So far, I only have a laser and it works OK, but when turning a large diameter hollowform with the laser dot vibrating, it becomes less reliable in judging wall thickness than using it on a small hollowform.
The idea of a video camera sounds attractive, but I am trying to understand the factors that have influenced some to go back to using a laser. The part that confuses me is the idea of working while looking at a monitor vs. looking at the actual piece being turned. I can understand in the case of a bowl or open top vase where we are able to see the cutter and see the wood being removed from the interior. But if I were turning a hollowform with a small opening where I'm turning in the blind, it seems like looking at a laser dot on the exterior is just as abstract as looking at a real-time video that depicts the position of the cutter with respect to a live picture of the hollowform. I have seen demonstrations of both commercial systems and I didn't see anything to not like about either one. I'm wondering if any of the following could be relevant issues:
- The placement or orientation of the screen not being convenient to view while at the same time use the hollowing tool.
- The existence an appreciable time lag.
- The loss of hand/eye coordination due to scale factor in the video image that doesn't match the real world.
- Length of adaptation time.
- No perceived benefit.
Any further thoughts would be greatly appreciated.