How to Hollow a Tall Thin Cherry Vase
****** For this video, I wanted to combine two useful techniques. First, to rough turn a green wood project, seal it, and let it dry. The second, to split a project in half and hollow from the middle out to both ends. I became impatient with the locust wood I had selected. So, I substituted some green cherry that I rough turned into a billet two years ago. So this is a modified first objective. After roughing out the vase, I parted it in half. Then since it was already dry, I proceeded to hollow both the lower section and the upper section. Since it was now already dry, I then glued the two pieces back together. Then proceeded to finish my cherry vase. My vase is three inches diameter and seven inches tall finished with walnut oil. Enjoy! Blog: ****** FB: ****** Music: Traumerei by Shumann performed by Becky Schlappi. Used with permission.
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Hi, Alan Stratton, from As Wood Turns (www.AsWoodTurns.com) Back in June, my brother gave me some locust
wood to turn.
I decided to turn a vase from it.
However, the wood is green and so I started and sealed It, and put it away.
But no, it is not quite stable yet.
I am impatient.
Instead of waiting for this locust to dry, I dug out the cherry wood that I turned two
years ago into rough billets.
From that, let’s make this little cherry vase.
This cherry is wood I obtained green about 2 years ago.
At the time, I cut some of it into long chunks and rough rounded it, coated it with green
wood sealer, and put it away.
Now that it is dry, I sawed off a length for this project.
Now I need to true it for new centers and take out just a little warpage.
For this project, I need tenons on both ends of my cylinder and I can start to work out
the shape of a vase.
Then part it near a transition in the vase’s shape.
While I could hollow this with tools, it is just easier to drill it out with a Forstner
bit.
I’m applying a technique I recently saw in a demo.
I’m drilling it first with a smaller bit then drilling it again with the larger final
bit.
It seems to help.
An air gun helps in blasting out the shavings and a little cooling effect.
With the base hollowed, I can now drill out the neck.
This is much easier than hollowing the entire vase through a small neck hole.
However, I can only drill out to the smallest diameter and I’d like it a bit lighter.
With this setup, I can hollow out more of the middle with a spindle gouge.
While I have the neck mounted, I’m fitting a tenon to be base section
Finally, I glued the two portions back together again and let the glue cure overnight.
Now I can finalize the overall shape of my vase.
I need a bead to disguise the glue joint.
Then maybe another bead for a touch of symmetry.
However, I need to do just a little work on the inside of the neck.
I’m afraid that in tooling here, I could knock the vase out of the chuck because of
how much I’m hanging out.
This is a perfect situation to use my DIY steady rest.
It is made from inline skate wheels and Baltic birch.
Details are in another video about 3 years ago.
The steady rest supports the vase while I hollow inside the neck.
Then when I can support the neck again with a live center, I take if off.
After thoroughly sanding the vase, I’m parting off the bottom.
With the parting tool, I’m attempting to create a concave bottom.
Then sand off the nub with a sanding pad at the drill press.
With a wipe down with walnut oil, my vase is finished.
Hollowing made the vase lighter than a solid block of wood with a hole in the top.
I did leave some extra wood in the bottom for stability.
I’ll leave deep hollowing for when I really need it.
I credit my steady rest for the vase staying put in the chuck.
This vase was fun and easy and to turn.
Please give this video a thumbs up, subscribe on my website, tell your friends and send
me your comments and questions.
Every week I make a new woodturning video.
Please wear your full face shield – goggles are not enough protection.
Until next week’s video this is Alan Stratton from As Wood Turns dot com.
