Pride and Joy...I thought! HF

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Spalted Pecan HF. All was going well until the very end and the recess I cut for my chuck gave way and I lost over an inch of the turning. Here is what is left. A worm eaten 4 1/2" X 7" HF. Sanded to 600 grit and finished with BLO and waxed.:)
Done with a hand made hollowing tool fashioned from an "S" handle, open end, drop forged wrench.

[Mark Pruitt]

Great save Chris! What species is the collar?

I really like the innovative hollowing tool you have there too.

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Great save Chris! What species is the collar?

I really like the innovative hollowing tool you have there too.

Thanks Mark, the collar is a temporary made of pine and died black. I am making the permanent one of Purple Heart.

[Jim Becker]

I think you're doing a good job, Chris. That's a pretty piece!

One tip...when you are turning bowls and hollowforms, use a tenon rather than a recess. A recess (inside mount) is great for platters and flat things where there is a lot of material to support the chuck jaws and the tension on them, but as you cut away material at the bottom of a bowl of hollowform, you rarely have enough wood to do the job. A tenon provides a stronger hold on the turning, especially if you take care to provide a shoulder for the top of the jaws to engage and make it short enough...the tenon should never bottom out in your chuck jaws. If you are concerned with "losing height" on a piece of really good material, glue on a sacrificial block of wood to provide wood for your tenon...it just gets cut away later when you are finishing off the bottom.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Chris that is a beautiful save. Nice job. I have to agree with Jim to use a tenon rather than a recess. I had the same problem but no longer.