Hollow Form Blanks

[Mike Goetzke]

How do you prepare a hollow form from a log?

Thanks

[charlie knighton]

endgrain or facegrain?

[Mike Goetzke]

endgrain or facegrain?

I'm new - show me both.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Mike - a hollow form blank from a log is nothing more than large chunk of wood. It is the orientation of the grain once it is attached to the lathe that determines if it is facegrain or endgrain. Basically - if the grain is perpendicular to the bed of the lathe - it is facegrain. If the grain runs parallel to the bed, it is endgrain. While each orientation will give a different look to the end product, consideration should also be given as to the final form you are going to create because of inherent strengths and weaknesses of the wood.

Here is a link to a very old thread about turning a hollow form (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?74120-Hollow-Forms-and-How-I-Turn-Them). The first few photos show a hollow form (facegrain) blank on the lathe.

[Grant Wilkinson]

I've done a few end grain vases from smaller logs, so that I could not cut the pith out. I turned them in one go, then soaked the bottom/pith in thin CA before turning the tenon off. So far - fingers crossed - they've not cracked from the pith. If your logs are big enough, you can cut out the pith and still get an end grain piece out of them. Turning/cutting the pith out of side grain is easier, I find.

[charlie knighton]

great pics Steve

[Mike Goetzke]

Thanks for the explanations. I bookmarked your tutorial Steve.

I most likely will pick up some wood this weekend and have seen bowl blank prep but not for hollow forms - looks like not a big difference.


Mike

[Steve Schlumpf]

Mike, here are a few links to some older posts that show some of the different grain orientations when roughing out a form. All the vases are endgrain.

Maple Burl Vase Rough Out (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?190340-Maple-Burl-Vase-Rough-Out)
Maple Burl HF Rough Out (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?190331-Maple-Burl-HF-Rough-Out)
Another Vase Rough Out (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?185750-Another-Vase-Rough-Out)
Maple Rough Out (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?184993-Maple-Rough-Out)

[Thom Sturgill]

If you can get a hold of John Jordan's DVD: The Aesthetics & Properties of Wood he has an excellent discussion on wood orientation issues for both bowls and hollow forms.

[Scott Hackler]

I used to to both end grain and side grain HFs, but find myself doing end grain more than not. I like that the tenon is completely stable for the end grain, the movement from green to dry is minimal and by drilling a depth hole first... you are actually hollowing side grain from the center to the wall of the vessel.

[Mike Goetzke]

Really appreciate the information. I should mention my experience with the lathe is making a few pens on a cheap Sears lathe I got many years ago. I then bought a 46-460 Delta midi from a member here about 1-1/2 years ago, bought some cherry blanks from Mike Cruz, and with his help got hook on turning bowls. The midi was limited on size so I bought a PM 3520B and recently bought a NIB Carter captured hollowing system for about 1/3 of retail from a new turner that didn't end up liking the hobby and am dying to use it.

Mike

[Thomas Canfield]

Mike,

With the 3520B you will be wanting to get a good steady rest to do some of the hollow forms. I was lucky and got one from Jeff Nichol several years back when he was making them, but there are others out there or build your own.

[Fred Belknap]

I used to to both end grain and side grain HFs, but find myself doing end grain more than not. I like that the tenon is completely stable for the end grain, the movement from green to dry is minimal and by drilling a depth hole first... you are actually hollowing side grain from the center to the wall of the vessel.

Good advise, I found from experience that if you don't drill out the center on end grain there will be a spot on the bottom center that is really hard to remove. These kind of details are what I find missing in many U-tube and DVDs. Sometimes we do little details that make the job better and easier and don't realize we are doing them.