# First hollow form attempt



## sprior (Aug 31, 2008)

*This is my first attempt at turning a "hollow form". The outside shape is a bit blocky because I was doing this for the practice of doing the inside and frankly I figured there was a less than 50% chance this would ever make it off the lathe so I didn't worry about the outside shape much. It did survive and has a wall thickness of about 1/4 - 3/8" all around. This wood was an oak tree in our yard last Tuesday. The pith is still in the center of the bottom, so there's a decent chance it'll crack. I did this with my new Rolly Munro Articulated Hollowing Tool2 which I bought after seeing a recent demo.*


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## Lilty (Dec 20, 2006)

With the pith in yes it will crack.


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## Nate Bos (Jan 11, 2012)

Great job!, how do you like the new tool?


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## sprior (Aug 31, 2008)

I'm still a bit confused about how the Munro tool should be used - I got seemingly conflicting instructions on how to use it. The instructions that came with the tool talk about starting by riding the tool on the depth limiter as the bevel and then rotating the tool clockwise into the cut. The local turner that gave the demo said "place the bottom of the cutter against the wood (that's the bevel); now, slowly roll the tool counter clockwise until the edge starts to take a nice shaving." The Munro instructions seem to have the bevel on the top of the tool and the local turner has it on the bottom.

So yesterday I was trying to follow the local turner, will try the instruction approach next.

I had also previous asked here about faceplates and chuck jaws, but didn't get any comments - I'd still love to get an answer to:

My only faceplate is the one that came with the Nova DVR XP (I think it's 3" and has 4 holes). I've got a Oneway Talon chuck with the standard #3 jaws and the woodworm screw. Do I need a faceplate (possibly bigger) with more holes and/or tower jaws for my chuck to safely get started hollowing with not too big pieces of wood? I'm asking since I'd be screwing into end grain of green wood as opposed to cross grain like I've been doing for bowls.


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## NCPaladin (Aug 7, 2010)

I will have to leave most to someone else. I have a Nova and the 3” faceplate; I did drill two extra screws holes for a total of six. Unless you are doing something really large (over 16”) it should be fine. For endgrain I would use #12 screws about an inch into the wood for a 6-8” diameter item. For face grain I may only go 3/8-1/2” deep.
I don’t know about the jaws on a talon either. With my Nova chucks I would use their spigot jaws (35 or 45mm) for items up to 7” extension and 6” diameter the best I remember. With the powergrips you can go out to 12’ -19” and about 8-10” diameter depending on which specs you read. The “tower” jaws from Oneway appear similar to the spigot or powergrip jaws from Nova but I am not sure of their rating. The rating for the jaws is probably related to which chuck they are mounted to also. With Nova, the spigot jaws can be used with most any chuck but the powergrips are for use with the SN2 or Titan only. 
The Oneway spigot jaws look more like the Nova pin jaws in size even though they are serrated.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help. I probably just made it more confusing.


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## Bonanza35 (Jan 20, 2011)

Congrats on your first HF! Looks good. 
I have a 3" faceplate with 4 holes that came with my Delta. I've been using 1 1/4" screws (#12 or #14?) sheet metal type on end grain pieces with no problem. A lot of folks seem to add extra screws and that sounds like good logic to me but I just haven't done it. I bought the Nova midi chuck which is pretty limited in size so I use the face plate a lot. I'll get a bigger chuck on of these days.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

I suggest drilling more holes in your faceplate. I typically use 6 to 8 holes. 4 does work but 6 or 8 is better with less chance of losing the work. 
the standard jaws you have will work for bowls up to 12" if you create a shoulder on the tenon that rests on top of the jaws. Make the tenon shorter than your jaws are tall and put a square shoulder on the top of the tenon. this keeps the wood from rocking due to vibration and increases the holding power tremendously.
Doing hollow forms with a very large mouth is a great way to learn because you can see what your doing.


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## sprior (Aug 31, 2008)

Here's my second attempt at a hollow form, just finished. I learned three important things tonight:

- I like turning maple a WHOLE LOT more than I like turning oak.

- When the guidance someone gives you on how to use a tool conflicts with the instructions that came with the tool, go with the instructions.

- As addicting as turning has been so far with pens, eggs, spindle stuff, and bowls, hollow forms promises to be much worse.

The Munro hollowing tool was much better behaved following the instructions of starting at 7-8 O'clock and turning clockwise into the cut.


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## Nate Bos (Jan 11, 2012)

Glad you figured it out! I am with you on turning Maple, probably my favourite wood. Beautiful form!


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## Bonanza35 (Jan 20, 2011)

2 for 2! Good work!


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## Wooden Key (Apr 12, 2012)

That is bad @$$! I wanna make one!


