Hollow Forms - Green wood or dried wood?

[Josh Bowman]

I like doing HF's and have only done them green. I turn the outside and if not able to hollow it then, I wrap mine in saran wrap. Then hollow it with in a few days (I have made it a week or more). I generally hollow on the thin side 1/4" or so. The early ones I did I made them real thin and had no ill effects from the wood moving or otherwise since they, for the most part were "spun" dry. On my later ones that I've done a 1/4" or more, I sand smooth, wrap the outside with saran wrap as before and put it in a cardboard box to dry out for a few days to a couple of weeks. I had one HF open a crack at the shoulder below the neck and a friend said wet the cracked area a little over a few days and I found the crack closed and stayed that way.

[Reed Gray]

Well, the answer is yes... I do some larger containers some times, and since they are going to be fitted with a lid, I have to rough turn them, then turn again. Considering that the lid and body are from the same piece, they seasonal movement should be pretty much the same, and if you spin the lid, it will be tight on 1/4, then loose on the next 1/4, and repeat. If I am turning really green, I use the stretch plastic film on the outside, and at least seal the bottom end grain. I have lost more to cracks if I don't seal it, even if it is covered with plastic. With vases, I go both ways. Any time I am turning Madrone, I want as much warping and wrinkling as I can get. So, I finish turn the outside, and then wet sand, and seal/finish, then turn out the inside. The 3D surface is huge for people who like to pick them up and fondle. Other woods, it kind of depends. I do leave a tenon on, and have to turn it off later. For reasons I don't understand, on end grain green turnings, the bottom seems to warp out, or go convex every time, and never concave. If I finish turn the bottom, the piece never sits flat. While this had never bothered my sales of my warped bowls, it just isn't good for a vase to be wobbly.

robo hippy

[robert baccus]

Don,t feel badly. Persimmon is one of the very most moving, warping wood made. Madrone may be worse. Like Keeton I roughout and wax right then. You can hollow at your convience and not wax the interior. Dries faster and does not move. or crack(?) Many hours faster and easier than cooking.

[Steve Huffman]

On hollowing green, I would form the outside and immediately seal it with a heavy dose of Anchorseal before hollowing. I did that on the couple that I microwaved dry and did not have any cracks. They were not persimmon, however, and while I think the method is sound, it may not be as effective on persimmon.

Don,t feel badly. Persimmon is one of the very most moving, warping wood made. Madrone may be worse. Like Keeton I roughout and wax right then. You can hollow at your convience and not wax the interior. Dries faster and does not move. or crack(?) Many hours faster and easier than cooking.

So in these cases with Anchorseal, do you leave the wall slightly thicker and return them to the lathe? I'm just a bit paranoid about shooting lacquer over any wax and getting "fisheyes". Maybe if the form is slightly larger outside you can cut a 1/8 off to remove the wax, or some kind of wash, DNA? How do you remove the Anchorseal?

[Dennis Ford]

I only put Anchorseal on pieces that will be re-turned and cut the Anchorseal off during the second turning. With once turned hollow forms, I expect warping and make it part of the design.

[John Keeton]

Steve, as with any rough out, I leave extra material/thickness, so as Dennis said the Anchorseal gets turned away.

[robert baccus]

Roger that!