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Standard Finishing Practice for a Vase

Tom De Winter

Tom De Winter

Joined
Apr 30, 2020
Messages
315
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244
Location
Quad Cities, IL
My first deep hollowing project is this 6-1/2" vase with a 1-1/2" opening from dry walnut. The outside is finished with wipe-on poly.
I sanded the inside finger-deep without getting crazy about it. (Didn't want to lose a finger). The neck is also finished for the first 1-1/2" or so.
Is it common practice to try to apply finish to all of the inside or leave it raw?

Vase 1.jpg
 
Tom, very nice piece. I sand and apply oil finish in with my finger so that the raw wood doesn't show as you look from the side or around the top. Not deep but depends on the opening size and angle. On yours I would sand to the same or close to grit finish as the outside probably about as long as my index finger since it's flared out a bit and darker wood. I don't sand the inside beyond where my finger can reach and even then only to 180 or so. I try to make sure there are no big ridges or undulations on the inside walls but I don't get crazy about it. Vases sell well for me these days and have had folks notice that the raw inside adds to the handmade appeal.
 
What I do on hollow forms is use a scraper surface on the inside no sanding

I typically finish the outside with multiple coats of Waterlox followed by Beal buffing.
The inside I finish with 1 coat of Watco

If there are lots of voids I may bleach the inside
If I have used color on the outside I often paint he inside black with airbrush.

These treatments make the surface look smooth a finger will feel a fuzzy surfaces.
It’s been a successful method for me.


Nice looking vase
 
Last edited:
I debate this with myself also.

I have one hollow form that took a few years to get rid of the smell from finish on the inside. I think that one was watco (based on the smell) but I don't actually remember.

I have a number of years worth of hollow forms with no finish on the inside - they seem to be ok like that.

Recently, I'll finish the inside of a form with a larger opening (that you can easily see inside the vessel) ifI think it would benefit from finish inside. I will drip in thinned lacquer or shellac with a pipet, swirl it around, and wipe it down really well with paper towel gripped with forceps. Then it sits for a day or a few with a fish tank air pump circulating air inside.
 
If you leave the inside surface unfinished the vase will absorb and lose moisture readily from the environment it is in. Not a problem if it stays
in a stable environment with a constant humidity, the finish could crack over time depending on the type of finish and the age of the piece. Older
hollow body guitars that were finished on the outside and unfinished on the inside, the finish would crack over time.
 
I usually do a cursory sand deep with a split dowel rod with sandpaper jammed in the split. Then I do a better job closer to the rim, as deep as a finger can reach. Sometimes I will make a “mop” of blue shop toweling and seal the inside with some cheap sanding sealer, using a better finish nearer the rim, again, as deep as a finger can reach. Aall this is probably overkill, however, as I remember John Jordan commenting that “tool marks are okay but ridges are not”.
 
Thanks to all for your finishing thoughts and positive comments on the form.

My toolbar uses the Munro carbide cutter. I think I'll like it better once I get more practice with it. I had the most trouble with the drastically changing radius at the bottom.
 
I finish a lot of vases and other hf’s with wipe on poly. I always seal the inside, just as I seal the bottom. I pour the poly in and slosh around till it stops absorbing. Why - as stated previously to have equal moisture movement.

Sanding inside depends on opening size and use. For your vase I would use a split dowel to sand below where a finger can feel. I used to worry about the inside bottom. I try to smooth it best I can with a cutter now, but dont sand unless my hand fits through the opening.

Some pieces get black shoe dye with some shellac mixed in, if I want it blacked out.
 
Tom,
I agree with Doug above but only use epoxy on the inside. My work is sold in CO and is shipped to lots of environments: - I have work in Florida, Bermuda and in Australia - allowing for moisture change is critical.
Regarding your hollowing bar, I've used the Munro system since 2005 - it's been a love/hate relationship. I started with the original and then swore it off - couldn't get it to stop clogging plus the cutter attachment method was painful. Then a student got a Hollower-II, I tried and gave it another go - the cutter attachment method is a huge improvement.
The Munro is a nasty learning-curve. It's counter-intuitive: if it clogs, reduce the opening. Also, pressure is required to keep it cutting - my system utilizes an internal tool-rest with a pivot-pin at the opening - I stand back at the end of a three or four foot handle and apply the pressure needed to keep it cutting. When I pull it out to clear shavings, the cutter it totally clogged - I never bother to clean - just stick it back in and, voila, it cuts.
Needless to say, there is not a chuck on the planet that will allow the pressure I apply. On tall pieces, I always use a Keith Clark steady-rest. On low profile pcs (20"-dia, 15" tall), I use a 6" face-plate
 
Mine is also the Hollower II. I set the cover plate to give minimal exposure of the cutter thinking it would keep it from being too aggressive (?). It cut with reasonable pressure except when at the center where the wood is barely moving. Clogs weren't a problem. I ended up with a groove around the center and blended this best I could with a sanding stick mounted in the tailstock. By not locking the tailstock to the bed I was able to rock it covering the entire bottom.

I did seal the inside with a "slosh coat" of my poly/mineral spirits blend.
 
Tom De Winter said:
My first deep hollowing project is this 6-1/2" vase with a 1-1/2" opening from dry walnut. The outside is finished with wipe-on poly.
I sanded the inside finger-deep without getting crazy about it. (Didn't want to lose a finger). The neck is also finished for the first 1-1/2" or so.
Is it common practice to try to apply finish to all of the inside or leave it raw?

View attachment 46738
Click to expand...
Hi Tom, I always make sure to apply the same amount of finish I use to cover all of the bare wood inside. The idea is to make sure the finish inside or out is consistent, so humidity/temperature changes don't affect your piece over time
 
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