Very Large Turnings

[Wayne Harmon]

Have been turning for around 15 yr. Powermatic 3520b
I want to go BIG and DEEP. 12 to 18 dia. 18 to 24 deep or that general size.
Have read and reseached everything I can find out there on all the hollowing rigs.
My eyeballs are bleeding from reading web pages.
I would like some real world advice from any one who has and uses the required tooling to go this way.
I am intend to build up my blanks though lamination??
My first time post here...be gentle.
Thanks , Wayne

[Steve Schlumpf]

Wayne - Welcome to the Creek! Looking forward to seeing some of your work!

If you have been turning 15 years... then you know how many different tools are out there! Turning hollow forms that large tends to knock your options down quite a bit. I highly suggest looking at these tools: http://www.advancedlathetools.com/ I have not used them personally - but did see them at last year's AAW symposium and watched them in action. They will most definitely do the job!

[Dale Miner]

What Steve said.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Wayne check this out. It is Brian Mcevoys site and he has a deep hollowing system. He does a lot of 18" to 24" vases. If you look at his gallery he has some vases 32" tall. Haven't used one but a friend of mine has one and says it works well.

http://www.onegoodturn.ca/

[Marc Himes]

Welcome to the Creek, Wayne and thanks for posting the question. I have the same lathe and a home fabricated hollowing system which has significant limits when it comes to large objects, so I also am interested in the responses coming in.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Wayne - Welcome to the Creek! Looking forward to seeing some of your work!

If you have been turning 15 years... then you know how many different tools are out there! Turning hollow forms that large tends to knock your options down quite a bit. I highly suggest looking at these tools: http://www.advancedlathetools.com/ I have not used them personally - but did see them at last year's AAW symposium and watched them in action. They will most definitely do the job!

I Steve's right on this one. 1st I must disclose that I am a personal friend of the owner of Advanced lathe tools, and that I use them in his studio (Steve Sinner & I make a lot of collaborative turnings together) and at my at home in mine too.
We have turned many large pieces using this system some as large as almost 500 lb logs 24" Dia. and up to 30 plus" deep.
Steve will also be teaching a class that I'll be assisting him with, on hollowing this October at Marc Adams School of Wood Working. We'll be using his system in the class. This would be a great chance to learn to effectively use this type of system too. Here's a example of a 30" deep 400 plus lb turning hollowed with Adavanced Lathe tools.239975

[Harry Robinette]

Wayne
Welcome to the Creek. contact Wes Jones I believe he's from Georgia. He turns exactly what your wanting to do. He even uses a 3520B I do believe.