# REALLY stupid question (turning big stuff)



## Darel (Nov 20, 2009)

Let's for one second set aside the safety aspect. 

Something I've been thinking about - to turn a bowl, what do you need? A surface to mount a block of wood to, and a way to spin it, and preferably a way to vary the speed at which it turns.

Anyone ever seen someone have a machine shop mount a chuck or flange to a car hub (perfectly balanced, of course) and mount it to a properly jacked and blocked car? Remember "Commando" when the village was using an old Jeep pickup to turn their belt-driven water pump? At least I think it was "Commando".

You would then have almost infinitely variable speeds, especially the extremely slow speeds for large, not-yet-balanced blanks. No worries about not having enough room for the throw. Very heavy-duty, at least as far as lathes go.

This is not something anyone would ever try, but do you think it would even be possible?


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

Sounds like a Red Green project.


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## Darel (Nov 20, 2009)

That's exactly what I was thinking of, as I looked at my 1975 International 3/4-ton 4x4 pickup with the granny low gears - which would be doubly nice to mount a chuck to a spare axleshaft and never have to even remove the tire to change into "lathe mode", since it's a full-floating rear.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

My friend and I almost did that. We talked about setting my truck on the side of the hill and jacking up one side. Then removing the rear wheel and bolting a piece of wood to it. 
It's been done of course. I believe it was in Australia or New Zealand. The used a tractor. If I can find the youtube video I'll post it.


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## Darel (Nov 20, 2009)

I might even just be able to have the end of my axleshaft drilled for a Morse taper...slap a chuck in and step on the gas!


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## Manuka Jock (Jun 27, 2011)

Darel said:


> Let's for one second set aside the safety aspect.
> 
> Something I've been thinking about - to turn a bowl, what do you need? A surface to mount a block of wood to, and a way to spin it, and preferably a way to vary the speed at which it turns.
> 
> ...


Yep the folks at 
Proserpine in Aussie did :thumbsup:

http://www.proserpinewoodturners.com/The_Big_Bowl.html


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## Darel (Nov 20, 2009)

Wow, that's way nicer than what I was thinking of.


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## Manuka Jock (Jun 27, 2011)

Darel said:


> Wow, that's way nicer than what I was thinking of.


 A tad bigger too is it ? :laughing:


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## mickit (Oct 5, 2009)

to paraphrase Mick Dundee..."This is a lathe". 
What ya gonna make? Soup bowls for the Jolly Green Giant?


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## Darel (Nov 20, 2009)

Maybe a hot tub.


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## Manuka Jock (Jun 27, 2011)

:thumbsup:


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

Hey if I thought women would come to my hot tube I'd start the glue up tomorrow. My new (to me) truck has a V6 instead of the wimpy 4 in my other one. that' means bigger bowls.


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## duncsuss (Aug 21, 2009)

So I scrolled down to picture 2 and wondered why they bothered, that blank doesn't look particularly large at all.

Then I got to picture 3 and realize I'd been looking at the faceplate :laughing:





Manuka Jock said:


> Yep the folks at
> Proserpine in Aussie did :thumbsup:
> 
> http://www.proserpinewoodturners.com/The_Big_Bowl.html


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## TS3660 (Mar 4, 2008)

Hammer1 said:


> Sounds like a Red Green project.


That's the first thing that came to my mind too. :laughing:


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## NCPaladin (Aug 7, 2010)

I just had to go to the web site to check it out….some of the pictures puts it into even more perspective…

The outside...maybe
But I'm letting someone else do the hollowing..:laughing::laughing::laughing:
Looks like they made the same decision part way in.

Mike


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## Manuka Jock (Jun 27, 2011)

duncsuss said:


> So I scrolled down to picture 2 and wondered why they bothered, that blank doesn't look particularly large at all.
> 
> Then I got to picture 3 and realize I'd been looking at the faceplate :laughing:


 

:laughing: :yes: :thumbsup:


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## Midlandbob (Sep 5, 2011)

Ed moulthrop did a lot of very large turning. He and few other played with this a decade or two ago. They had tools that were specially made too and were long like spears. 
It is a lot of work! I have turned up to 20 inches or so and it is work and they take a lot of space. 
Moulthrop died in 2003 and his large pieces are available on the net. He has a Wikipedia notation.


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## b00kemdano (Feb 10, 2009)

Darel said:


> Anyone ever seen someone have a machine shop mount a chuck or flange to a car hub (perfectly balanced, of course) and mount it to a properly jacked and blocked car? Remember "Commando" when the village was using an old Jeep pickup to turn their belt-driven water pump? At least I think it was "Commando".


 
It was Predator. Love that movie! 

Got a nick on my finger in the shoppe once, my wife said I should come put a bandaid on it because it was bleeding. I told her, "I ain't got time to bleed!" :icon_smile:


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## Darel (Nov 20, 2009)

I shoul've remembered that..."so you cooked up a story and dropped the six of us into a meat grinder!?!?"


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## slatron25 (Dec 18, 2007)

I'd be impressed if it were from a solid chuck of wood. :shifty:


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## Darel (Nov 20, 2009)

I'll donate the truck if Daren will donate a massive burl.


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## Bill Wyko (Feb 25, 2011)

Ask these guys how they turned an 8'+ segmented bowl. Piece of cake.:thumbsup::laughing::no:

http://www.proserpinewoodturners.com/The_Big_Bowl.html


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## brown down (Mar 2, 2010)

thats awesome if it takes me a couple of hours to work a bowl depending on the size i couldn't even imagine how long something like this would take. nice engineering also.


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