Folks, I have developed a drill bit for use on the lathe to drill out the center of tall vessels. It will drill a 1 1/4" hole 36" deep in 1 minute flat, at a spindle speed of 360 rpm. No stopping to clear chips, they are ejected out the back end of the drill by air flow. The 36" per minute is not a pipe dream, it will actually do it, and I have witnesses to that fact.
Now, the question is, how many people would be interested in such an item at a price, say, of $100? My tentative plans are to make them 36" long, with which you could drill a little over 30" deep.
Requirements are: the wood blank must be supported by a steady rest, and you must have an air compressor of moderate-large capacity. Obviously, you must also have several feet of space at the tail stock end of the lathe.
If you might be interested, e-mail me. If I get enough replies to make it worthwhile, I will do a production run of them.
Regards, James R. Johnson Kerrville, TX