Mark
Sanger RPT
The Inside Story DVD
A
Study in Hollow Form Turning
Published by KTMP, UK
R.R.P.$49.50
As reviewed in The Australian Woodworker Issue 149
Though still relatively young, Mark Sanger has had a varied career, having been an apprentice engineer in the aerospace industry and a policeman, before going professional with his woodturning.
He now teaches and demonstrates turning and was accepted onto the Register of Professional Turners supported by the Worshipful Company of Turners, London.
The purpose of this DVD, The Inside Story, is to examine in detail the steps required to turn a hollow form.
Most hollowing requires purpose designed and made hollowing tools. Mark prefers the New Zealand made Kelton tools, though most of his comments are applicable to hollowing tools generally.
He takes the viewer through the entire process in real time. The action is a little slow at times, largely because he talks fairly continuously and discusses why he does things as he works.
His preferred method is to turn a hollow form green, let it season and then give it a final turning.
The DVD commences with Mark choosing his green blank. He discusses desirable characteristics, the effects of the seasoning process and the importance of grain location and patterns.
Typical of green blanks, his workpiece is covered in bark and quite out of round. He explains how he uses a scalloping action to remove waste, leaving a series of coves. Only when most of the out-of-round waste has been removed, does he use conventional methods with a gouge to true the cylinder.
He trues one end and forms a spigot for the scroll chuck - Mark prefers the Axminster Gripper Jaws for this work, but suitable jaws are available from other manufacturers.
Next the outer shape of the hollow form is turned. An initial cavity is formed by drilling with a Forstner bit.
At this point we reach what I considered to be the most interesting stage of the video. Mark cuts the form on the bandsaw, removing much of the wood from two opposing sides.
With the workpiece back on the lathe, Mark explains the process of hollowing out the cavity and the importance of doing it in stages to maintain the rigidity of the form for as long as possible.
As Mark begins to hollow out the form, working from the hole drilled previously, he soon breaks through the cut sides formed by the bandsaw. As he continues to hollow, the spinning form looks like a fully rounded vase, yet we can clearly see the end of the hollowing tool and how it removes the wood. This is a departure from most hollowing DVDs and books where the tool disappears into the hole but we don’t get to see what it is really happening 'in there'.
The cut-away form is useful only for the hollowing demonstration. Mark moves on to discuss how he seasons the vessels in plastic bags and why.
Then he takes a seasoned form and proceeds to true it up on the lathe. When the shape has been finalised, he smooths the surface with scrapers.
The inside of the form is sanded with a small sanding pad mounted on an extension shaft fitted to a power drill. The exterior is also sanded with an abrasive pad fitted to an electric drill.
Mark’s signature pieces have a lid with a carved finial. The closing chapters cover the turning of a snug-fitting lid and the shaping of the finial. The finial is cut roughly to shape on the bandsaw and then shaped with a burr, sander, etc, mounted in the headstock.
If you’ve been tempted to try a hollowed form but been uncertain about how to proceed, Mark Sanger’s DVD will give you plenty of tips.
Duration: 210min
DVD - English