Trouble turning inside of segmented vase

If the opening is wide enough to use a 1” or greater dowel rod with foam on the end. It seems to work great for the members at my woodworking club at keeping pressure on the bottom preventing it from flying out of the chuck or face plate. I wish I had a picture to show you. One member started using this method and like anything new everyone needing the extra support started using it with a lot of success.

How deep are you turning inside the vase? What type or brand of carbide hollowing tools are you using? How far over the tool rest turning tools can extend over tool rest depends upon the tool & skill of the turner! Even with hollowing systems (articulating & captive) have to control the tool.

Could try slowing down lathe speed and don’t rush he cut!

-- Bill

Sometimes more speed is your friend. Try a push cut using a large bowl or spindle gouge, cutting only with the tip. Get the rim started smooth and slowly work your way in. If it’s really deep and wide, supporting the bottom may be called for.

-- tel

If your bowl is breaking off of a screwed on faceplate, you have a serious problem. Try a bowl gouge with a fingernail grind to get it down near finished and then go to a scraper. Like Gittyup said, support the bottom if necessary.

-- Mike, Massachusetts

If you are getting extreme bounce from your tool on the inside, it sounds like you tool isn’t at or above center. I have found that working the inside of stuff I do, I have to have my tool rest positioned above center line in order to not rub the bottom of the tool I’m using.
It doesn’t matter whether you use carbide or not, it’s the position of the tool rest that matters most. ............. Jerry (in Tucson)

-- Jerry (in Tucson) www.woodturnerstools.com

How large is the opening? How deep do you need to cut? What is the shape and size of the carbide tool holder shank? How long is your tool handle?

Im sure your ring glue up is not perfect creating interrupted cuts, and the area of cut can change from ring to ring. The further the tool gets off the tool rest the more difficult it is to control, and the easier it is to let the cutting edge drop below center. Shank dia matters a lot as the tool gets further off the rest. Make the lightest cuts you can till it starts to round out.

I turn segmented vases, boxes, etc. in two sections … one faceplate on the bottom, another on the top. Basically, they look like two bowls that I join together after the hollowing of both is done. If you measure and cut carefully, the seam inside the piece is almost undetectable. I am usually able to smooth out the glue joint with a tear-drop scraper.

-- Gerry -- "I don't plan to ever really grow up ... I'm just going to learn how to act in public!"

How many segments in the perimeter? The lower the number of segments, the more it resembles a rough blank.

-- Phil Allin - There are woodworkers and people who collect woodworking tools. The woodworkers have a chair to sit on that they made.

How many segments in the perimeter? The lower the number of segments, the more it resembles a rough blank.

- Phil32

I’ve done on open segment pieces with as low as 15 segments per row … never had a problem (yet!).

-- Gerry -- "I don't plan to ever really grow up ... I'm just going to learn how to act in public!"