Box Elder Hollow Form

[Tim Kipps]

Haven't posted any work here yet, I still consider myself relative new to this craft. I've been making a lot of pens but have been trying some new items as of late. Here is a Box Elder Hollow Form I just finished. It's 7 1/2 x 6. It has some beautiful colors and figuring. C & C welcome!

 

[Pete Blair]

Hollow form

Hey Tim.
This is a very interesting hollow form. I have been considering doing similar shaped but am still unsure about the form. All my hollow forms have the widest part above the centre line. Did the wood influence your design?

 

[Tim Kipps]

Pete,
I did. I didn't have as much material to work with on the top, plus the bottom was very punky. So I was trying to leave as much material on the bottom as I could. I do remember a song " fat bottom girl" so there ya go........

 

[hockenbery]

Tim,

Certainly a piece to be pleased with early on.

Most important! Are you pleased with it?
Put it someplace where you can look at it frequently for a couple of weeks.
What do you like about it? Dislike? How would you do the next one differently?

In a hollow form the rank of most important features
1,2,3,4 shape by far the most important ( without a good form to hollow you just have a hollow object not a hollow form)
5 Outside Surface
6 Wall thickness
7 inside surface

Regarding form - anything pleasing to eye works
A form that looks good upside down is pleasing
A form with continuous curves is more pleasing than one with flats
A form with the wide part 1/3 or 2/3 of the height is pleasing ( others can be pleasing too)

I try to never let the wood or the holding method dictate the form or shape.
When I have a piece of wood I decide what I can make FROM it.
I rarely use most of the wood.

Have fun,
Al

 

[Brian McInturff]

Sometimes the wood does dictate the shape if there is a feature of the wood that you want to "capture" or "highlight". That's when it becomes art.

 

[hockenbery]

Sometimes the wood does dictate the shape if there is a feature of the wood that you want to "capture" or "highlight". That's when it becomes art.

Brian,
I would suggest it is you bringing out , not the wood dictating. "there is a feature of the wood that you want to "capture" "
And further the capturing highlighting do not happen by accident often.


More what I had in mind is that a 6x6x8 block of wood does not always become a 5.5d 7.5h finished piece.

Al

 

[Brian McInturff]

Al,
If the feature isn't in the blank then the form can take any shape. A void dictates to some degree how much of the blank you use and how you position it.

 

[hockenbery]

Al, If the feature isn't in the blank then the form can take any shape. A void dictates to some degree how much of the blank you use and how you position it.

Features limit what can be made from a blank for sure I still think you are in control,and not the wood.

A block with a void does not have to become a hollow form.

It can be a bowl, three Christmas ornament or 6 bottle stoppers.

If I get predisposed to make a stool from it I may have a problem.

Al

 

[Brian McInturff]

Al,
I agree, you are always in control. We could take a blank with a void, show it to 5 different people and probably get 5 variations. Now depending on the void, 3 of those 5 probably would be close in variations.

 

[hockenbery]

Al, I agree, you are always in control. We could take a blank with a void, show it to 5 different people and probably get 5 variations. Now depending on the void, 3 of those 5 probably would be close in variations.

Depends on the people. Might get Pens, bottle stoppers, bowls, Hollow forms, boxes,.....
If we think we have to make a hollow form, it forces us to work within limits

I have seen what comes back from a club challenge where everyone gets a near identical block of wood.
Lots of different results. And usually some that are close to identical.

Al