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Box elder hollow form

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Box elder hollow form

#1

Box elder hollow form

Dominic Greco in Richboro PA

>Hi Everyone,


Below are some pictures of a box elder hollow form I just finished last night. After being inspired by Wally Dickerman's "Small Treasures" post last month, I decided it was high time I try to turn a hollow form. One of the reasons that I haven't turned many before this was my dissatisfaction with the performance of my Sorby swan necked hollower. I just couldn't get the control I desired. When the Lee Valley catalog arrived in the mail and I noticed that they were selling the Don Pencil Scorpion/Stinger Hollowing tool, I decided it was time to bite the bullet. I'd gotten a lot of very good feedback from current users of this tool and had read the reviews. It seemed like the perfect tool for me.


When I received the hollowing tool, I was very impressed with the fit and finish. It went together with no problem. I spent most of the first night sharpening all of the cutters to the recommended 10 deg pitch. When it came time to finally use the tool, all I needed was a suitable blank. I choose to use a box elder blank whose grain was ideally suited for spindle turning.


After shaping the profile of the vase with a spindle gouge, I reached for the Scorpion/Stinger. Due to the smaller size of the blank, I used the Stinger assembly. After struggling with my old Sorby, I was amazed at how easy hollowing could be with the Stinger. I was removing wood about twice as fast as I was before. It wasn't long before I had reached a point where I had to stop, wrap the vase and allow it to air dry for a time.


The roughed out hollow form was allowed to dry for a time, and then I final turned it. I turned away the distortion and normalized the profile. When it came time to hollow out the inside, I reached for my shop built bowl steady. This really helped to make hollowing to a thin wall thickness a much easier task.


The vase was then dry sanded to 2000 grit, reverse chucked (too many holes for vacuum chucking), and the base turned.




Specs:


Outer dia.: 4 1/4"


Height: 5 1/2"


Mouth dia.: 2 1/2"


Wall thickness: 3/16"


Base dia.: 2 1/2"


Sanding Method: Dry sanded to 2000 Grit.


Finish: Watco's Danish Oil


Final: Buffed with Beall System



I'd appreciate any comments you'd like to make on the shape and proportions.

Thanks for viewing.

See ya around,

My ugly mug

Dominic


img

Re: Box elder hollow form

#2

Re: Box elder hollow form

Marc Phillips

>That looks great indeed!

Thanks for the comparison of the hollowing systems... there's so many that I still have not chosen which one I will buy... paralyzed by so many options I guess....

Marc�s Site



Marc Phillips

Warner Robins GA

Re: Box elder hollow form

#3

Re: Box elder hollow form

Lee Weed

>Nice job Dominic,

Would you be interested in swapping a piece of Mesquite for a piece of Box Elder?

Lee

Re: Box elder hollow form

#4

Re: Box elder hollow form

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Nicely done, Dom.

Do think the foot is too "abrupt" in it meeting the table. Would have liked a curved relief giving a gradual shadow better than the hard line at the foot. Rim works well. Hope the color doesn't fade too much.

Thanks for sharing.

Mark

Re: Box elder hollow form

#5

Re: Box elder hollow form

Mike Schwing from Maryland

>Very nice Mr. Greco! The curve from the neck down past the shoulder is particularly pleasing.

Great job!

Re: Box elder hollow form

#6

Re: Box elder hollow form

Mark Kauder, Phenix City, AL

>Well done Dom.

IMHO, I would have made the base a little smaller - but then again I have been accused of making stuff to "Tippy".

Love the wood and finish.

Mark

Re: Box elder hollow form

#7

Nice!

Jorge Casta�eda ~ East Penobscot Bay

>Love it, where do you get the box elder? Is that same as Manitoba maple?

Thanks for showing

jorge

Re: Box elder hollow form

#8

Box Elder aka Manitoba Maple

Dominic Greco in Richboro PA

>Jorge,

Thanks for the compliments!

Yes, they are one in the same tree. I got this wood some time last year at a local saw mill. They were going to cut it up for fire wood!

See ya around,

Dominic

Re: Box elder hollow form

#9

Re: Box elder hollow form

Stacey S

>Very nice form and that box elder is some beautiful stuff!

Re: Box elder hollow form

#10

Heck yeah!

Dominic Greco in Richboro PA

>Lee,

I sent you an email concerning this. Shout out if you didn't get it.

Dominic

Re: Box elder hollow form

#11

Hmmmm, I see your point

Dominic Greco in Richboro PA

>Mark,

You wrote:

"Do think the foot is too "abrupt" in it meeting the table. Would have liked a curved relief giving a gradual shadow better than the hard line at the foot."

Thanks for the input! And I can see what you mean by "too abrupt". But I'm having trouble picturing what you mean when you say "curved relief".

See ya around,

Dominic

Re: Box elder hollow form

#12

Re: Edge

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Dom,

If you roll the edge, say with a 3/8" radius, the actual contact ring will be smaller and the light on the sidewall will more slowly transition full to shaded to shadow at the contact line.

Try it with your photo editor by air brushing a gradient scale along that point on the piece in the photo.

See ya!

Mark

Re: Box elder hollow form

#13

Thanks for the compliments & feedback!

Dominic Greco in Sunny Richboro PA

>

Re: Box elder hollow form

#14

NOW I get it!

Dominic Greco in Sunny Richboro PA

>Mark,

Gotcha! Now I understand what your talkin' about. And I definitely agree. The next couple I do will incorporate more of this.

Thanks again,

Dominic

Re: Box elder hollow form

#15

Re: NOW you got it twice

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Wally made the same comment on WOW. |;-}}}

Re: Box elder hollow form

#16

Keith Tompkins

Re: Thanks for the compliments & feedback!

Keith Tompkins

>Nice piece Dom!!!!Been only lurking lately, getting ready For Orlando, no time.

You gotta love Mark Mandell's critiques!

Re: Box elder hollow form

#17

Re: Hey Mr. Lurker!

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Check your e-mail!

Re: Box elder hollow form

#18

Re: Box elder hollow form

Mike Rubes

>Hi Dom,

Nice work! Thanks for the words on the scorpion/stinger. I have been looking at that very setup myself, so was interested to read your views on it.

Thanks,

Mike

Things keeping me away from the lathe in Apex, NC

Re: Box elder hollow form

#19

Re: Box elder hollow form

RevDoug

>Another beautiful piece Dom. Other than the foot issue that seems to have been addressed enouth, I can't offer much. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Turn 'em round,

RevDoug

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