If a noobie of hollow forms were to do a small hollow form......

[Sam Fleisher]

What's the grain orientation that would be a good way to start out?

Faceplate orientation like a bowl or spindle orientation?

Or does it not matter so much? Chuck a chunk of fire wood and let it rip?

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

End grain hollowing is the usual form I use and what I see mostly. Sometimes it produces a grain pattern which contrasts sharply with side grain.

 

[hockenbery]

I don’t think it matters much.
Endgrain hollowing you get small chips easy to get them out
Face grain hollowing you get long shavings inside, they teach you to clear shavings before they wrap around the tool.

I learned on my own to hollow Christmas ornament balls these were end grain hollowed 2.5-3” balls

In the Ellsworth class I took in 1995 the first day we started with a 10-11” diameter log about 10-11” long between centers
Turned a sphere, rotated it 90 degrees a cut it in two using the straight hollowing tool last 1/2” cut with a saw to minimize flying objects. Two face grain hemispheres.
Next turned a bowl from one. From the other we turned a face grain hollow form.
First one i was taught was face grain.

 

[John K Jordan]

What's the grain orientation that would be a good way to start out?

Faceplate orientation like a bowl or spindle orientation?

Or does it not matter so much? Chuck a chunk of fire wood and let it rip?

Doesn't matter much, just a preference. But some things to consider:
When turning end grain you aren't alternating between cutting down the grain and across end grain on both the outside and inside diameter so the initial hollowing practice might be a bit gentler. Easier with some species of wood than others, of course.

I find it easier to smooth the inside of end grain "vessels", but not so important unless the hole in the top is large enough look inside or to feel inside with a finger. Some wouldn't call such a piece "hollowing" but I do.

If the wood is face grain orientation and not completely dry, it may warp a bit out of round as it dries or moisture changes with the seasons. This might not be important unless you add a lid.

I do like to turn endgrain with a larger hole AND a lid.. The entire inside of this smallish piece is as smooth as the outside and the lid never sticks. Maybe 5"-6" high. Turned a while back when experimenting with form to see and feel what kinds of things I liked and didn't like. (Yikes, 17 years ago, longer than I thought.)



JKJ

 

[Dave Landers]

Start with end-grain ("spindle" or "axial") orientation.
The cuts will be against more consistent grain orientation vs the changing grain patterns you have to deal with on side-grain pieces.
On an end-grain piece, the chips inside will generally be small and fairly easy to blow/suck/scrape out. An end-grain hollowing will produce more long, stringy shavings which can/will suddenly grab the tool and are much harder to dig out (especially if they're wet).
An end-grain form will move/deform/warp less, giving you more time to finish the piece with less frustration.

Other advice I give for first-time hollowers:
Start by roughing out some bowls with your hollowing tool. Give yourself some time to learn the feel of how the tool cuts, while you can still see it. Then move to closed forms, but don't try to go immediately to a tiny opening.

 

[robo hippy]

For starting out, I would suggest boxes first, and smaller ones. While not exactly hollow forms, they are at least similar. I like end grain for boxes, and most hollow firms are end grain, but there are some side/bowl grain ones also. Mostly with boxes, it is easier to see what is going on with the inside of the form.

robo hippy

 

[Darryn Achall]

Other advice I give for first-time hollowers:
Start by roughing out some bowls with your hollowing tool. Give yourself some time to learn the feel of how the tool cuts, while you can still see it. Then move to closed forms, but don't try to go immediately to a tiny opening.

This! I started by hollowing bowls with the hollowing tool. Then move to deeper vase like forms. You can learn how hollowing feels while being able to see what the tool is doing. Try different tool angles, pressures, rates of feed and see what works in various situations.