Little something I've worked on the last couple evenings after work.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Hard maple log started off at 30" long but had I ended up with a 24" long vessel. It had a little cracking on the ends I had to cut off each end to get to a solid crack free piece. I hollowed it using my hollowing system from Advanced Lathe Tools. I used a 1 1/8" diameter boring bar. I finished hollowing it this evening. Now it's put in my freezer for a day or two them It will be hung to air dry. 344931344932344933

[Olaf Vogel]

Hi Joe

Nice work. Should look very nice. and thats going pretty deep!
That seems like a good set up for the hollowing tool. How are you finding it?

I'm using the Oneway system, but from the looks of it, ALT might offer a few advantages:

1 - My tool rest (Tool Trap as they call it) is MUCH heavier and a pain to mount. Not sure why its so massive. Mounting it on a secondary banjo seems like a good idea. With the option to move it around more.

2 - The double boring bar is interesting. Mine has a wider second rail, to prevent torque. Not sure it needs to be that wide. And mine doesnt slide all the well.

3 - And the overhead bar for laser/camera is nicely adjustable. In/out is normal, but mine can't be raised, so I run into issues with pieces in larger diameters.

The one downside i can foresee (and they might have a solution), mine allows the use of multiple tools/inserts of different diameter, from 1/2" to 3/4". Its great to use Kelton hollowers, or many other brands.

Thanks
Olaf

[Tom Giacomo]

Joe, a couple of questions. Why a freezer and how do you handle the pith at the bottom. At 24 inch that is very deep.

[daryl moses]

Wow, that is a big chunk of wood, looking good thought, can't wait to see the outcome!

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

I'm using the Oneway system, but from the looks of it, ALT might offer a few advantages:

1 - My tool rest (Tool Trap as they call it) is MUCH heavier and a pain to mount. Not sure why its so massive. Mounting it on a secondary banjo seems like a good idea. With the option to move it around more.

2 - The double boring bar is interesting. Mine has a wider second rail, to prevent torque. Not sure it needs to be that wide. And mine doesnt slide all the well.

3 - And the overhead bar for laser/camera is nicely adjustable. In/out is normal, but mine can't be raised, so I run into issues with pieces in larger diameters.

The one downside i can foresee (and they might have a solution), mine allows the use of multiple tools/inserts of different diameter, from 1/2" to 3/4". Its great to use Kelton hollowers, or many other brands.

Thanks
Olaf[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Olaf Vogel;2609189]Hi Joe

Nice work. Should look very nice. and thats going pretty deep!
That seems like a good set up for the hollowing tool. How are you finding it?
Thanks Olaf.
The Advanced Lathe Tools hollowing system is a great system. Like you noticed by mounting the trap in a banjo you have all kinds of adjustability with it. It's made of 1" dia. steel bars so it has plenty of strength but not to heavy in weight.
The double bars on the boring bar makes it very rigid and resist the side torque & it slides quite easily & is easy to control. By being welded together and being so rigid it allows you go go much deeper than any single bar.
The end of the bar is bored out to except 5/8" dia. cutters & cutter holders, also comes with a 1/2" adapter so they could also be used.
The laser is also very adjustable having it off set from the bar adds a lot of flexibility too.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Joe, a couple of questions. Why a freezer and how do you handle the pith at the bottom. At 24 inch that is very deep.
I find that by freezing roughed out vessels for at least 1 day or more they tend to air dry faster & I have less cracking than on pieces that haven't been frozen.
The vessels are hollowed down to about 1/2" thick on the bottoms with the pith centered in them. Usually not a problem that's thin enough that they can move or flex a little while drying with out cracking. All the rest of the pith has been hollowed out relieving a lot of stress. That said some will still get small cracks it's wood in it's natural state and there's no guarantees against any piece of wood not cracking.

[William C Rogers]

Very nice piece and setup. I can relate and envy. I have a similar piece of hickory on my old powermatic 90. I don't have any bought hollowing equipment and intend to make something. This will be just a onetime thing for me, so not sure I can do this with homemade stuff. I am still getting cracks, but intend to fill with wood or some inlay. The word is marked with bug tracks and spalting, so hoping it will all blend in. Taking me much longer than you.

[David Delo]

Very nice hollowing rig set-up Joe but I think I like your twin banjo deal the best. I've been looking to pick one up for awhile now but just haven't found one for a price I've been willing to pay.

[Tom Giacomo]

Thanks for the response Joe, will love to see the completed vase. I had never heard of freezing a piece.

[david privett]

I guess when it is frozen it ruptures the cell walls allowing the trapped water to release. any other ideas on what happens?

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

David that's the theory I go by. However there has been quite a discussion about this on facebook & several people in the science field all say that's not the case. All I know I've had better success with this method than I did before I started freezing them and I've done several hundred of them this way.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Wow, that is a big chunk of wood, looking good thought, can't wait to see the outcome!

Thanks Daryl, however don't hold your breath it could be a yr or more before I get to the finish turning & finishing done. Not that I do them in any particular order I probably have 50 or more rough outs waiting to be finished. I also have a number of green logs that still need roughed out & they take priority of finish work. I like to get green wood worked as soon as possible. After there roughed out the'll keep until I get to them, the green wood will crack & go bad relatively quickly.

[david privett]

well by boiling wood cell walls are ruptured( and that seems to work) you are just going about it the other way thermally.