Yet another hollowing system question

[Alan Weinberg]

Alan, all of the hollowing tools you've mentioned are good. You'll find there are limitations to all of them too. I believe that it's best to choose the system that seems most intuitive to you and then just practice with it. The real difference in these systems is the bars and cutters. You'll find that the turners whose work you really admire are probably combining what bars and cutters are available and even making their own. Every shape and size of hollowform presents its own challenges and there just isn't a one size fits all system out there.

that’s what I’ve gleaned from this thread and other experiences. Trying to see what mirrors my hopes and expectations as well as plans—I think there are, as you noted, many ways to skin this cat—but I’d like to find one system that I can rely on for a long time, hoping to move into hollow forms. Asking questions and learning from the experiences of others is much better than making my own mistakes. I make my own share of those.

 

[Doug Freeman]

So, I managed to turn hollow forms without any 'rig', as such, and have done so ever since.

I learned to hollow hand held, and did so for 3-4 years, with a lot of success, I think I went up to 8-9” depth. After I blew up a couple of almost completed, very nice pieces, I started researching rigs in earnest.

Maybe a year later, I blew up another very piece, and placed the order for a Jamieson the next day. Momentary lapses in concentration were all it took to ruin the pieces, and frankly hollowing larger pieces can get boring, leading to those lapses in concentration. I still start all pieces hand held - chip removal is a bit quicker and it gives the bar/swivel more room to operate, and I stay in practice.

For me it was not a question of whether I wanted to do it hand held - I proved that many times over. A “rig” resolved 2 major concerns: 1) when am I going to injure myself, 2) when am I going to blow up the next nice piece?

By solving those issues, hollowing became much more enjoyable and fun, which is the intent of a hobby.

 

[Neil S]

By solving those issues, hollowing became much more enjoyable and fun, which is the intent of a hobby.

.
Doug

Fair enough!

Sometimes I lose sight of the fact that it's a hobby for most of us turners and what survives and ends up in the trophy cabinet is an important motive for many of us.
.

 

[Charles Cadenhead]

With the Trent Bosch system has anybody had issues getting the bend of gooseneck hollowing tool through the stabilizer hole? My Rockler gooseneck is a little tight going around the bend and I worry about changing out tools while using it. I guess I would center the tool away from the wall of the vessel, turn off the lathe and then remove the tool? I going to have to work on muscle memory while turning with it so I don't create a problem.

Also, what do people do with a tool in the stabilizer when an emergency, like a catch happens? Do you unlock and pull the banjo back, pull the tool back to the stabilizing post or do you just leave the tool there and shut down the lathe? What's the best practice when dealing with the unexpected? Thanks!

 

[hockenbery]

With the Trent Bosch system has anybody had issues getting the bend of gooseneck hollowing tool through the stabilizer hole?

When I used it I only had the straight part going through the hole.
I just slid the strait part through and attached the handle.

It worked with my Stewart bar quite nicely.

 

[Lou Jacobs]

I also only put the tool in by the handle end. I do occasionally have an issue getting the tool out of the hole if I’ve cranked down too hard on the set screw. It winds up raising a bit of a dimple which then can’t pass through the tool post. I keep a fine file nearby to file down the dimple when this happens.

 

[Randy Heinemann]

Charles, I'm not sure of your meaning of "tool through the stabilizer hole". If you are talking about getting the tool out of the Stabilizer accessory, I have always taken the tool out by sliding the part of the tool mounted in the handle out by moving the tool toward the head stock. It can tick a little when removing the tool but tiny twists one way or the other is all it takes to get it out.

If you are talking about getting the tool out of the hollow form, it's a matter of being careful when you remove the tool to avoid damaging the lip of the piece. You can stop the lathe an remove it, but generally it just carefully remove it while the lathe is running. Same goes for sliding it in. There are, of course, some limits as to how narrow the piece opening is depending on which of the tools you have (5/8" or 3/4")

I'm not sure about an "emergency". I don't believe I've ever had serious catches. One thing to do to avoid catches is angle the cutter slightly downward. Whether it's the straight, curved, or radius scraper, anglling the cutter downward slightly makes a big difference.

Getting the height of the cutter as close to the middle of the piece as possible also avoids catches. The slight angle downward is just some insurance that catches won't occur.

The problem I had when I first got the Stabilizer and tools was that, when I got down to the bottom end of the cut (at the center axis of the piece) there would be some catching (or something that approaches catching) when you go past the centerpoint of the diameter of the piece. One thing to help remedy this is to drill a 1/2" or larger hole to the depth that you want to hollow. Then, each time you get to that point, you can feel the hole and won't go past it.

I have taken Trent's in-person classes and that was a great help to develping the basics of hollowing and for using the Stabilizer. Since that's a little bit of an investment in course fees and travel, I'd advise viewing whatever Trent has on YouTube concerning hollowing. Also, I think Trent sells access to his online hollowing demos for a reasonable price. In all of his hollowing videos, regardless of the piece being turned, he goes through the hollowing process he follows. I have found that following those steps (with whatever variations you might find useful) is a good way to avoid any catches and to get the most from the Stabilizer. You don't need all the extras he uses in his videos, as there are always ways to do the same steps with what you already have access to.

I don't know if this helps at all. I'd say that hollowing and using the Stabilizer are really a learning process. The more you do it the better you get. The YouTube and other online videos are useful as starting points.

 

[Charles Cadenhead]

Thanks everybody! I guess I'll watch some more of Trent's videos and practice. I just received my stabilizer last week and I haven't had a chance to practice.

 

[Darryn Achall]

Thanks everybody! I guess I'll watch some more of Trent's videos and practice. I just received my stabilizer last week and I haven't had a chance to practice.

When first getting the stabilizer, I practiced by hollowing regular bowls using scrap wood. With the large opening you can see how the tool works and get a feel for everything. Since you can't see what is going on in the hollow form you need to learn how to go by feel and sound. Hollowing an open bowl allows you to see how the equipment works while paying attention to the feel of the cuts and the sounds. This will help you learn faster. You can put the cutting edge on center or slightly off and figure what feels more comfortable. You can tilt the cutting head a few degrees and see how that feels. You can observe as you approach the bottom and get a feel for that. When you are comfortable with how the tool works, try it in a narrower opening.