Steve Dell Woodturning

Although I have been turning as a hobby for about 15 years it's only since retirement a few years ago that I have been able to devote more time to the subject and as a result a particular interest in turning vases and hollow forms.

Until recently all of these had been turned with the use of the Hamlet Big Brother. However as the vases got bigger and I got older, I began to find the hollowing process much harder to cope with, the effort required to control the tool and at the same time obtain a clean cut is considerable, particularly so with anything deeper than about  8”

Thus I started to look at the various rigs on the market to see if one would suit both my lathe and my pocket. Needless to say most are American and way out of my price bracket.

They all work on the same principal. By retaining the back end of the tool, which eliminates all vertical movement, leaving you to control and guide the cut. The idea is certainly not a new one, there are several articles on the web on how to make one, the following link is for the one I originally based mine on.   https://www.lylejamieson.com/tools/tool_howto.asp

Having seen the potential benefit of using such a rig, I started looking at how I might make my own and as I don't have the means to weld steel I assumed that I would probably have to use hollow square bars bolted together. In my search for the materials needed I had the good fortune to be introduced to a local toolmaker who when I showed him a drawing  and picture of the sort of thing I was after, said “I can make it for you” and would it not be better if it was all in solid steel ?

It was not quick and came in bits as and when he could fit it in with his full time job. However, other than one or two minor modifications and a few additions to the original spec the project is now complete and has been used successfully on several new vases.

The one problem the new rig did create was that it made it much more difficult and time consuming to clear the shavings from inside the vessel and required the bar and tool rest to be removed frequently to allow the shavings to be cleared. A partial solution was to obtain a small air compressor with a blow gun, which  is useful for those vases with a reasonably open top, those with smaller openings however still need to be cleared frequently with a spoon and a hoover. To see some detail of the tool in use  go to Log to Vase.

I also had an attachment made to take a laser pointer to gauge wall thickness, which has proved particularly useful, as it's now almost as difficult to insert a leg of the calipers into the vase as it is to get the shavings out.

The advantages are –
          1. A much cleaner cut. 
          2. Catches are now a rare event. 
          3. Considerably quicker and an altogether much more pleasurable experience.
  4. The system also works equally well on end grain bowls.


If you do decide to go this route remember that all the details given here are intended for a Record CL4 lathe and may well need minor modification to suit other makes and size of lathe.

In addition you may find the following suggestions helpful.

        1. I used the original Hamlet cutter and guard which I found worked perfectly well on the new rig.
      
        2. I found I needed three different lengths of bar to suit the various heights of vase, so I now have
            12" 16" and 20" plus one 12" with a 45% bend for hollowing into the shoulder of a closed form.
        
3. The D shaped handle on mine is 8”long, on reflection 10” would probably have been better and                       remember to make allowances for the tailstock, for a vase taller than 16” I need to remove the                         tailstock to accommodate the 20" bar.

        4. A small amount of paste wax applied to the inside of the rear bars greatly helps to keep the              movement of the tool through the rear gate smooth.

       5. I  have tried several different laser pointers which have not been reliable, they need to be quite
   rugged to be able to cope with the vibration. The one I now have is made for use as an air rifle
          site and has worked well for the last 6 months.


  
   PS. This picture still shows one of the
          original lasers. The new laser can be
          seen on the Log to Vase page.
      


Deep Hollowing Tool

If you are a woodturner thinking about making your own rig or having one made for you, then the following may be of interest.
The component
parts
The rig in use
Note the need for two cross slides, one to hold the rig the other for the toolrest that supports & guides the bar.
The following photos show the kit as it now stands.