On Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:27:42 GMT, John wrote:

Wow.. that's (in my mind) a pretty radical tool, especially for what you're
doing.. I think if I was going to spend that much money trying to imitate a
metal lathe, I'd just use a metal lathe..lol

You might consider a rig like that in the future, John, if you get into hollow
forms and such, but what you need right now to do your 4" deep, 2" wide
hollowing is more practice with the tools you have... Just a little patience and
a learning curve and you could do that hollowing with a bowl gouge.. *g*

Remember that folks have been making cups, pots, vases, etc. for a lot more
years than we've had high tech laser guided carbide robotic arms available..
YMWV

Also, since you seem to have metalworking skills, (wish I did), you might want
to learn a bit from the master and make one of these:
http://aroundthewoods.com/hooktool.shtml

Since I'm metalworking impaired, I have one of these for hollowing:
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx...e=details#tabs

but I wouldn't use it on something less than maybe 5 or 6 inches deep as it
really doesn't work well with shallow stuff..


From what everyone has said, and looking into the tools mentioned and
more, I have an impression that the tools that have a 'better result' (
I include safer in that) are essentially a very mechanical construction,
almost similar in operation to the tools on a metalworking lathe, albeit
quite a different construction. i.e. the user is not really a part of
the equation other than for moving the tool.

I have found an interesting design in the poolewood catalogue

http://www.poolewood.co.uk/cgi-bin/s...%3a%2f%2fwww%2
epoolewood%2eco%2euk%2facatalog%2findex%2ehtml&WD =reeks%20dave&PN=Dave_Re
eks_Hollowing_Tool%2ehtml%23aDRHT30#aDRHT30

if the link doesn't work try http://www.poolewood.co.uk/
and search for 'dave reeks'

I think that in the coming months I will be constructing something
similar, combined with the ideas mentioned elsewhere in this thread for
the toolhead design. The most obvious extension of the design would be
to include laser guidance

I wonder if anyone here has tried/used a dual laser design for guidance,
all I have seen are single lasers. My thought is either one vertical
laser which is common and one horizontal both pointed to the tip of the
tool edge, or both from above but at 90 degrees to each other Using this
method the thickness of the form could be determined by how close the
lasers are on the surface

Oooh so many ideas to play with


mac

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