Want to turn hollow forms - Lyn help!

Re: Want to turn hollow forms - Lyn help!

Oscar

>I'm a new turner myself, and really struggled with this. I purchased the Proform and the medium Kelton Hollowers. I really like the Keltons with the heavy Kelton handle. If you can try out some tools it would be a good way to go but I don't even know another turner in my neck of the woods. You will probably make a mistake or two selecting your hollowing tools but that's part of the fun too. Good luck, Oscar

Re: Want to turn hollow forms - Lyn help!

Big Mike (in SW Indiana)

>Have you thought of making your own hollowing tools�

Start with a 1/2 steal rod from the local hardware store� Drill a � hole in the end� another � hole on the side (1/2 inch up from the end) that runs into the hole you drilled in the end� tap the whole on the side� and insert a set screw� mount the other end in a handle you turned� (just drill a 1/2 hole in the end of you handle� insert the rod with a little epoxy� our you can get fancy and turn a small tapered shoulder on the handle and use a brass tubing compression fitting to compress the shoulder around the rod� looks good and the rod is removable� just loosen the compression fitting�

Buy a box of concrete nails� to make your scraping blades� Armed with a propane torch, a grinder, ball peen hammer and vice grip pliers� you can make some dandy blades (curved, strait, rounded, sque shaped. I even have some that are small gouges (formed around a nail with the ball peen)� all will fit right into the hole you drilled in the end of your rod�tighten the set screw on the blade and your off!

Note: (after heating the nails/blades red hot for forming and grinding) you will need to reheat the polished blades just till they turn a straw color then quench in oil) to re-harden� but not to hard.) making the tool is nearly as fun as using it!

You can even play with the sizes of the rod� bend them etc.

I have made several... and they work great...

Big Mike� In SW Indiana� (more time than $$$)

Re: Want to turn hollow forms - Lyn help!

Arch

>Hi Chris,

IMO, congenial give and take is the life blood of this forum and your query is proper and the ensuing thread will be welcome and interesting. You have no doubt studied catalogs, tapes, magazines, the net. etc. and chatted at your club. You have read Lyn's review which is superb, thoughtful and complete. Altho your question is interesting to us and is a proper thread, there does come a time when individual plans and actions require making personal decisions tailored to a specific situation. When possible,it is best to use hands on experience for this.

IMO you have reached that point and you need to move to hands on with as many different instructors, techniques and tools as is possible. There are multiple answers to your questions and they all work to some degree, but in the end only you can decide which one best answers the most of your questions.

Turning small hollow forms is a lot of fun so I'd

suggest small inserted bi....Whoa! Gee! Haw! Arch, Chris is past needing your advice. :)

Turn to Safety, Arch

Re: Want to turn hollow forms - Lyn help!

Jennifer@Indy.USA

>Hi Chris,

May I suggest that you check out the Don Pencil system. You could purchase the entire kit which includes the Scorpion tools for larger work when you get a bigger lathe(that's not to say you wouldn't use it on the mini too), and it also includes the Stinger set for smaller work more suitable for your mini lathe. Or you could just buy the Stinger set for now and get the rest later. I have the complete set and really like it. It's a versatile system that accepts a lot of other tools into the arm brace. I made my decision based on what I wanted to do, price and Lyn's write up about it here at WC. I think it's in the articles section? Don is a great guy to deal with directly.

You'll love getting into the hollow stuff. It opens up an entirely new box of Crayons to play with!

Have fun!

Jennifer

Re: Want to turn hollow forms - Lyn help!

Ruth in So. CAl

>Big MIke.....do you have pictures? I got lost when you described the send hole but would like to give it a try......any pics would be great!

THanks, Ruth

Tools to learn hollowing on a mini lathe *LINK*

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>Hi Chris,

Despite Arch's most appropriate cautions, I shall be bold here.

Give the capacity of your current lathe (BTW, I learned to hollow on my Jet Mini and still do on occasion), and experience, I would suggest you obtain a set of 1/2 inch Kelton hollowers and a matching metal handle from Kelton or those similar (Oneway, Jordan, etc--more are discussed in I think Part III of the Survey).

The 1/2 inch Keltons will be well matched to the small to medium sized forms you should start with (I wouldn't begin by working on very small forms as they are too delicate), can be used for small stuff (but not miniatures) and should you later got to a larger lathe, will prove to be excellent for helping you do work just inside and under the mouth of even very large forms.

