Marty Tippin
10-16-2014, 10:20 AM
(I guess great minds think alike -- I was watching Robo Hippy's bandsaw video in another browser window while composing this post and (I swear!) just about the time I was ready to hit the Submit button, he stole my idea in his video! So if you've just watched his video, you'll think I'm taking credit for his idea... )
I was working on my second attempt at a cremation urn yesterday and needed a way to slow down the drying of the exterior while hollowing the inside. I've previously used plastic grocery sacks to wrap a piece when I'm going to be away from the lathe for a while, but I didn't think that would work well for a piece that I'm actively working on - I use a laser-guided hollowing system and need to accurately see where the laser is hitting the piece. I tried (briefly) to use plastic packing tape (the wide, clear stuff) but didn't like how it went on as it left bumps and ridges that would distort the laser. Then it occurred to me that plastic stretch wrap (the kind that is used to secure boxes on pallets for shipping, etc.) might work, and I happened to have a partial roll leftover from our move to the new house a couple of years ago.
So I wrapped the outside of the urn in the stretch wrap, going all the way around the top end as well. I trimmed the excess from the end and added several cross-ways strips of packing tape, then carefully cut out a hole about 1/2" bigger than I intended the opening to be, and wrapped a few strips of tape around the base of the urn and in the middle. Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos, but hopefully you can visualize what I'm desribing.
This ended up working wonderfully as I hollowed - I could see moisture starting to collect inside the plastic wrap but it wasn't able to escape, keeping the outside of the urn nice and wet as I hollowed the inside. The wrap conformed to the shape of the urn nicely and the laser was easy to see. And the reinforcement around the opening held it all in place through 2+ hours of hollowing. Plus, I was interrupted for a few hours to watch the KC Royals clinch the American League championship and didn't have to worry about covering the piece when I walked away -- all I did was stuff a plastic grocery sack in the opening to keep the inside from drying out.
I don't know if regular "Saran" type kitchen wrap would work or not - the stuff I have came from a moving supply company and is a lot heavier than the kitchen wrap and is extremely stretchy, allowing you to make it conform to whatever shape you're trying to wrap.
Anyway, I wanted to share in case this is "new" to anyone else and might be helpful.
I was working on my second attempt at a cremation urn yesterday and needed a way to slow down the drying of the exterior while hollowing the inside. I've previously used plastic grocery sacks to wrap a piece when I'm going to be away from the lathe for a while, but I didn't think that would work well for a piece that I'm actively working on - I use a laser-guided hollowing system and need to accurately see where the laser is hitting the piece. I tried (briefly) to use plastic packing tape (the wide, clear stuff) but didn't like how it went on as it left bumps and ridges that would distort the laser. Then it occurred to me that plastic stretch wrap (the kind that is used to secure boxes on pallets for shipping, etc.) might work, and I happened to have a partial roll leftover from our move to the new house a couple of years ago.
So I wrapped the outside of the urn in the stretch wrap, going all the way around the top end as well. I trimmed the excess from the end and added several cross-ways strips of packing tape, then carefully cut out a hole about 1/2" bigger than I intended the opening to be, and wrapped a few strips of tape around the base of the urn and in the middle. Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos, but hopefully you can visualize what I'm desribing.
This ended up working wonderfully as I hollowed - I could see moisture starting to collect inside the plastic wrap but it wasn't able to escape, keeping the outside of the urn nice and wet as I hollowed the inside. The wrap conformed to the shape of the urn nicely and the laser was easy to see. And the reinforcement around the opening held it all in place through 2+ hours of hollowing. Plus, I was interrupted for a few hours to watch the KC Royals clinch the American League championship and didn't have to worry about covering the piece when I walked away -- all I did was stuff a plastic grocery sack in the opening to keep the inside from drying out.
I don't know if regular "Saran" type kitchen wrap would work or not - the stuff I have came from a moving supply company and is a lot heavier than the kitchen wrap and is extremely stretchy, allowing you to make it conform to whatever shape you're trying to wrap.
Anyway, I wanted to share in case this is "new" to anyone else and might be helpful.