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

i personally like the 1st one alot but tell me something you all
what makes something a hollow form?
your second one looks like what i always think of as a hollow form but the first one does not


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## sprior (Aug 31, 2008)

Robert, I'm certainly not an expert on the term, but at some point a bowl shape becomes deep enough that you can't use a normal bowl gouge to hollow out the inside - the bevel won't let you get that far over. A deep vase would be an example of this. Often a hollow form will close in on itself. A hollowing tool, not a simple bowl gouge must be used. Since I'm just starting out (you've seen both of my attempts) just as practice I started on the easy case where a hollowing tool would be used, but it didn't close in much to block visibility - think of it as a degenerate case of a hollow form. I actually did play around before these two by playing around with the hollowing tool with an already roughed out bowl I wasn't attached to, trying out the hollowing tool technique even though it wasn't really a hollow form.

Clear as mud?


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

I tend to think if a hollow form as something that is more closed on top than open. Or in other words something with a significant lip on top. Or like an attached lid. This make things more confusing? ;-)


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## sprior (Aug 31, 2008)

Sawdust, I think you're right in your definition, but what would you call a wooden form in the shape of this drinking glass? I don't think you'd turn the inside with a bowl gouge because the bevel angle wouldn't work, I'd think you'd have to use a hollowing tool.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

A deep, narrow bowl? An open topped hollow form? You could turn that with a bowl gouge using pull cuts I think. Could also use a scraper.


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## robert421960 (Dec 9, 2010)

thanks Sprior
i have always thought like sawdust i guess
as far as the glass goes i looked at it and thought of a scraper also
im sorry if i have brought up a confusing point here but i wanted to know


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## sprior (Aug 31, 2008)

Robert, well I might have thought that way too if the new toy I'm looking to play with was a scraper instead of a hollowing tool 

On another note, sometimes you need to tailor the woodworking gift to match the emotion, so I'm learning how to make an urn...


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## clapiana (Apr 13, 2012)

I also just got a munroe which is a lot of fun. Cutting into some wet wood has 2' streams shooting up  I also have been starting out at 7 and turning into the wood clockwise with the cutter set the same as what was shipped. Amazing you can't even see the cutting edge in that it's so slight but wow does it bite into that wood.


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## sprior (Aug 31, 2008)

Today was my third hollow form attempt. I can't seem to stop turning eggs, but this one is vase sized and hollow. This is also the first hollow form I turned thin enough to check with a flashlight. I took it off the lathe to alcohol soak it for a while, then I plan to put it back on to sand and turn the bottom. Someday I've gotta try a lampshade.


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## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Very cool!


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## Bonanza35 (Jan 20, 2011)

You're on fire. I think it took me awhile before I did 3 in a row without blowing something up. My recent streak was busted when I realized after 6 or 7 hours that I didn't have a tool that would reach a particular 2" section of the inside wall. (I've got one now). 
BTW, how are the first 2 drying? Piths holding up?


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## sprior (Aug 31, 2008)

Thanks Bonanza! I never expected the first two forms to end up with anything keepable - I was just looking for practice with the tool. The first piece (the wide mouth piece from oak) developed a slight crack in the base which I flooded with thin CA and it's been fine since then. I finished the outside with friction finish and then buffed it, so it started smooth, but as it dried it got a little grain texture, but is fine. I might end up using it as a desk cup for pens.

The second piece did crack a bit on top (you've seen the other thread), but hasn't cracked more than that. When I set up the alcohol bucket yesterday I tossed it in for giggles, pulled it out today. A little sanding would level the top crack. Haven't decided what else to do with it.

I now regret not seeing the Munro scraper attachment when I bought the hollowing tool from Packard. Now it seems like they're the only supplier in the US and I HATE the idea of paying $12 for shipping to buy it separately. It seems that amazon.com hasn't forced woodworking sites into better terms for shipping.


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

Nicely done!


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## sprior (Aug 31, 2008)

Thanks. I forgot to mention before that the log I started out with was longer/wider than the result, but I was having so much fun shooting "silly string" for my 7 year old son that the shape ended up shorter and tapered, then I decided on the egg shape (familiar to me because I turned over a dozen of them for Easter). I was getting shavings at least 2 feet long.


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## Bonanza35 (Jan 20, 2011)

sprior said:


> .
> The second piece did crack a bit on top (you've seen the other thread), but hasn't cracked more than that.
> .


Oops, I forgot about that thread. Sorry, didn't mean to pour salt in that wound.


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## sprior (Aug 31, 2008)

Noo! I'm really not upset about that cracking as I had no expectations going into the project other than playing with the tool. I'll admit that after I ended up with results better than I would have expected I started to get my hopes up about keeping it, but I still don't consider it ruined.


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