Second attempt at hollow form

[Weekendworrior]

From the scrap pile I utilized poplar and red oak. The poplar was left over from a project a few months ago. the red oak was old pallet wood. I wanted to turn end grain and wanted two different hardness's. As with my first attempt, I really just wanted to create evils and make something hateful to work with. I figured the oak would give me the fit. It didn't, as it was the poplar that put up more of a fight than the oak. The oak portions where actually pleasant. I finished it off with BLO and paste wax. I'm not making show pieces here, just practicing.

 

[redknife]

Very nice.

 

[Sam Knight]

Great job Bill. I like the form of your vase. I have not tried making a hollow form as of yet but soon I will give it a try. As far as oak, the one small bowl I turned from a piece of green oak, left behind a section that was rough (fuzzy looking). Not sure if it is me, the tool not sharp, or just the nature of oak.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Looks pretty darn good for "just practice". :icon_thum

 

[kave]

Bill, those look really nice, you da man! :eusa_clap:eusa_clap

 

[JonB]

Nice looking piece, hollow forms are fun to turn.
A couple thoughts, you mention wanting to turn "end grain". This piece, being a glue up, is actually side grain. In turning you should always be cutting side grain, even end grain vessels a hole is usually drilled with a drill bit and the cut with the turning tool will still be cutting side grain. More specifically, a turner should cut side grain down hill as much as possible to limit tear out. As wood is basically "straws", imagine trying to cut into the end of a bunch of straws, doesn't really work.
Another consideration in your piece, being a glue up, is that you are also turning glue which can effect the "hardness" feel. Glue will dull tools a little faster than wood alone. Dry wood that is used in a glue up will be harder than wet or green wood, that's why many turners like to work with wet or green wood besides the fun of peeling off lots of curly shavings.

 

[Weekendworrior]

Thanks guys. I was going to try one more practice piece before diving into that actual project I've been practicing for but I feel comfortable enough to go ahead with it.

JonB, technically, since it's squares cut from boards, it's alternating between side grain and end grain as it spins. In turning, you are certainly welcome to turn whichever grain you desire. One is more difficult than the other and the end results are completely different in appearance. See my first attempt: http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/showthread.php?t=56392

I'm not looking for "easy", I'm trying to create evils in turning. I want to create something so hateful you want to just quit on it. I want something that catches and tosses itself out of chuck at 1500 rpm and I have to wait for it to stop traveling across the floor, yard, down the street, whatever. Just so I can retrieve it, chuck it back up and go again, just to see what I can make of it after the damage. This way, once you have accomplished something remotely decent after all that, the easier stuff is well.........easy. Challenge yourself!

I drill the inside of the forms initially with a long small drill bit then follow it with a forstner bit to the final desired depth.

I'm not a fan of cutting green for the reason of having to wait after the milling process to "see what happens". Bowls crack, hollow forms crack and/or move in mysterious ways and after waiting for it to dry, you have to come back and true everything back up to finish it. Green cuts easy, granted, but thus far my homemade hollowing tools have outperformed every hollowing tool I've purchased and they remove large amounts of wood very quickly and easily in dry wood.

Cut it, sand it, finish it, done. That's me.