Newbie question

[Dale Cruea]

Well first of all I am not a complete newbie to turning. I have turned a few things. Not much and not well.
I have 2 lathes. A full sized cheap Delta and a midi Jet.
I have some tools from Crown. Spindel gouge, skew, parting tool and scraper.
I have a bowel gouge, a carbide tipped round thingie and a carbide square tipped thingie.
I THINK I may know how to use most of this stuff enough to make chips. Maybe. Getting a sandable finish is another story.

I have a project that is going to finish at 6" in dia. and 7" long.
I can do the outside easily.

I can not figure out how to hold the project while doing the inside.
I would like to go 6 1/2" deep inside.

I don't know if a face plate will hold or not.

The center of the project will be open to start with because I will be making this from laminated stock and will not use full width boards to cut down on waste.

Any ideas or more information just ask.

Thanks guys and gals.

Dale

[Keith Christopher]

Something like this. You can build your own. Google search for plans

http://www.turnrobust.com/Bowl_Steady_Rest.html

[Steve Mawson]

A face plate will work fine, you must have enough material on the bottom to turn away the screw holes, or use a waste block glued to the bottom that you also turn away after you have finished the inside. A chuck will also work but face plate works fine if you don't have a chuck.

Woodturning clubs can be a big help as well, used to go through Sweetser when I lived in Ft. Wayne so know you may not be too close to a club.

There are many DVD's that show bowl turning and are a big help. Hope that helps.

[Aric Krueger]

The use of a spindle steady is certainly a good idea (if not a necessity) for an object 7” long and unsupported at the tail stock whether you use a face plate or a chuck. Also, a general rule of thumb for safety is that the tool handle should be at least five times the maximum distance you intend to reach beyond the tool rest. This gives you the leverage required for tool control. I’ve noticed that most regular chisels are designed to reach only about 3” or so beyond the tool rest. So, to hollow 6 ½” deep, I would recommend the use of a hollowing tool rest that can extend into the opening of your project or a captive hollowing system (which may require different chisels). The hollowing could be done with a heavy spindle gouge, bowl gouge or scrapers. You carbide tools may work also. Sanding the interior will probably have to be done with sandpaper attached to sticks for safety. I hope I have understood your project correctly and that this helps.

[Thomas Canfield]

You did not mention the opening diameter which will impact your tool choice and the wood grain orientation. For a large opening, you can just use a drill to open the center down close to the bottom and use the drilled hole to start the hollowing process. For end grain, a scraper works well, but you need to limit your cut to prevent a major catch and pulling your work out of a chuck or whatever. Hopefully you can find some local mentor to give you some more specific suggestions when your project is better defined.