Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Turn a vase?
Tony - Memphis
>Well, its actually a brush holder, but looks like a vase. I'd like to turn a small pencil holder/vase looking thing for my wife to hold small paint brushes in. What is the best approach to hollowing out a small container, say a couple of inches in diameter? I even considered just drilling it. Thanks.
Tony
Re: Turn a vase?
John Lucas
>Tony
I would either use a bowl gouge or a round nose scraper. To use the bowl gouge rotate it CCW until the flute is pointed to about 9 oclock. The cut with the bottom lip of the gouge. You do need a swept back grind to do this.
To use the scraper I start by drilling a hole close to the depth I need then use the scraper to clear out the waste. I grind the left side of my scraper back about 3/4". This lets you use this part to scrape with if necessary and also takes off the corner that sometimes catches.
Re: Turn a vase?
keith zimmerman, Normal, IL
>I made one just like what you describe out of maple and mainly used a round-nose scraper to do most of the material removal (my 1/2" bowl gouge was too large to use). I put a flat bottom on it, so I used a square-nose scraper there. And, I used a fingernail ground 1/4" spindle gouge to do a shear-scrape the walls to 3/16" thin.
This worked for me.
keithz
Re: Turn a vase?
Bill Hale
>Tony I guess I am not the purest the others are but I use a forstner bit and drill this type of item. Finish off the bottom with a small scraper or a small gouge. If you don't have these make one from a large screw driver. $o.5o at garage sales.
Good turning and be safe
Bill