Hollowing

Having got a bit of practise in, I decided to move onto a little bit of faceplate turning, and turned myself a fairly respectable goblet outline. However in my attempt to hollow it, I all but anhialated it. I was using a bow gouge and I also tried a spindle gouge. The latter didn't do much at all, the bow gouge just dug in all the time. I was very careful to have the gouge on the side, the tool rest close and the tools sharp. Eventually I gave up. There is obviously something I am doing wrong. Any suggestions what?

thanks

Kat

Reply to
moggy
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Kat I am not sure how you were turning your goblet and I do not turn a lot of them but here are a few suggestions for a beginner:

1) turn the outside of the bowl first but not the stem, you need the support to reduce chatter 2) drill a hole to the depth of the bowl 3) use a skew on its side with the long point to the left as a scraper to cut out the inside of the bowl 4) mark the depth of the bowl on the outside and sand the inside 5) part in to the stem thickness 6) finish the outside of the bowl 7) turn the stem, sand and finish 8) turn the base sand and finish 9) part off and sand the bottom off the lathe

There are faster ways to hollow the goblet bowl but this is safe and secure. Since it is end grain, you may wish to hollow with a hollowing tool. See my web site on making and using one.

If you find chatter after hollowing the bowl and starting the stem, you can gain support by putting a tennis ball in the goblet opening and bringing up the tail stock.

Reply to
Darrell Feltmate

A neat trick. I'll have to remember it. Thanks.

-- Jack Novak Buffalo, NY - USA (Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)

Reply to
Nova

Here is my normal procedure for turning a goblet:

  1. Start between centers. Turn a dovetailed tenon to match your chuck when the jaws are almost closed. Face off the opposite end that you will be hollowing. (If you are using a jam fit chuck, turn a tenon instead of a dovetail. Turn a recess to match on a block of waste stock that is screwed to your faceplate.)

  1. Grab the dovetailed tenon with your chuck jaw. The face of the jaws should register against the surface that will be close to the base of the goblet. (With a jam fit chuck, the waste block with a recess, the tenon should not bottom in the recess. Titebond and a 24 hour wait should make the blank secure. Apply pressure with the tail center to keep everything aligned while the glue sets.)

  2. Drill or use a 3/8" spindle gouge to create a depth hole. Hollow out the bowl to the shape that you want it to have. Sand and finish the inside of the bowl. Cut from the center toward the lip with the bevel lightly limiting the depth of cut. Other hollowing tools may also be used.

  1. Turn the outside of the bowl to match the finished inside. Sand and finish the outside of the bowl.

  2. Place some loosely packed paper towels in the bowl of the goblet and lightly bring up the live center until it just begins to spin. This will steady the bowl when turning a slender stem. I keep my left hand curled over the top of the stem with my thumb anchoring the tool in place. I haven'y felt the need to use a steady rest on goblets. Your fingers light touch opposite the tool works as a steady. (If you are turning a very slender stem, don't turn the lathe off from this point on. The torque of the starting lathe can shear a slender stem.)

  1. Turn about 1" at a time of the stem to final size. Sand and finish and continue until you have the length stem that you wish.

  2. Turn the base of the goblet and part off with an undercut.

  1. Turn the stub left on the lathe to a gentle slight curve. Glue on a piece of 220 grit sand paper and careful hold the goblet at the base of the stem and sand the base. Finish the base and you are done. (You can let the goblet spin at a slower speed than the lathe is turning and sand the base very evenly using this method. If turning a very slender, long stem do this sanding by hand very carefully.)

I hope that this helps!

Reply to
Marshall Gorrow

Kat,

It's not clear what you meant by faceplate turning. Normally faceplate turning implies that the wood grain is perpendicular to the lathe bed (or "sidegrain"). Spindle turning, (also called "endgrain" orientation), is when the grain is parallel to the lathe bed. Normally goblets would be done in endgrain orientation so that any stem would be stronger as the grain would be parallel to the stem and less likely to snap. There is a reason I mention this. If you are hollowing the bowl of the goblet into endgrain you need to cut from the center outward so the wood fibers being cut are supported by the ones not yet cut. You will get a much smoother surface this way. If, however, you are truly in faceplate orientation (grain going across the bowl) the cutting direction is just the opposite (from large diameter to small diameter). Darrell and Marshall have given you good directions on the sequence of doing a goblet. Doing the inside of the bowl first is the best way to reduce chatter as there is the most mass in the wood at that point. After that it's all outside work with less chatter providing you support the bowl with a tennis ball or toilet paper wad using the tailstock.

-Jim Gott- San Jose, CA

Reply to
Jim Gott

Yes it was face plate turning, the grain was going accross the goblet. I did try drilling out the centre, but I still cannot get the hang of hollowing, I think I must have something fundamentally wrong with my technique.

Someone mentioned a scew. what does this tool look like. I may have one, but I don't recognise the name.

Reply to
moggy

Try turning a goblet with the grain running from the top to the bottom. A thin stem with the grain going across the goblet will shear at the first sign of stress! When you turn the bowl, you will be hollowing endgrain.

Larger pieces that use cross grain in the bowls are turned in three pieces. The bowl and base are turned across the grain and the stem is spindle turned.

Reply to
Marshall Gorrow

turn the inside before the outside and turn the stem last good luck I ould use a scraper for the inside clean up

Reply to
I WOOD

humm, learning a bit more, it seems that my bowl gouge is in fact a roughing out gouge, no wonder I had problems, Bought a bowl gouge and suddenly things are a lot easier.

Reply to
moggy

For small hollowing there is a new affordable cup tool available from C/S and pictured on our web site. Must be used at a 45 deg not with cutter flat. and cuts with the grain but cuts well and the replacement cutters are cheap

-- Cheers Ken Port Tool Designer

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Reply to
Ken Port

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