Thread: How do the pro's do it????

Originally Posted by Grumpy John

I used to wonder the same thing Vern until I saw a Raffan video. The cheeky bugga makes the vesel in two halve,s gets a perfect finish then glues them together (cheater ). When he turns the outside he puts a bead at the join to disguise it.

Hmmm - so it's left to us amateurs to push the boundaries then eh!

Originally Posted by Ed Reiss

............my secret weapon - a 5/8" carbide ball mill. It is large enough to bridge the valleys and cleans up the hills and leaves a relatively smooth surface. Just run it along the surface, it takes off small imperfections easily
...............

That's a newy on me definitely food for thought! (hey Hughie - you taking notes here )

wots needed is an expanding adjustable cutter head that beats as it cleans as it sweeps

What about a sanding head on the end of a flexible shaft that fits within the entry. If the entry is big enough for your hand, you should be able to fit a 75/50/25 head. Put the head in, hold the end with one hand, the other hand on the drill or dremmel. Start with say 120 grit and using the largest head that will get to where you need to, it will ride the ridges and sand them flat.

vern
i just got the may 2009 woodturning mag ( 200 th ) issue there is a new sanding tool for bowl tall vases and hollow forms on page 92 pm me if u cant get it and want a pdf copy
troy

or any body else that wants a copy just pm me with your email address

Originally Posted by dai sensei

What about a sanding head on the end of a flexible shaft that fits within the entry. If the entry is big enough for your hand, you should be able to fit a 75/50/25 head. Put the head in, hold the end with one hand, the other hand on the drill or dremmel. Start with say 120 grit and using the largest head that will get to where you need to, it will ride the ridges and sand them flat.

Thought about it but the entry only just allows my hand/wrist through - even the cable of a flex-tool won't squeeze in with it. If I enlarged the entry I would still be up the veritable as the shape would not allow the handle/cable enough room to apply the pad squarely on the surface. Even the flap sander idea has been dropped as the angle of the wall will mean the flap sander will only cut with the corner for about 3/4 of the surface......... if all that made any sense at all
Starting to wonder if it would be worth mounting on of those self-powered sanding heads
on an extension handle with an adjustable pivot of some sort that allows it to sit flat on the surface. Loaded with a coarse enough grit, it might just even things off a little.

Originally Posted by wheelinround

wots needed is an expanding adjustable cutter head that beats as it cleans as it sweeps

If ya got a spare one I'll borrow it then eh!

TT.... here's a few pics of a maple piece just compleated yesterday. 150mm high x 140mm wide x 4mm wall

I tried my best to get nice inside shots that would show off the smooth interior by using the method I alluded to earlier in this thread...you'll just have to take my word that the insides are smooth and not rippled

Vern http://www.gambier.d.reeks.btinternet.co.uk/tools.htm

an idea Ed provided part of solution
using a deep hollowing bent shaft attach a flexi shaft drive and use

Originally Posted by mkypenturner

vern
i just got the may 2009 woodturning mag ( 200 th ) issue there is a new sanding tool for bowl tall vases and hollow forms on page 92 pm me if u cant get it and want a pdf copy
troy .............

Got that issue - wouldn't mind the sander but it's a bit pricey - maybe one day

Originally Posted by Ed Reiss

TT.... here's a few pics of a maple piece just compleated yesterday. 150mm high x 140mm wide x 4mm wall

I tried my best to get nice inside shots that would show off the smooth interior by using the method I alluded to earlier in this thread...you'll just have to take my word that the insides are smooth and not rippled

I don't have any trouble on open forms like that Ed - just when I can't see what's happening and there's a bucketload of overhang.

I have wrapped him up in paper now after persisting with the shear-scraper. Took a while but I managed to get the surface even enough for now - could lose the whole thing during the drying process so it could all be for naught! I haven't done anything with Kauri pine before so I don't know how it will behave. I didn't worry about bagging it after the first hollowing session and came back to it a couple of days later to find some pretty big cracks around the mouth. Have kept it bagged since so the next few days with it wrapped up will be interesting

Originally Posted by TTIT

I didn't worry about bagging it after the first hollowing session and came back to it a couple of days later to find some pretty big cracks around the mouth. Have kept it bagged since so the next few days with it wrapped up will be interesting

I have had good luck with wet or dry pieces by liberally applying boiled linseed oil in and out and wrapping in newspaper when I stop turning. If it is ready for the last sanding steps, I'll wet sand with 220 and Tung Oil (my usual finish) then apply more with a rag, wrap in news paper.

I am amazed how much linseed oil was absorbed by a root / stump two days out of the ground. The sister piece that I soaked in detergent and water for a week and then microwaved twisted and split all over.

I think Richard Raffan wrote that one can do all sorts of things to prevent splitting, or do nothing, and the result is some split and some don't.

Originally Posted by Paul39

.............I think Richard Raffan wrote that one can do all sorts of things to prevent splitting, or do nothing, and the result is some split and some don't.

That's pretty much my philosophy also - wood's not that hard to find. I didn't want to cover/treat this one with anything at all because I plan to have a go at using aniline dyes on it. Once it's dry, I'll 'borrow' my sons air-brush and have a play ............ and if that doesn't work I've left the walls at 10mm so I can always carve it up a bit - the Kauri is just too plain on its own

I don't have any trouble on open forms like that Ed - just when I can't see what's happening and there's a bucketload of overhang.

OK, TT....that takes us back to the carbide ball mill for taking down the ridges. One major plus with the ball is that there is no way in hell that it will catch, so turning "blind" and also with lots of overhang is no problem.

Good luck with the piece your working on...looking forward to seeing a pic of the finished product.

Hi Vern,

In past I have coated the inside with BLO and its helped alot with cracking etc . But if its gonna twist, it will, no matter what we do...well thats my opinion

When using the scraper on the inside of a hollow form it is best to use the largest teardrop cutter you have so it will ride on top of the bumps easier. If you use a small cutter it will do as you say get rid of the high spot and create 2 more humps.

By getting a peice of toolsteel and shaping in a radius like the teardrop with about an 80 degree angle. Most readily available ones only have about a 40mm radius so 50-60 would be better and mounted onto a rigid handle with the ability to tilt on an angle of 45 degrees.

This way are riding over a couple of bumps and able to get a rid of all the little ones on between.