They are reasonably forgiving to use (see my article on tips for their use), and can be used both agressively and with refinement. They are easy to sharpen with a slipstone, and in this size work quite adequatey with a straigh handle.

There is lots of places to go from here, but some will require more power (e.g, the Proforme), or a lot more expense (e.g, the Munro) or better technique (e.g. the excellent Jordon tools, or an unguarded cup tool), or just are bigger tools meant for bigger forms (e.g, the Munro, the Scorpion, etc., even the inexpensive Sorby Multitool with its larger shaft). When you want smaller tools, you can consider the tools that I use for small scale woodturning that I list in Part II of the Survey.

All of this is with reference to tools held free hand (and what I believe to be the best way to begin). If you do want to go with a restrained, laser guided set up, then IMO it is the Donald Derry hands down as the most appropriate for your minilathe (and capable of being used later on a larger lathe). Of course you can later use the 1/2 inch Keltons in a number of restrained systems that are better suited for a larger lathe (such as Keltons own, the Lea and Jamieson with an adapter, etc.) or even with a small scale restrained system like the Turning Ways.

So, lots of things will work, but if I were assisting you, these would be my suggestions on what to begin with, and what I'd find easiest to learn on, considering the lathe you are working with.

Link just for those who haven't already seen the articles.


http://www.fholder.com/Woodturning/lyn.html)

Told you Lyn would be helpful

Mike Schwing from Md.

>Chris, since Lyn suggested the 1/2" Keltons in a Kelton handle, you can come over here next weekend and give them a workout in person if you can hang on that long before you buy them. I have the Keltons in several sizes. You can put them in the hollowing rig, too.

Sorry I had to cancel today but I did make comfortable progress, so I'll be more relaxed next weekend anyway.

Re: Told you Lyn would be helpful

Chris K.

>Thank you all for your wisdom and time it is much appreciated. I was in such a quandry as my wife wanted to know what I wanted for my birthday (Its the 9th) and while I would be fine waiting my daughters wouldnt understand that daddy didnt get a gift on his birthday. As you can see mike and I were trying to get togehter to get some time on some of his tools but it didnt work out (I am really looking forward to next week!).

I really wanted to broaden my horizons (in addition to delay the outlay of a few grand on a new PM3250A lathe) so I thought learning to hollow goblets and then more difficult HF would be a welcome challange.

I debated the topic and am glad that I asked, I was leaning to a proforme and maybe the sorby multitool. I was also considering some mini and micro type tools, especailly the stingers per Jennifers comments. I have seen her work posted here and its amazing, now I know that tools dont make up for talent but they certainly are not holding her back!(Yes Jennifer I absolutly need more crayons)

I liked the "forgiving" part of the keltons and the ability to grow with them. Now the worst part is that a month or so ago my local woodcraft had these on CLOSEOUT for 30% off and I though they were bowl corer's! oh well they are gone I checked.

I also benefited from a good friend of mine that stops in here (Robert Vaughan) he used to make some HF tools and offer to sell me one at a price I couldn't refuse. They use a 3/8" square of HSS which I have from my mini metal lathe. So I will be experiamenting a little with my own tools (tips and grinds at least) like Big Mike pointed to.

Arch, Not sure why Im beyond your help but I assure you I need lots of help.

Last but not least thank you Lyn for your personal help and for writing such great detailed reviews for people like me. I really appreciate it. BTW I was wondering where I could get more info on your delrin gate and a source for the 1" leather belt for the sander. I use it to sharpen hand carving tools with the finest grit I can find. I then use a felt wheel on a grinder with the green rouge would that work the same?

I think I may wait until next weekend and confirm that the keltons work, at least at mikes place Im sure they will ;-)

Thanks again all,

Best reagrds,

Chris

Leather Honing Belts

Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida

>Lee Valley sells 1x30 and 1x42 leather honing belts.

Re: Leather Honing Belts

Chris K.

>Thanks Don,

I have check Lee Valley out they seem to have added ALOT of new things in their catelog.

Re: Want to turn hollow forms - Lyn help!

Joe Fleming

>Chris,

All advise you have received is good. I echo Lyn's recommendation (I have this set myself). Please keep thsi "fact" in mind, however. As you do more and more hollow forms, you will likely want to explore additional sizes and shapes of forms. While the Keltons might be your first hollowing tool purchase, you will likely acquire many more tools.

In all cases, I highly recommend that you borrow tools and try them out whenever you can. Any given set of tools will usually set you back $100 or more. It would be foolish to throw money out after tools you don't like just because someone on the internet said to buy it.

Joe Fleming - San Diego