First Hollow Form

[Carole Valentine]

While I have fiddled with pencil cups and a vase, I had not attempted what I consider a hollow form. (What the heck makes something a hollow form, anyway?) Yesterday, I decided to try it now that I have some hollowing tools. While I don't particularly care for the overall form, I was pleased with the hollowing itself. It is about 1/4" every where except right at the sharp angle where it is a little thicker. I have not figured out how to do an adequate job of sanding inside these things. Someone needs to design an articulated sander that attaches to hollowing bars!
http://www.esva.net/%7Epchousecalls/firsthf.jpg

[Jeff Sudmeier]

It looks great Carole! I would imagine that deep (Horizontal) hollowing like that is not an easy task.

[Fred Ray]

Looks really good to me, Carole.

"Ask and ye shall recieve"

Articulated inertia powered 2" disk sander attachable to hollowing bars.

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/cgi-bin/shopper?preadd=action&key=161-0300

I'm not necessarily recommending it, just pointing that somebody beat you to the design. That happens to me all the time. Every decent idea I ever had had already been thunk up by somebody before me.:(

[Carole Valentine]

I have seen that one, Fred. It's not exactly what I had in mind. I am thinking about a sort of "sanding bulb" maybe about 1" in diameter that fits right into the curved (swan neck) hollowing bar in place of the bit. Needs to fit thru a narrow opening. Don't know if it can or has been done. I haven't seen one.

[John Hart]

Carole...I think the overall shape is very pleasing. Excellent piece. I'd be proud to display it.

Btw...If it take a surgical instrument attached to the end of a snake to sand it...who's gonna know that it hasn't been sanded in that corner?:rolleyes: I know I know...it's the principle of the thing.

[Von Bickley]

Carole, I think it looks great... :) :) :)

[Jerry Clark]

Great looking form Carole-- Looks southwestern style.:)

[Michael Stafford]

Carole, I think your first hollow form is quite lovely. I admire you having the intestinal fortitude to do it. Intestinal fortitude is near your turning muscle! :p :D I really like it and I will say this, a long time ago I told you not to start turning, you will find your saws, jointers and other tools have become horizontal surfaces upon which turning tools, wood and sanding supplies now rest. I did not lie did I???? :D

Quite nice! As far as sanding the inside, I have never turned one but I have seen an articulated sander somewhere in one of the woodturning catalogs. Also they sell some really long curved locking forceps that you can use to grip bits of folded up sandpaper and smooth the inside somewhat. I am sure some of the more experienced HF turners can advise better. ;)

[Fred Ray]

WEll, Carole if it's been done, the man who probably did it, or at least would know about it is right there on the Eastern Shore of Virginia (Bloxom wherever that is). Mr. Bruce Hoover is the self proclaimed "President of the "I Hat To Sand" club". He has invented several pretty cool sanding devices including the "Sanding glove" and "Extenda-sand"(now being sold by Craft Supplies).

In the back of my feeble mind, I seem to recall him demonstrating a little bulb type gizzie with velcro that you wrapped a disk around when he did a demo for The Carolina Mountain Woodturners a couple years ago. Here's his personal website with address, phone, etc. http://www.brucehoover.com/

Although the site does not cover his sanding innovations, You might want to give him a holler since ya'll could be neighbors.

I sat through his demo at CMW. The first 3 hours all he did was discuss sanding. Now, I know you're not gonna believe this - but: Not one second of tha 3 hours was in any way boring. He has some very cool ideas for sanding.:cool:

[Jim Becker]

That is really lovely, Carole!! Great job. First one, eh? Hmm... :)

[Ed Scolforo]

Carole: Very nice work on your first hollow form! I've got a ways to go before attempting one of those. In the short time I've been a member here I can see a steady progression of your woodturning skills. Keep up the good work.

Ed

[Blake McCully]

Carole,
Here's what you do. Hollow to the thickness you want. And if the mouth of your vessel is large enough so that someone can get their finger in and you don't want them to feel the unsanded side, simply turn an open "finial" that will act as an open plug to put into the opening. Not only does that keep errant fingers out, it also prompts a lot of "Wow, how did you work through that little hole?" Works too!

