the walnut band hasn't been glued so I could always try a different variation for the top.

[David E Keller]

Looks like a stellar first! I think you nailed the main form, and it takes a few to find what you like and dislike for collars and finials. For my tastes, the collar could be a bit thinner(lower profile) and the finial could be a bit skinnier, but what you've done is far nicer than the first several I produced. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with #2. BTW, if you have any more wood like that to throw out, you might consider disposing of it in Oklahoma!

[Eugene Wigley]

Darren, I think that is fantastic. I have never done a hollow form. I was just watcing a video on hollow forms and was thinking of doing my first. You have inspired me.

Thanks for posting this

[Bernie Weishapl]

Darren that is a great looking HF for your first. I do like the ogee collar. Finial looks good and they will get better the more you do.

[Darren Jamieson]

Looks like a stellar first! I think you nailed the main form, and it takes a few to find what you like and dislike for collars and finials. For my tastes, the collar could be a bit thinner(lower profile) and the finial could be a bit skinnier, but what you've done is far nicer than the first several I produced. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with #2. BTW, if you have any more wood like that to throw out, you might consider disposing of it in Oklahoma!
Thanks David, you are to kind. The reason that I was throwing it out is because the chunks that I got are just filled with dry wrought but once you start cutting you can actually get a pretty good surface. There is alot of sanding involved with it.

Darren, I think that is fantastic. I have never done a hollow form. I was just watcing a video on hollow forms and was thinking of doing my first. You have inspired me.

Thanks for posting this
Thanks Eugene but it is really the other hollow forms that have been posted here in the last week that inspired me and I have a long way to go to match those.

Darren that is a great looking HF for your first. I do like the ogee collar. Finial looks good and they will get better the more you do.
Thanks Bernie. It would seem that the finial size is the only real complaint that I am getting so I am thinking about redoing this one and turning the bottom of the finial into a little bulb and flattening down the ramp up from the widest part. But I am already into an other peice so you never know this one might just stay the way it is and I'll do something different on the next one.

[Allen Howell]

Darren-
Yes, do that. I am a relatively new turner (right at 2 months now) and did my first hf with a similar shape and lid, but made the finial out of the same wood as the body. Mine didn't turn out nearly as good as yours. Now I'm ready to try another one. Good work!

[Michelle Rich]

For a first it is a real beauty...

[Darren Jamieson]

Once again thanks to everyone who took the time to comment on my hours of fun in the shop. It is through these comments that I will sculpt my turning passion into what I hope to be a pleasurable hobby/income someday. One of the reasons that I post here at SMC is that I do get he comments that I was not getting at the past forum that I posted at. All in all I think that I am happy with my effort on this peice and that I am not going to change a thing, only to set it aside and move on to the next one with the knowledge to hopefully change the next one for the better. Once again thank you all for the encouraging words.

[Roland Martin]

Very nice form and a great piece of spalted maple. Very well done, especially for your first:eek:!