Hollow Forms

[boysie39]

I would like opionions on making hollow forms.It probley has been aired before but I seem to have missed it.
Do I attack by endgrain or as you would a bowl. What I have done so far has been small and mostly done with a fingernail gouge or the
Sorby teardrop tool.
Also which comes first the inside or outside.I already have an inspirational piece but would be happy to achive just a semblence of what it is.
So suggested tools and anything else that you feel would be of help ,Iknow Iknow ability would be a big asset but I will try.
REgards Boysie.

 

[Bodrighy]

Over to you George....

Pete

 

[wizer]

Eugene, if you can afford it, the roly munro is really really easy to use. You could get the mini, which George recommends. I'm sure the more experienced turners will be along soon, but from a novice point of view, the Roly Munro takes the hard work out of it. Interested to hear George's procedure. I screw to a faceplate, true up the blank, make a tenon for the deep grip jaws and do a bit of shaping, then flip it round and finalise my design, drill a hole down the centre and start hollowing.

 

[cornucopia]

Morning All

well eugene you could always come over and have a day with me

but failing that my general approach is summed up in your bog yew thread in my blog here

it makes very little difference wether you choose to hollow end grain or side grain- i tend to use end grain most (your piece i sent is end grain hollowed)

the major stumbling block is the pith in the final piece of work- avoid the pith and your success rate will quadruple

the next issue is working with wet or semi wet wood the wall thickness must be kept even not nessercarly very thin but always even so that the piece dries evenly.

next is to focus on form- a nice simple flowing curve.

finally hollowing hole size- I belive that true hollow forms like ellsworth and firmager and what i aspire to are hollowed through small holes. some think this is merely showing of until they try it and find out how much harder they are to do. the difference between an inch hole or a 1 1/2" inch hole is enormous. do not try to do small holes to begin with- i have been trying to make hollow forms for the last 10 or so years and its only in the last 2 or 3 that i have been comftable working through small holes.

general steps:

rough out between centres
mount on a plate or very strong chuck
do initial shaping but leave enough strength at the base to allow hollowing
hollow it out down to final thickness working from the top down
stop hollowing 3/4 of the way down
go back outside and reduce waste wood which you left for strength
back inside finish hollowing (the hardest bit)
sand/finish outside
part of
reverse turn or clean up base by hand
done

if anyone would like any further help- just ask

 

[cornucopia]

I forgot to say about tools :roll:

the mini munroe is a joy to use and very learner friendly but it wont reach everywhere in all forms and you cant go through small holes with it.

a good basic starter kit is two home made oland tools just like mr ellsworth's 1/2" silver steel shaft with hss tips with 5" cobalt

i personally dont like those tear drop cutters.

 

[wizer]

i personally dont like those tear drop cutters.

So I take it you haven't tried the Roly Munro scraper attachment? I've got it on order from Axminster. I thought it might help smooth out the inside when at final thickness?

 

[cornucopia]

wate of time and more money tom- you can get a perfect finish straight from the munroe you just need to pratice pratice pratice

 

[wizer]

That's fair enough, Money has not changed hands yet, so I'll cancel it. TBH I've been getting a good finish with it, but still needs sanding. Obviously when I start going through narrow openings I won't be able to sand. But then I guess no one will know

 

[boysie39]

Thanks Pete, Tom, and George,
Tom you say you have the Rolly M tool have you the bigger one? I seem to remember you saying you took the big one because the small one was not available at the time or was that another tool? I have read on other forums as well as on here that it is a superb tool to use. Who are they stocked by, maybe a PM would keep things legal and above board, thanks in advance. My tool supplier in "Dagenham" may have something (if you havent cleaned him out)who knows?.

George, Thank you for your expertise and how to advice. Have printed off your tool sketches which a bloke who has a small engineering shop had told me to do and he will make any tool if I have a drawing for it. So roll on Monday. I would love to take you up on the Turning lesson day sometime if I get a chance maybe next year. In the mean time all advice gratefully recieved. God bless all, REgards Boysie

 

[wizer]

There's no cleaning out the Dagenham Branch. He's stocked to the gunwales!

That's right Eugene. I bought the big Roly M purely because that's all they had at the show. If they'd had the smaller one I would have bought that. I just wanted to take a tool home with me. Not the best way to buy tools, I admit. I used the smaller Roly M at the bash and agree that it's a bit nicer to handle. IMHO the other types are no where near as easy to use.

Go for it!

 

[Blister]

Thanks Pete, Tom, and George,
Tom you say you have the Rolly M tool have you the bigger one? I seem to remember you saying you took the big one because the small one was not available at the time or was that another tool? I have read on other forums as well as on here that it is a superb tool to use. Who are they stocked by, maybe a PM would keep things legal and above board, thanks in advance. My tool supplier in "Dagenham" may have something (if you havent cleaned him out)who knows?.

George, Thank you for your expertise and how to advice. Have printed off your tool sketches which a bloke who has a small engineering shop had told me to do and he will make any tool if I have a drawing for it. So roll on Monday. I would love to take you up on the Turning lesson day sometime if I get a chance maybe next year. In the mean time all advice gratefully recieved. God bless all, REgards Boysie

Who me

I have loads :wink:

Will send you some photos by PM :wink:

and I am off to Wales on Tuesday for another workshop :roll:

don't ask , but something to do with a computer , 6am , and a buy it now button :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[duncanh]

That's fair enough, Money has not changed hands yet, so I'll cancel it. TBH I've been getting a good finish with it, but still needs sanding. Obviously when I start going through narrow openings I won't be able to sand. But then I guess no one will know

It's possible to make a sanding attachment for the end of the Munro tool so that you can sand inside, although you might only want to sand the area that can be felt or seen.
My first version used a small piece of plywood with a hole at one end to bolt it on to the shaft. Then applied self adhesive velcro.

 

[Paul.J]

Wizer wrote

So I take it you haven't tried the Roly Munro scraper attachment? I've got it on order from Axminster. I thought it might help smooth out the inside when at final thickness?

Tom i've got an home made scraper for my Munro tool that Chas kindly made for me.Though i did use the Crown Tear drop scraper which i bought from Axy.
I find it useful and does give a better finish than what the actual munro cutter gives.Be warned though if you do decide to make your own,that you get 1/2" bar and not 16mm,as stated on the Munro website.