Thin Walls and Piercing with Matt Harber

Thin Wall Tips:

1. Shape exterior contours first. Shape interior contours to consistently match exterior contours.
2. Wet wood can be more easily thinned, it is more flexible.
3. Work from the rim to the center of the piece. Try to not go back to thin walls at the rim, as the rim can break easily.
4. Try not to put pressure on thin walls with tools, even to ride the tool bevel. Use shear scraping, very lightly on thin bits.

Basic piercing tips:

• Piercing is typically done at higher speeds.
• Take shallow cuts, go down into the cut a little at a time. Don’t force the tools, allow the tools to cut naturally.
• Frequently clear dust out of the cuts, do not allow tools to become clogged.
• When using diamond burrs for sanding, turn speed way down. This increases control and reduces burning.
• If you wish to incorporate organized patterns, lay out the pattern with pencil, then pierce around it. Pencil marks can be sanded off later.