Relaxing hobby my %$#

[DON FRANK]

There is no kind of learning that does not come with some pain, just ask any bull rider. You can't make the inside larger than the outside and I thought I'd learned that lesson but a couple weeks ago I did the same thing on a piece of timber that I very much wanted to complete. It's just part of the process unfortunately .

 

[Doug Freeman]

For you folks that like deeper hollowing freehand (more then ~5-6” off the toolrest), I’m curious if you have had any kind of injuries, joint replacements, or illness that had you bedridden for weeks in your life, and spent months or years rehabbing from those incidents?

BTW, shoulder injuries/surgeries have long and fairly painful rehab.

 

[Bill Blasic]

I set the laser 1/16" away from the edge of the tool and I always watch the laser. I always shut the lathe off removing the tool to remove chips. I most always have two hands on the Monster. I don't have to worry about a screen or wires or anything catching. Could I close my eyes, sure but why would I want to. Stress free was always my aim and the hollowing systems provide just that.

 

[hughie]

Reading some of these stories about disasters, reminds why I lifted my lathe to try and counter these unfortunate events. Sure, what I have done is not for everyone, but it works for me. I have had various hollowing rigs over the years, most have followed along the Jamieson style. The most interesting one was the Kobra, probably what appealed the most was the engineering side of. But at the end of the day I end up back at the Irons gate and in general just working off the tool rest with my version of the monster handle with matching boring bar. What I have found, less speed i.e. rpm and the way I have a go at the blank. On the difficult blanks this goes a long way with these gnarly blanks, these days catches are rare even on the weird and wonder blanks I love to turn.

Currently, I only have a banjo mounted small rig for doing the ornate boxes I make from time to time. The blanks are generally hard to get and or exotic species such as Solomon Island Ebony or Tubi and I turn them fairly thin, well thin compared to my other hollow vessels. It gives me very good control, hollowing through small openings.

Everything I heavily embellish means the wall thickness has to be greater, plus with I add more thickness to the bottom for stability as most of mine have small feet. Also, I like the idea that many of them will be around long after I'm gone, due in part to the thickness. Having a lot of grandkids across a wide range of ages I have seen many of the light weight thin pieces suffer fatally such is life.

 

[Lou Jacobs]

Same guy was a school teacher and had his lathe at the school. Was hollowing a large vessel (after school, alone) using an arm brace and the tool grabbed - picked him up off the floor and held him there, motor straining. He couldn't let go or the tool would have spun around and whacked him (and blown up the piece - not sure which was his bigger concern). He barely was able to maneuver around just enough to reach the lathe's off switch.

What a horrifying story! Did his lathe have a VFD? On mine (3520C) when coring if I push too hard the VFD will sense the overload and cut out, waiting for a reset. (I’d like to say that this almost never happens anymore. )