"Arch" wrote in message
...
Rough hollowing and cleaning out large end grain blanks is getting to be
more chore than fun. Even with two toolrests and a cobbled up
restraining device, my armbrace and long 3/4" boring bar is getting
heavier by the day and I'm running out of aspirin. Still I don't want to
buy an expensive large hollowing system.

So turn bowls or something for a break.

Fastest rough hollowing I've found is a pointy gouge. You could use a
metal-spinner's rest with the pin to _really_ hog on it if you care to. You
do have one of those, or a pivoting gate for that hollower, right? If not,
try it. Experiment by putting a C-clamp on the rest to bear against. Seems
to take a lot of strange stress off the AV joint.