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View Full Version : Hollowing 101



NeilS
31st August 2019, 02:25 PM
Sooner or later we all have a go at doing some hollow forms...



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But, before you rush out and buy that $500 hollowing set of tools or rig there is some basic hollowing you can do with nothing other than the bowl gouge that you already have.

If you start with partially closed forms (which are a good place to start) like this...


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....and turn out the inside as far as you can (down the sides and across the bottom) with the gouge in normal cutting mode as if it was an open bowl. Yes, you will be turning blind, but that is why we leave closed forms until we have mastered open forms...:) Then roll the gouge over to complete the transition up into and under the shoulder using a scraping 'cut'. Extending the tool rest into the form will help with positioning the scraping cut.

Here is a video of the under shoulder scraping 'cut'. This method can be used with a more closed form than this, but having it more open allowed me to show the technique more clearly.



YouTube (https://youtu.be/Bi06BX4vnOI)


You can see that I am using an Ellsworth swept back grind for the scraping 'cut' where the wings are doing the work under the shoulder. While the edge nearer the nose of the gouge will produce a shear scraping 'cut' as you come up through the transition. The shear angle of about 45° is automatically presented to the wood in the internal transition area if the gouge is held horizontally. You can also use this shear scraping 'cut' near the nose to tidy up the lower transition and bottom if it needs it. You don't have to drop the handle for the inside shear scrape as you do on the outside of a bowl.

Have a go, you might just find that you can do most of the hollow forms you want without all of the expensive kit.

PS - the Woodcut bowl gouges can give you a very deep and stable reach with their long and solid bar. Their Irons Toolgate (https://www.cwsonline.com.au/shop/item/woodcut-shepid-irons-toolgate/-woodcut-pro-forme-hollowing-tools) is also a very nice bit of kit that can be used with the above method and, of course, also with their purpose made hollowers (https://www.cwsonline.com.au/shop/category/-woodcut-pro-forme-hollowing-tools) (which are a cutting tool, well that is other than their Pro Forme scraping tip that is also very nice, being one of the few that can be angled for shear scraping on the inside of forms), and that is only if you should ever feel the need for any of those, but you are starting to get into serious money then.