Guidance needed...where do I go from here

[DaveO]

OK I got a wild hair up my butt and decided to turn a hunk of Walnut that has been taunting me for a while. I had no design ideas and still have few. Here is where I'm at, a roughed out outside.


I

"nother shot...



I plan to bore it out with a large Forsner bit and then shape the hole
to give nice sides. As you can tell from my lack of "proper terminology" I really don't have a clue what I am doing on a lathe. I just work at it and finish with the 60 grit gouge. What I am seeing in my minds eye is rounding out the bottom to leave no foot and hollowing it out to have a nice flared top.
How do I do the bottom???? I have left a tenon to go in my old 4-jaw chuck so I can hollow it out, and I am thinking of fashioning a jam chuck to finish off the foot/bottom. Please some advice on the best direction to go and how to get there.
Thanks!!!!!!:-D


Dave:-)

[D L Ames]

Dave, based on my lack of turning experience I am not sure how you should proceed but your thoughts on rounding the bottom and adding a bit more flair to the top sound right on the money. That is looking good so far and I look forward to seeing more pix as you finish it up.

D L

[Monty]

Cool! Nice to see someone else has some of them "wild hairs" too! Looks like you have a nice start. Make sure the tenon shoulder is nice and square, so the jaw faces rest on the tenon shoulder (not the tenon end resting on the face of the jaw... hope that makes sense). I have never seen anyone use a forstner bit on a lathe before... might be entertaining to give it a whirl (so to speak) and see how it works. I would think the lathe turns too fast for that (unless you're planning to drill in on your dp?). I think the safest thing to do would be to drill it out on the lathe with a standard bit, or just use a bowl gouge to make the center hole. You can shape the outer rim with a bowl gouge, but hollowing the piece will require a hollowing tool. You're right on track with the jam chuck - when you're finished, turn it around and finish shaping the bottom like you want (with a slight hollow) down to a small nub at the tailstock, then chisel/sand that little piece off.

Can't wait to see how it turns out!!!

[DaveO]

I am planning to drill it out with the DP, as the drill chuck I have doesn't run true. I appreciate your thoughts on the bottom, I hadn't thought of making it concave, but that make much more sense seeing as less wood will be touching the surface of what ever it is sitting upon.
Thanks, Dave:-)

[DaveO]

I'll answer my own question......


The Scrap Pilethe dang thing checked overnight and I am not going to try and finish the turning and have it bounce off my large forehead.

My wife actually likes it so it will get a little hand sanding, and she'll turn the crack to the back



Dave:-)

[cskipper]

So - it was green?

[DaveO]

Not totally, it was air dried, but not long enough. It was actually an off-cut from a 12/4 slab that a buddy of mine uses to make fireplace mantles. It was one of the ends that had already checked. I suspected that it would check but I had hoped after I finished turning and hollowing it out

Dave:-)

[cskipper]

Bummer. Is it worse to know that if you'd sealed it and dried it it would have survivied? It woiuld have been pretty.

[Monty]

Hate when that happens!

[JRD]

Dave,

If you're determined to save this project, why not try mixing sanding dust with Tightbond (a putty like consistancy, very thick), work it into the crack and sand it down again.

This will leave a non-grain line down the vase, but will match color exactly and be almost unnoticible. The sanding dust particles will even take stain or finish as long as you've made a thick mix for the patching material.

Jim

[DaveO]

Jim, it was "saved" ... my wife liked it crack and all, so I hand sanded the rest of the way and put 5 coats of spray lacquer on it. She has a flower in it, right now. Not what I was wanting to make, but if she likes it then I'm happy.
Dave:-)

[clowman]

I'm late posting... Dang vacations... I was gonna say.. you got a lot of turning to get that down to pen size...