Articulated Hollowing Rig

[Richard Kennedy]

Phil you are right I forgot to add the tax and stuff!

I had a look at the LJ system I assume thats the captive style rather than the articulated You are right again in that it looks the easier of the two to construct! Perhaps I will have to have a crack at both!

I use several forums some more than others its great to be able to reach a wide variety of people all with superb skills and experience that are far in excess of my knowledge. I really appreciate all the tips that I can gain from experienced woodworkers and in this instance engineers. I wish I had time to ask every question that rattles around in my head on every forum I am a member but sadly time gets in the way!

I hope you are enjoying your Monster system I look forward to seeing some more fabulous hollow forms and ideas from you soon!

Richard

 

[rsser]

Phillip, I'd be grateful if you could post some more info about your Ikea worklight.

Have tried some battery powered cheapie lasers on my Vicmarc rig and they don't come up to scratch.

 

[jpt]

HI Phil

Looks like you have been having fun, great videos I have them filed away for future reference. I have been wondering about a rig myself I just need to find a welder who isnt going to charge me the earth,

ERN, the lights are great I have several in the workshop on my pillar drill, bandsaw, etc they are cheap and work well http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/search/?query=jansjo

john

 

[myturn]

John,

Thanks for the link to the lights, I was interested in those too.

As for welding, there is very little if it is the articulated arm you are thinking of. All I can see is a bit holding the foot to the bed-clamp plate and the nuts at the top of the foot. Anyone with a welder could do that for you.
The rest is all nuts, bolts and screws (I think).

 

[Richard Kennedy]

Mick in addition to the items you mentioned you will need some thrust bearings to make the action smooth!

 

[myturn]

Mick in addition to the items you mentioned you will need some thrust bearings to make the action smooth!

I know Rick, but they don't need welding! 8)

You'll also need steel rod, flat bar and plate and a bit of box-section or round tube (I wouldn't make it in aluminium as you were considering) but all in all there is not a lot to it.

Even the machining is minimal, once the steel is cut to size it's just a matter of making some holes in it and bolting it all together! (Well, there may be a thread to cut depending on how you make it)

 

[Richard Kennedy]

Hmmm the welding aspect is interesting I don't know how to and I am not sure I know anyone who does! Will have to have a ring round a few pals see if they can help!

 

[Philip Streeting]

Thanks John for answering Ern's question on the IKEA light so promptly. I have been away for a few days so couldn't respond. The flexible goose neck style inspection light is just as/if not more useful for attaching to the lathe for viewing inside forms, bonus here would be battery lighting with no trailing wires.

Phil

 

[Philip Streeting]

I use seasoned or partially seasoned timber most of the time. Although I like the idea of working with green timber, I would not be able to think in terms of turning something now and waiting to finally turn or decorate some months later. So I tried the other extreme with this piece and the Rig, a well seasoned and dry piece of Oak. It was rock hard and the hollowing process was fairly slow. I used the Munro scraper to finish the inside - this worked very well. I am now happy with my purchase and will get various sized bits made to allow my other hollowing tools to be fitted and used. 3" dia x 7" deep.

 

[gus3049]

My brother in law is now 82 years old. He recently had to take it easy for a few weeks after crashing his go-kart whilst racing.

He is an ex design engineer, used to specialise in ocean going yachts but made lots of dosh being a consultant to big engineering firms.

I told him about the deep hollowing rig idea and gave him the link to the monster one.

He said (and I do apologise to those that have spent out and use it - please don't take this personally, he thinks Concorde was a bodge job) "its not very well engineered is it?"

So he is, as we speak, putting his considerable mind to the problem and designing a 'proper' one!!! I await his solution with bated breath. He is going to build it too!! He says the laser guidance system is a doddle so he'll include that of course. I will be surprised if it will need me involved at all.

I will post the result. Sadly, he is not too well at present so I hope this will occupy him and keep him going into his nineties at least.

Don't know how long it will take. Hope it happens!

 

[skeetoids]

Hi Phil,

This is a really interesting thread, it seems to me that perhaps there is enouh knowledge and resources for us all to make our own hollowing rig. Perhaps a rig designed and conceived by us all.

My Friend restores motorbikes in his spare time and has many contacts regarding welding, frame building, machine work etc. I will have a chat with him and see if he knows if any of his contacts can help.

It seems to me that if your happy spending £500 on a rig then it would be better to design your own for the same or less cash!?!?

Cheers,

Lee.

 

[Philip Streeting]

Hi Gordon and Lee,

Thanks for your contributions to the thread.

It is always possible to take an existing idea and either copy or sometimes improve it. Before I purchased this rig I did a lot of research on the Web to discover other examples of similar but differently designed rigs. I looked also for user comments, compliments and criticisms of both the Monster and these other rigs and looked for both value for money and after sales reports. I could have purchased the Vicmarc version currently available in the UK.

As far as constructing versions - great and I wish you both well in your endeavours and the trial and error processes you will go through in order to get it to function the way you wish it to. I do not have an engineering background or access to anyone who has. I do know from having pieces made or modified by engineering businesses that it is a very expensive exercise if done using commercial sources.

I also do not have enough time in front of me to take on such a challenge or the desire to do so. By purchasing something with a track record and a good reputation I can be using and producing with it straightaway.

If the process of making fully functional, well engineered items is so easy why do we buy anything to do with turning tools and equipment? For example, it must be possible to make a Rolly Munro tool or the new Crown Hollower for less than the prices being quoted and many other items must be a doddle too if you don't take your time, materials, research and development into account.

The people making these things we buy, like turners, have costs and hourly rates to recover in the sale price of the item. I for one do not resent paying for this.

Phil

 

[gus3049]

Hi Phil,

I quite agree about this but..... the guy doing it IS a design engineer and one of the tops!

If it works out well, we might all be able to benefit from something just that bit better. This is all part of the ongoing process.

I wish I had the skill or the money to do it myself! In the meantime, I have to buy what is already out there and choose the best I can afford - like most people.