How do you know where you are when you are thinning the walls of a vessle where all the work is done blind?

Like this

Cliff, not being a turner, but wanting to learn, so what we are stating here is to start from the opening of the vessel then work your way to the bottom?

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

so what we are stating here is to start from the opening of the vessel then work your way to the bottom?

We?  Is that the imperial "we" or the editorial "we"?

At a where place I worked back when I was still in Corporate life, before law school, the VP of marketing was apparently looking to pick a fight with me.  He hated me.  He and I were in the president's office and Stevie (he hated me calling him that) leaned in trying to look as dangerous as he could and said: "WE aren't happy with you!"

To which I gleefully  interrupted:  "We?"

 And he stupidly affirmed: "WE!"

Then I asked him: "Is that the imperial we, the editorial we, or have you got parasites and are they speaking as a collective?"  I tried to give him a serious look. It was hard.

He was very upset with that, and  had absolutely nothing to say. He  (or was it they? It was confusing at that point.) was opening and closing his mouth in impotent fury.

So I told him to stop gawping like a fish.

Meanwhile my boss was hiding his silent laughter behind a manilla folder.

Anyway grammar  and war stories aside aside:::

 I hadn't really contemplated the beginning of the process. My mind is stuck on how one knows where on is when one is thinning the wall of such a turning. I would guess it starts with a drilled hole. Then it's all fun and games till some one gets a splinter.

I've seen some gizmo in an old magazine that looked really cool. It's a laser  on an arm  that hovers over the turning and  is mechanically coupled to the  cutting edge of the tool.  The rig is supposed to drop the laser point right where the tool is in two dimensional space allowing you to know with some accuracy where your tool point is.

But, I just know that bloody few turners have such a device.

We as in team, because I am trying to figure your diagram out and it appears you are learning too, so yes, we my friend!

So is this diagram an idea or a technique? Thanks Cliff.

Cliff said:

so what we are stating here is to start from the opening of the vessel then work your way to the bottom?

We?  Is that the imperial "we" or the editorial "we"?

At a where place I worked back when I was still in Corporate life, before law school, the VP of marketing was apparently looking to pick a fight with me.  He hated me.  He and I were in the president's office and Stevie (he hated me calling him that) leaned in trying to look as dangerous as he could and said: "WE aren't happy with you!"

To which I gleefully  interrupted:  "We?"

 And he stupidly affirmed: "WE!"

Then I asked him: "Is that the imperial we, the editorial we, or have you got parasites and are they speaking as a collective?"  I tried to give him a serious look. It was hard.

He was very upset with that, and  had absolutely nothing to say. He  (or was it they? It was confusing at that point.) was opening and closing his mouth in impotent fury.

So I told him to stop gawping like a fish.

Meanwhile my boss was hiding his silent laughter behind a manilla folder.

Anyway grammar  and war stories aside aside:::

 I hadn't really contemplated the beginning of the process. My mind is stuck on how one knows where on is when one is thinning the wall of such a turning. I would guess it starts with a drilled hole. Then it's all fun and games till some one gets a splinter.

I've seen some gizmo in an old magazine that looked really cool. It's a laser  on an arm  that hovers over the turning and  is mechanically coupled to the  cutting edge of the tool.  The rig is supposed to drop the laser point right where the tool is in two dimensional space allowing you to know with some accuracy where your tool point is.

But, I just know that bloody few turners have such a device.

---

John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

You make a JIG!!

A cheap pocket laser and the attached PDF is all you need!

Then follow the instructions in the attached file

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Lew Kauffman-
Wood Turners Forum Host

Time Traveler and Purveyor of the Universe's Finest Custom Rolling Pins!

So is this diagram an idea or a technique?

the picture I posted is from an older wood turning magazine.

You make a JIG!!

If your solution to a complicated problem is to make a jig - - well - - -

You might be a woodworker.

Cool PDF thanks

I also use a laser on a home-made boring bar.

Greg,

Could you post some pix of your boring bar?

Thanks,

Lew

Greg Sayers said:

I also use a laser on a home-made boring bar.

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Lew Kauffman-
Wood Turners Forum Host

Time Traveler and Purveyor of the Universe's Finest Custom Rolling Pins!

Here are a couple of old pics of the boring bar. Made from 1" steel bar and drilled for 3/8th round tool bits of various tip geometry depending on what I am cutting. For what it is, it works very well with no complaints from me.

Here are a couple of pics to show the headstock and tailstock of the Oliver lathe I am building. The first pic shows the difference from the MT#2 that most lathes use and the MT#4 that the Oliver uses. The second photo shows the tailstock from my Walker Turner 12" lathe I use often. The headstock weighs in the neighborhood of 225lbs and the tailstock 125lbs.

http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad212/gregsayers2000/MT4002.jpg

http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad212/gregsayers2000/Arnfest034.jpg

Here are a couple of pics of my tablesaw and shaper sitting side by side on a 6" platform.

http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad212/gregsayers2000/001.jpg

http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad212/gregsayers2000/003.jpg

And my 1948 Delta 14" bandsaw. This machine as most of my machines have been completely rebuilt from head to toe.

http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad212/gregsayers2000/20111205_96...

And coming home with a load of 400' of cherry and 100' of soft maple. Got these at a local farm auction for $400 for the cherry and $25 for the maple. Truck was getting overloaded and we had an hour+ drive so some of the maple stayed there.

 

http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad212/gregsayers2000/20111205_33...

 

And lastly the press I use to glue up the rings of my segmented bowls.

http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad212/gregsayers2000/Tools%20and%20techniques/100_2796.jpg

You all asked for pics, well here they are! Hope you enjoy. Feel free to ask questions or comments.

Sorry for the hijack, just realized I posted these other than where I intended to post them. Sorry.

Your fine Greg, it's all great stuff!

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John Morris
The Patriot Woodworker

Thanks for the pictures!

Greg Sayers said:

Here are a couple of old pics of the boring bar. Made from 1" steel bar and drilled for 3/8th round tool bits of various tip geometry depending on what I am cutting. For what it is, it works very well with no complaints from me.

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Lew Kauffman-
Wood Turners Forum Host

Time Traveler and Purveyor of the Universe's Finest Custom Rolling Pins!

I also use a laser on a home-made boring bar.

That's quite a boring bar.   I take it the square construction is where the stability derives.

Thanks for posting that.  I can make that. 

What does the Forney machine do?  It looks like a concrete  compression testing machine?

How's it apply to woodwork?

You are correct about crushing concrete blocks. I bought a Walker Turner lathe from a gent in Indy that sold that to me for gluing my segmented rings together. I was going to build a press but this works great for pieces that fit into it. Don't take much pressure, that's for sure.