some hollowing practice

[TimberNut]

Woke up at 4AM a couple of weekends back with a desire to turn spheres. Don't ask me why, just never done 'em before. Thought they'd be an interesting challenge.

Made a couple, got bored, so decided to combine it with some hollowing practice. The results to date are in the attached pictures.

No special jigs used (don't own any). Just a bit of imagination and a lot of patience.
I know you can get 'ball turning jigs' but the aim was to test myself, not buy a tool to do it for me.

This was made out of a single piece of Camphor Laurel. Its approximately 180mm diameter.

The average wall thickness is now 2mm. The insides have all been sanded smooth as well. Am thinking of trying to get it thinner, but decided to take a couple of photos before I do (and probably end up wearing the result). Instead, maybe I will make some sort of hollowed stand for it. Don't know. Will wait for inspiration.

Just thought you might like to try this if you are looking for a challenge.

Ian

[Christopha]

Absolutely stupid thing to do. No point whatsoever. Waste of time and bloody good timber.

I love it! Well done!

[TimberNut]

Thanks Christopha, (I think) Not sure if that's a back-handed compliment or not.;)

The point of the exercise was not to create something functional, merely to step outside the comfort zone, and test my limits.

Of all the known 'rules' of woodwork, if that's what you call them, the most common one that crops up relates to following the grain, or 'going with the grain' etc etc.

This challenges you completely as there is no way to follow grain.

I found this quite a challenge (maybe it's easy for others - I don't know) but having proved to myself I can do it I have 2 further challenges ahead:
1. make it thinner (if I can)
2. figure out what to do with the damn thing! :D

[smidsy]

Hei Ian,
That's some beautiful work.
Cheers
Paul

[jo_sepi]

;) I love it. As for something to do, leave it out for people to admire, reckon you'd get some good conversations going with it.

[Ross]

Very nice!

I'd leave that one and try to do another, but see how small you can make it.

Ross

[rsser]

Waking up at 4am with a desire to turn spheres probably means your hands shouldn't have been where they were. Not surprising given your avatar.

180 mm and 2mm thickness is pretty darn good - so go on waking up early.

Next step Chinese 'balls'?

[TimberNut]

Thanks guys. I wasn't sure if others would find this easy to do or not. Not having done a lot of hollow form I found this a big challenge because I wanted it as thin as I could (you could see it flexing as it was spinning, kind of like a soap bubble).

Also, with all the holes evenly spaced all the way around, there is no way to hide any minute change in wall thickness. It's all either right, or it's not. And sanding the insides proved quite difficult as well. Nearly lost a couple of fingers, till I figured out a way to get the sandpaper inside, without sticking any fingers through holes.

It looks pretty cool, but it needs to be elevated. I think I might make a hollowed conical pedestal (probably with spiralling holes that increase in size towards the base).

Will wait fo the next 4AM inspiration.

Ern, thought about chinese balls, but don't have the tool to do them, and besides, other guys are doing these already.

Ross, you might be on the money there. I was thinking of extending the pedestal up through one of the holes right up into the centre. Might make a tiny hollowed sphere and mount it in the centre, on the pedestal.....

a work in progress...