Just my $0.02.

Great looking vessel by the way. You did a terrific job.

[Carole Valentine]

:)Yeah, I know about collars, but I have yet to make one. When I see a collar, I think, "That looks pretty...wonder what they are trying to hide?";)

[Ernie Nyvall]

That's nice Carole. Looks like you had to really reach to get to the sides of such a short hf. What tool did you use?

Ernie

[Carole Valentine]

Ernie, I used the Stinger set, straight, angled and swan neck.

[Carole Valentine]

Michael, you definitely did not lie! ;) There is half an inch of dust on my jointer and planer. The only reason it's not still on my Unisaw is because I used it the other day to cut up some poplar boards to make glue blocks! The saw was obviously furious at me for neglecting it so long. I was using a crosscut sled and something, not sure what, went wrong and all heck broke loose. I managed to hang onto the board for dear life until I could hit the switch with my knee. It was a 15" wide board about 4' long so I may have let one side drift off the back fence of the sled. Anyway, the saw and I look cross-eyed at each other now every time I come in the shop! I am expecting it to murder my lathe in the dark of night.:D

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

Nice going Carol. Once you have done one the ice is broken and the next one will be easier simply because you have proved you can do it.. So far I have made my entry holes about 1 1/8" in diameter and then I turn a collar that reduces the hole so that fingers can only feel around the hole.(-: I have no idea how one would do an acceptable job sanding inside a hollow form unless the opening is pretty big. By the way I have made the box elder into a hollow form and am in the process of finishing the main part before parting off. Hope to post a pic next week.

[Raymond Overman]

Carole,

The key to sanding inside the hollow forms is to make the opening small enough that no one can get their finger more than a couple of inches inside the mouth. The only people that care about the inside being sanded smooth on hollow forms is other turners and as you get better with your tools, the cleaner the cut, the less the wall thickness, and the smaller the opening. Other turners won't be the majority of your customers/collectors anyway and the buyers are going to be looking at how beautiful the outside is, not taking a pen light to the inside.

Just my .02. I may be wrong.

Nice work by the way. I like the form.

[Takeshi Uchida]

Looks lovely. Is that your first hollow form?

I feel it's unable for me to form like that,,,

I'm a novice and have no hollowing tool. Your project tempted me to

buy a new toy , swan neck. ah...hmmm...

[Carole Valentine]

Takeshi,
You can do it! I am a novice too...just started turning in January and it took me a while to get up the nerve to try something other than pens. :D I would suggest 3 hollowing tools to make things easier... a straight boring bar, an angled bar and a curved (swan neck) bar. It's nice if the bars will accept a teardrop scraper as well as regular bits. Go for it! It's fun!

[Bill Esposito]

Carole,

That looks really nice. How big is it? Did you get those stinger bars squealing? :).

I Use the teardrop scraper on the Scorpion curved bar to get things pretty smooth. Then I use either the Sorby sander or my Milwaukee to get the bottom. Fingers and sandpaper for under the rim... and that can hurt a little.

[Bill Esposito]

hey Carole, you probably like having those stinky potpourri bowls all around your house ;). I think you'll find that your first hollow forms will make great potpourri bowls, especially since your opening is going to be pretty big at first. Take a look at Woodturnerscatalog for their potpourri lids (http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/cgi-bin/shopper?preadd=action&key=064-0050) and make your first forms useful. Here are a few of my first forms (http://cerealport.net/woodworking/potpourri_bowls.html)...the wife and girls loved them.

[Carole Valentine]

Good idea, Bill! I would have to make the opening a little larger I think. It is about 1.5". The stinger was squealing a little but not like it was on the narrow neck vase I did tonight!!! I made a mistake when I bought the Scorpion/Stinger set with the pistol grip handle. It does not work well with the Mini. The drop on the handle is longer than the 5" from spindle to bed. I have to put the tool rest way up high and go in at a downward angle. Not good. Wish they would tell you things like that when you look at the specs for a tool!

[Bill Esposito]

I hadn't thought about that. Seems like a good excuse for a bigger lathe :)