# first hollowform in progress ...



## duncsuss (Feb 8, 2015)

This is my first real attempt at a hollowform -- a piece of walnut which I got from @Treecycle Hardwoods a couple of years ago.

I made a dovetailed recess in the bottom for the chuck jaws and shaped the outside with a regular bowl gouge. Then I hollowed it using a round-carbide-cutter tool that @RusDemka made for me, until the angle wouldn't let me go any further. Then I switched to the Easy Wood Tools "Hollower #3" which let me get a pretty good under-cut.

It's no Lounsbury, but I'm happy I got the walls as thin as I did -- 4.75" diameter, 2" high, and it weighs 3.5 ounces. So far just one coat of Danish Oil.

What next? Should I try for a lid with a finial? Do you think it would look better with something light (maple?) or something dark (ABW?)

Thanks for any suggestions on where to take it from here. (And sorry about the blurry photo, got a new phone and still haven't figured out how to drive it.)

Reactions: Like 3 | Way Cool 9


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## David Hill (Feb 8, 2015)

Saaaay Dunc, that's a really nice piece! Like the wood, shape----can't wait to see the "finished" version.
I think a contrasting lid or finial would set it off.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## manbuckwal (Feb 8, 2015)

Good job Dunc ! One of these days I want to give it a try myself .

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## duncsuss (Feb 8, 2015)

manbuckwal said:


> Good job Dunc ! One of these days I want to give it a try myself .


Thanks Tom.

Even though I wrote this is my "first real attempt", it's actually the second one I started. The first was last spring, a piece of fresh-cut birch tree which I tried to hollow end-grain. That taught me (for me, at least) "going slow" and "green wood" is a bad combination -- the thing was warping so fast I got a catch almost every revolution of the lathe, and it was just a matter of time before the whole thing exploded.

With this dry walnut, I was getting plenty of dust along with the shavings, but at least it was stable and I could stop often to clear the debris and check progress.

Reactions: Like 2


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## duncsuss (Feb 8, 2015)

A better profile photo ...

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 1


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## ripjack13 (Feb 9, 2015)

Nicely done sir.....

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Schroedc (Feb 9, 2015)

I like it! A lot better than my first attempt was. As far as a lid/finial/whatever, I've always thought walnut and maple go well together, maybe get a nice piece of birdseye for the top?

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## duncsuss (Feb 9, 2015)

Schroedc said:


> I like it! A lot better than my first attempt was. As far as a lid/finial/whatever, I've always thought walnut and maple go well together, maybe get a nice piece of birdseye for the top?


Thanks, Colin -- (not so strangely) I have a lovely piece of birdseye sitting on the shelf, I could certainly use some of it for this project.

Reactions: Like 1


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## barry richardson (Feb 9, 2015)

Well done sir!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Kevin (Feb 9, 2015)

Nice Duncan. That's quite similar to my first (and only) HF except yours looks better. Well done.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Treecycle Hardwoods (Feb 9, 2015)

I like the shape on that one nice work!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## NYWoodturner (Feb 9, 2015)

Nice job Duncan! I think If you put a light colored finial on top, the finial would become the focal point. I would use something black / dark so that the HF is the star. Really Really nice job!

Reactions: Creative 1


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## duncsuss (Feb 9, 2015)

NYWoodturner said:


> Nice job Duncan! I think If you put a light colored finial on top, the finial would become the focal point. I would use something black / dark so that the HF is the star. Really Really nice job!


Thanks, Scott.

Interesting thoughts about light v. dark finial and how they might steal the show ... I've sketched a couple of ideas, and I feel that I'm going to end up making multiple tops for this HF so I can try to learn something about the design aspects. (It might be intuitively obvious what works and what doesn't work to some folk, but I'm not that folk )


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## DKMD (Feb 9, 2015)

Too cool! Much better than my first dozen(or more).

The lid/finial might be tough given the vertical lip around the opening... Ideally the elements flow into one another. Besides, I think it looks great as it sits!


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## duncsuss (Feb 9, 2015)

DKMD said:


> Too cool! Much better than my first dozen(or more).
> 
> The lid/finial might be tough given the vertical lip around the opening... Ideally the elements flow into one another. Besides, I think it looks great as it sits!



Thanks! I wasn't sure about that lip myself ... I might still put the piece back on the chuck and remove it (which is easy because the bottom is recessed to take the chuck jaws in expansion mode.)


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## duncsuss (Feb 20, 2015)

My first experiment in a lid for this hollowform ... boxelder finial, burmese blackwood bead, and osage orange wotchacallit. The osage orange looked completely wrong, so I assaulted it with gold effect "Rub and Buff" (it needs another coat if I'm going to completely hide the grain lines -- but that might not be necessary for this experiment.)


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## TimR (Feb 20, 2015)

Duncan, I don't have the bearings to show my first HF, this is quite nice and the curve on lower half looks great.
I was thinking about a half sphere cap for this before seeing what you did. The gold is ok, but I'd prefer a dark contrast here and tone down size of the finial.
Gets difficult to have more than two colors close together, I only occasionally get it right.
For me, the focal point should be the HF, not the finial or cap. Darker colors here than the main form help mute out their impact.


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## duncsuss (Feb 20, 2015)

TimR said:


> Duncan, I don't have the bearings to show my first HF, this is quite nice and the curve on lower half looks great.
> I was thinking about a half sphere cap for this before seeing what you did. The gold is ok, but I'd prefer a dark contrast here and tone down size of the finial.
> Gets difficult to have more than two colors close together, I only occasionally get it right.
> For me, the focal point should be the HF, not the finial or cap. Darker colors here than the main form help mute out their impact.



Thanks 

My hand-drawn sketch called for an african blackwood half-dome, but that would have required me cutting into a block of ABW which in turn would have entailed getting to the bandsaw, changing the blade, etc. The osage orange was right there and just the right size  The next experiment will have that part in black.

(Also, the finial should have been a trumpet shape, somehow it turned out closer to a tall/thin champagne flute. Next time ...)


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## woodintyuuu (Feb 20, 2015)

Duncan's pic of blackwood will fall into the scrap box

Reactions: +Karma 1


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## woodintyuuu (Feb 20, 2015)

Oh and it's a Damm nice start


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## duncsuss (Feb 20, 2015)

woodintyuuu said:


> Oh and it's a Damm nice start


Thanks Cliff ... did you get your plane okay yesterday?


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## woodintyuuu (Feb 20, 2015)

Yes all good but even more tied the ever


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