Hi Neil,
Thanks for the kind words (your cheque's in the post by the way).
With regards to the lazer thicknessing guide used in the making of the "Moody Blue" piece, the best way I can describe it is as being similar to a lazer light pen that is mounted a distance from the tools cutting head and the beam of the pen shines onto the cutting edge. Then it's a matter of off-setting the beam from the cutting edge the thickness you want the walls of the bowl to finish up. As the inside of the turning piece is hollowed out the beam shines on the outside of the wood and, as it nears the outside edge of the wood you know you are near to the finished thickness you're looking for.
In the case of "Moody Blue" I used the guide to get down to 1/16" thick walls. This piece was so light that when I sprayed the coats of finishing lacquer I had to change to a HVLP spray system to prevent the piece being blown onto the floor by the spraygun.
In the attached
Jamieson Hollowing Toolyou can see the tool set up and in use, the horizontal silver bar has a lazer on the end (above the timber), although this is a small hollow form tools similar to this can be used to cut up to 20" deep inside a timber form.
The hollowing review I did was on a whole range of tools, mostly from the US that can be used when it would be difficult or even dangerous to have more than 8" of a normal gouge blade extending in front of the tool rest.
The deep hollowing tools are normally called cutting rigs and can be used to turn up to 20" deep hollow forms, vases etc in relative safety.
Hope I've not made it more confusing than it actually is.
CC
