Dumb Question about Hollow Forms from a Beginner

[Glen Blanchard]

I have made my first (small) hollow form, and will be placing the finish today. I presume placing a finish on the interior of a hollow form is important for the long term stability of the piece. If this is correct, how does one typically place a finish on the inside considering the restricted access? My plan is to use Waterlox.

[Eric Holmquist]

I typically pour some in, slosh it around and pour out whats left. If you do that first, you can use what you pour out on the outside

[Glen Blanchard]

Thanks Eric. That's what I was planning on doing, but I wanted to be sure I wasn't missing something as I have never seen this mentioned.

[Scott Hackler]

If I am using a wipe on finish such as tung oil or wipe on poly, I will pour some inside and coat it. If I am spraying lacquer, the inside is left raw. Its less about "sealing it" and more about "can't get it in there"! :)

[Steve Schlumpf]

Glen... just some additional info, but I coat the outside of the form a couple of times first and let it dry, then I coat the inside. I have found a few times that the finish may wick through the endgrain in the thin areas and cause the piece to be darker in those areas once dry. This is especially important when dealing with dyes... not so much when using just one finish.

[Mike Cruz]

Actually, I just had this discussion with another turner a couple of days ago, Steve... You are so right. If, for example, you throw some oil in the HF while on the lathe and spin up the lathe to "apply" the oil/finish, it will bleed through in the thinnest areas. So, what Steve is saying holds a lot of merrit. Just something to look out for...

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Here's a DON'T DO. A few weeks ago I decided to pour some one pound cut shellac into a hollow form that was yet unfinished on the outside. The wood was spalted sycamore. I poured in a generous amount, sloshed it around and poured out the balance. Within 10 minutes the form cracked. I still can't figure out the dynamic that caused the crack unless the alcohol caused rapid expansion then rapid contraction as it evaporated. Fortunately, I was able to fill the crack with epoxy and finely ground coffee beans and the fix looked like another zone line.
faust