With this piece, I wanted to try something a little different than the bowls I’d been making, and the result is this 7 x 4 inch, spalted beech hollow form, the aperture being inspired by the shape of a conch shell.
The piece was mounted on an 87mm faceplate/50mm standard chuck jaws, tooled to round and the outer shape formed before sanding through grits 120-400, refining with Yorkshire Girt original and microfine and finally two coats of sanding sealer, de-nibbing with 0000 wire wool after each application.
Hollowing involved removing the central slow-rotating wood first with the 35mm Forstner bit, completing the interior shape with carbide and HSS hollowing tools, stopping frequently to inspect and clear out chippings. The inside is only sanded to 180 as its not on show.
The conch-shaped opening is created using a paper template, taping it to the wood, drawing around it then removing the waste wood with a Dremel to just shy of the drawn lines. The final shaping being completed by careful sanding, again with the Dremel.
I used my Razer tip SK pyrography pen with spherical tip to define the edge of the aperture, the intention being to create a bit more visual impact.
Appropriate PPE should be used throughout.
Tools used:
· WPHardwoods8x4 inch, spalted beech blank
· Sorby3/8 fingernail grind bowl gouge
· FAMAG35mm Forstner bit in Jacobs chuck
· Simon Hope Pro Hollowing tool with 6mm carbide bit and Simon Hope Cryo Medium Hook tool with 10mm HSS bit.
· Dremel with Proxxon round carbide bit/sanding discs
· Indasa50mm hook/loop sanding discs 120-400 grit
· Hampshire Sheen Sanding sealer
· Hampshire Sheen Danish oil
· Chestnut Products 0000 wire wool
· Compass/paper/scissors/tape
· Razer tip SK pyrography pen with small spherical tip.
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