Some think it's cheating.....

[OGYT]

This is my Laser Hollower mounted and working.:D
First pic shows the key ring Laser light at the top (1.25 USD with the little gold chain/rings) and the holloform with the Red Dot that you can see is falling off the form and onto the lathe bed. This means that the wall is thick enough.
Second pic shows the overall view of the thing. The tool shaft is 3/8" straight tool with a 1/8" cutter.
The framework is mounted on an aluminum rail (915mm long) from an old Skiing Machine that I found at the local dump. It swivels, so I can get in at different angles, and with different swan necked tool shafts.:D
The form is West Indian Rosewood. I made sure I didn't get the dust of this piece in my chest :doh: ... last one knocked me for a loop with sinus and chest conjestion.:o :((

[joe greiner]

Interesting variation on a "standard" technique. Laser assist, as well as use of a capture frame, are pretty much state-of-the-art. I haven't heard either one called cheating, nor use of a powered lathe vs spring pole. Better than making funnels. Nice execution of both the tool and the turning.

Joe

[DJ’s Timber]

Looks to be a great setup there Al

[hughie]

Al,

Cheating, nah! my foot. The purists might think so. But why would we not use the technology around us. Treadle lathes and treadle grinders, yeah right. Not for this little black duck.


Great looking piece of manufacturing, looks very steady. :2tsup:

I have been looking at making something very similar. So your pics are very handy, well timed to boot :U

[OGYT]

Thanks, Joe. Appreciate the comments. I can't remember who it was, but I think someone on this forum said it was cheating.:? But then, it may have been tongue-in-cheek... I ain't as young as I used to be. :p :B

Thanks, DJ. It really does work well, but I've since discovered something. :- I need to swing the light arm where it will be directly over the spindle when it's centered (pointing straight down). :doh: And I need to make sure that when I change tool shafts (say, from swan neck to straight) that I have the same length of shaft sticking out of the "D" Bar.
The way I have it now, the light is too far to the offside of the lathe, and when I rotate it to put the dot on a swan neck tool, it really changes the thickness, even though I use the same rule measurement. Parallax problem... I think they call it.:C

Hughie, you're right, it is pretty steady. However, I have no doubts that when you get your's done, I'll want to make some mods to mine. You're an exceptional toolmaker, Mate. :2tsup:
Here's a lighter view of the thing.

[Toolin Around]

This is my Laser Hollower mounted and working.:D
First pic shows the key ring Laser light at the top (1.25 USD with the little gold chain/rings) and the holloform with the Red Dot that you can see is falling off the form and onto the lathe bed. This means that the wall is thick enough.
Second pic shows the overall view of the thing. The tool shaft is 3/8" straight tool with a 1/8" cutter.
The framework is mounted on an aluminum rail (915mm long) from an old Skiing Machine that I found at the local dump. It swivels, so I can get in at different angles, and with different swan necked tool shafts.:D
The form is West Indian Rosewood. I made sure I didn't get the dust of this piece in my chest :doh: ... last one knocked me for a loop with sinus and chest conjestion.:o :((

One of the biggest things I miss about living in Canada. All the materials that went into making that rig would cost an arm an a leg here and are hard to find unless you buy a ridiculously large quantity. Not that I'm complaining but there is very little that one can't find with extreme ease in NA. I think I'll go back to the beach.

[thefixer]

So I guess when you are not using on the lathe you rent it out to local hospital for keyhole surgery.
how long does it take to set that thing up anyway?

Cheers
Shorty

[rodent]

If you want a smaller dot ,get a piece of thin card put a pin hole in it and place it in front of the lazer ive tryed it and it works a treat.

[OGYT]

G'day Shorty, it takes about 5 minutes to set it up. I pre-bore a 1/2" hole to the final depth, first. Then hollow just inside, under the lip of the opening, with hand-held tools. I use the Steady Rest while I'm doin' that. Then I set up the rig, and just move the Steady Rest up next to the headstock, to get it out of the way. I could take it completely off the lathe, but I usually forget to move it 'til I'm already hollowin'.
Thanks for the idea, Rodent. That'll do!..
T.A., why are things so high there?

[tashammer]

OGYT

small population, freight, plus, of course, greed.

We used to have an annual hard garbage collection and that was wonderful for acquiring and recycling useful bits and pieces. But the council introduced wheelie bins, rot 'em!

Then the council made it illegal to scavenge at the tip and then sold the scavenging rights to a private firm.

Odd that, the ordinary bloke is shoved out of more and more and is squeezed more and more. Makes me wonder if councils are there to look after its ratepayers or to squeeze them dry as the council spends money on hair-brained multi-million dollar projects. 'Scuse the rant.

[simso]

Nice setup. No cheating, if anyone saids its cheating then lets find out what tools they use, or are they cheating by not using a sharpened stone, it all comes down to what century tools where using, stones, wood hammer and chisel, power tools, cnc or laser, The day will come where you can draw a 3d picture of an item and a holographic image will appear and then be solidified into a solid object, I got dibs on the first mould of a young elle mcpherson
Steve

[OGYT]

Hey, Tas;
small population, freight, plus, of course, greed.
That sounds somewhat like where I live, too.:)
We used to have an annual hard garbage collection and that was wonderful for acquiring and recycling useful bits and pieces. But the council introduced wheelie bins, rot 'em!
Our council is talking about those wheelie bins, too! If they go that far, I think the lot of them will be run out of town.:((
Then the council made it illegal to scavenge at the tip and then sold the scavenging rights to a private firm.
They haven't gone quite this far... the metal pile and tree dump is still open for public use.:D
Odd that, the ordinary bloke is shoved out of more and more and is squeezed more and more. Makes me wonder if councils are there to look after its ratepayers or to squeeze them dry as the council spends money on hair-brained multi-million dollar projects. 'Scuse the rant.
Now that sounds exactly like where I live. Nowhere in the actions of our council can you find anything done for the common man. And they even took land away from a good family here (they called it the law of imminent domain), just to make a golfcourse. Town of about 4500 folks, and only about 150 play golf. :(( :(( :~ :no: :o
I rant, too. Sometimes. :roll:

[Hickory]

You get to do it and I don't so it must be cheating.... Show me some more....

[OGYT]

Steve, good chuckles there... but at my age, I'd have to just go ahead and give you your dibs. Who's Elle? (Grin)
I'm like my Pop's old Uncle: Aunt's (80 yrs) away from home for a few days, with a promise to talk to Uncle (88 yrs) every eve at 6. Called and called and he didn't answer the phone til after 8pm. Tells Auntie that he's been out chasin' shielas. She asks him why... and he says, "I forgot."

Thanks, Hickory. But if you want to make one, wait and take a look at Hughie's. It'll be like an Elle to an Oldie.

[rsser]

Hope you don't mind me adding this to your thread Al.

The attached pics may also be of interest to those building their own rigs. It's by Henning Johanson.

He uses a hollow bar mount which doubles as a compressed air conduit to blow the shavings out and which takes an LED light to indicate HF wall thickness.

[Terry B]

Al
I've said it before but will say it again. That lathe is just way too clean:D.
Good concept though.
Cheers