Hf #2

[Ken Hill]

Only have a set of the Sorby mini hollowin tools and its my 2nd attempt ever so dont beat me up to bad LOL!

Red Oak Crotch, Oiled and will probably get more oila nd some WOP and a buff.

4 x 3 x 3/16 shy. Hard to get the walls super even with these tools and a long reach

http://kenhill.smugmug.com/Other/Bowls-and-Wood-Turning/i-8KbMVb6/0/L/DSC1857-L.jpg

[John Keeton]

Ken, Ken, Ken...... you are heading down a very slippery slope here. Please remember that most of your sales were bowls. You are getting closer and closer to that artsy stuff!

I really like this piece from the shoulder up. A pleasant curve on the lower portion leading into a foot half the size of what you have would be even sweeter!

[Ken Hill]

Yeah I knew the sides would be a bit flat and straight but I figured I had better ease into this and get some learning on parting it off with a fairly thin bottom etc. I think i heard your voice muttering "A monster sure would make this alot easier " several times......

[Ken Hill]

AFB truck coming down the lane now...wonder what that could be !

[James Combs]

Ken, I like it and wow what a piece of wood especially for Oak. I do however agree with John on the bottom, even if the bottom to base transition area had a little roundness to it, it would give it a bit more lift. Over all though I think it is a winner.

[Robert McGowen]

That is a very nice chunck of wood. Like John said, I would make the bottom MUCH smaller. This would do 3 things: Make the form more pleasing, almost force you to have a curve from the shoulder to the bottom instead of straight sides, and be less thickness to part off. Looking forward to seeing #3.

[Steve Vaughan]

Gorgeous color! I agree with the others about a smaller foot, but wow, that's a really nice piece as is. And hand-hollowing that thing is worthy of a great reward in itself!

[David Reed]

Very nicely done. the material is stellar as is the finish. I have learned the hard way that flat sides and fat bottoms are not the way to go.
I also sense that things are getting mighty slippery under you feet about now - hang on!

[Ken Hill]

#3 will have to wait, just unloaded the new Jet:D

Learning to chuck this stuff up sometimes seems to give me fits, I reckon that will come with more expience as it relates to parting off etc. It will also get better the more I do ..maybe haha

The wood, well I have tons of this size stuff.....tons. I wasnt sure about what size blanks and the size of HF's were until the pics about a creeker visit to Johns were posted. I can see where a hollowing system would make these a breeze and leave more time and thinking to better the form

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Ken,
What's to beat you up about? Your artistic sense is so good your pieces are pleasing to the eye even if you don't follow" the rules". I think it's a lovely vase.

[David E Keller]

Nicely done, Ken! I'm with the others on the bottom, but it's a heck of a job for a #2!I like to reverse my forms using the mini reverse chucky from Rubber Chucky products... It's helped me make my bottoms better, and it's dead easy... I used a simple jam chuck prior to that, and it works well also. Full disclosure: I was lucky enough to win one in the WTA contest, but I dont have any other affiliation with them.

[Jon McElwain]

Plus one more on what John said, but I REALLY like that wood. And the collar treatment is a very nice touch.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Love the wood and with a smaller bottom would have a more pleasing form. It will come Ken. Have fun with the new lathe.

[Richard Hutchings]

I am drawn to the rustic look. I like it.

[Bill Bolen]

Gorgeous piece of wood, I'm one of those guys who actually enjoys turning Oak. You did quite well here as the form stands well on its own. Your forms will evolve and change seemingly on their own somewhere between #3 and #300. I really like your beaded mouth here too. Well done.

[Tony De Masi]

Jet??? I don't see no stinkin Jet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Michelle Rich]

very nice wood & glad you didn't ruin a shoulder hollowing this...next one will be easier!

[Ken Hill]

Thanks for the comments, it all gets absorbed!

New Jet is in the shop, assembled and runs smooth.....took me 42 minutes by myself, sure is a heavy sucker! Cant do much until the new insert arrives for teh chuck...might just have to run to woodcraft if they have one in stock to bust this sucker tonight haha!

[Scott Lux]

I'm going to disagree with the crowd on one thing. I don't think a smaller bottom is necessary. It's a great piece (as all seem to agree). But a larger bottom makes it more rustic looking. Actually, that would look perfect in the arms of a Winnie-the-Pooh figure. That's a hunnypot.

[Dick Wilson]

Ken, I sure wish my second hollow turning was that nice!!!! The one thing that fellow guild members pounded in my head over and over again at show and tell is to make the base at least 1/3 the diameter of the widest diameter. I don't know what took so long, thick head. In doing that the curve from the shoulder to the base almost comes naturally. Turn another one, you are doing great!!!

[Richard Hutchings]

I don't understand. Why does everything have to look like a vase?

[Ken Hill]

Well, forms tend to have certain aspects that appeal to the eye, ofcourse everyone has a different view of what they like and what they dont or even prefer. For me, its about what I want but that doesnt negate the fact that certain forms do have a rule that is mostly adhered to, and i'm cool with that. I may not like that look but I would like to be able to meet the criteria set forth by those in that crowd. Its just like photgraphy, there are rules and I break them daily, sell quite a few images that do not stick to the rules etc however I know the rules and and use them as a guide LOL!

Now i'm not an elegant guy...rustic fits me pretty good, however I knew when turning this without any thought to what someone might say, that the base was going to be a bit to wide for a really good flow off the shoulder curve. With that in mind though, I figured this would end up finding a home on my wifes desk or some similiar location and a wider base would be a bit more stable as it takes its licks. As stated earlier, learning that bottom cut and parting off without making a piece of funnel art for me is tricky, I need to slow down, break out some calipers and do the basic "measure twice cut once" kind of mentality. If I do "break" a rule then so be it, unless I am setting out to meet the set criteria or meet some sort of design I wont worry a hoot about it, but you can bet I will learn HOW to do it one day haha!

Keep the suggestions, tips etc coming....you have to learn somehow!

[Richard Hutchings]

It makes sense to want your work to appeal to the masses if your selling but me? I'm a little rough around the edges. I would prefer that shape to the ones that "follow the rules". I don't have a lot of experience so maybe somewhere down the road, I'll want to follow some rules and see if I like it.:eek:

[Steve Schlumpf]

Classic jar form!! Nice work on this - especially considering the tools you have to work with! Looking forward to seeing HF #3!

[Bill Wyko]

You're off to a running start BUT....as John said, you're running down a slippery slope. Very nice job though and a wonderful selection of wood. Better hide the credit card and stay out of the tool stores.

[Baxter Smith]

Congrats Ken! I like it as is. I don't think "delicate" when I think of oak(or you;):)). The spalting is very pretty and the wide base gives me a feeling of both
solidness AND usefullness! It doesn't get much better than being pretty and useful!

[Ken Hill]

Thanks, I am still having issues with these however, other then being pretty I dont see much use in something so small. It would make a glorified pencil holder haha. I know I know....I need not be so practical all the time. The wife said..."Nice, now make one full size!"