Finally got my Monster

[wes murphy]

I got my Monster this morning and had to get it set right away so I could play. I had this Cherry vase looking thing just waiting until I got my setup. Unfortunately, my tool holder broke right away so I put the carbide cutter in the arm and went to town. As you might observe, my experience with my Monster did not take the first time around. I think I let too many shavings build up leading to a catch. I don’t have any other wood to turn at the moment, so I guess I’ll just get busy sending back the tool holder and wait until I get more wood.


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[Steve Schlumpf]

Welcome to the Monster club! Surprised to hear that your tool holder broke! I am sure they will take care of you ASAP! Removing shavings from the turning is just one of those things you remember to do after having the buildup cause a catch. Hope you can find some more wood real soon!!

[Richard Jones]

+1 on welcome to the Monster club. Good rule of thumb on shavings: vibration = time to clean (heck, sometimes, NO vibration = time to clean !! ) It's sorta like voting: Clean, and clean often...........

Have fun, and be gentle...........

Rich

[Roger Hirlinger]

I got my new Monster a couple of weeks ago too. Tried my first hollow form with it out of Cook Island Pine. I broke the holder for the carbide cutter within the first few minustes when I started hitting the knots. Finished it off with a termite ring tool cutter and the round scraper.

I've made a replacement holder for the carbide cutter out of some 3/8" bar stock that will hopefully be a little more robust. In fairness I was trying to cut pretty aggresively, and those knots are notroiously hard.

Overall I was a little disappointed in the amount of vibration I was getting from the tool. I was working about 13 inches over the tool rest and using the captured D-handle for the deep cuts and switched to the articulated arm as I got closer to the top. I'm sure with more time on the tool I'll improve.

[Brian Kent]

Please excuse the uninitiated.

Is monster the name of a lathe, a description of a lathe, or a hollowing tool?

sorry.

[Roger Hirlinger]

Sorry, Brian. I was referring to the "Monster" hollowing tool. Not to be confused with the "Mustard Monster" Powermatic lathe.

http://monster-lathe-tools.com/cart.php?target=product&product_id=274&category_id=63 (http://monster-lathe-tools.com/cart.php?target=product&product_id=274&category_id=63)

[mike ash]

Brian - It isn't surprising that there is come confusion. Afterall, the Powermatic (PM 3520) is called a Mustard Monster. However the Monster being talked about here is a Hollowing system designed by Randy Privitt, called the Monster hollowing system.

Mike

[Brian Kent]

Thank you. I now stand initiated.

For a long time I thought HF stood for Harbor Freight instead of Hollow Form and I couldn't understand why the turners spoke of HFs with such affection.

[John Keeton]

I would have to say that these are the first instances I have seen of the tool holder breaking. I haven't had the first problem with mine.

Wes, in looking at your "shell" it appears your thinnest area is at the bottom of the form, and even that wall thickness varies around the circumference. Couple of thoughts - the form apparently had moved on you creating an oval form that resulted in uneven thickness of the walls, and secondly, I always get to a finish thickness from the top of the form down, trying for a finishing cut as I go. There are a couple of reasons for this. Any form may likely move once hollowed because of the stresses being released. Coming back up to the shoulder after hollowing the form can create a nasty catch if that happens. But, more importantly, the stress vectors on a form are greatest when hollowing further from the chuck/headstock end, so I want as much wood remaining in the lower portion of the form as possible while hollowing the top.

Just some thoughts for you to consider.

[Roger Chandler]

My guess is what John spoke of..........wrong technique being used.............I have had my Monster rig for about a year, and have done probably about 15 or more hollow forms.........never had a single issue with any cutter...........light cuts and doing the hollowing in the correct sequence are important.

I was shown how to hollow by hand by David Ellsworth, and that technique just transferred over to the monster rig as far as sequence is concerned............I would suggest looking up Ellsworth's work, and he might have a drawing of the proper sequence for hollowing...........that drawing he put on a white board when he did a club demo for our club in 2010. I think it is likely that one of his books will provide that instruction if you search it out.

My monster rig has been without flaw since I received it from Randy [God rest his soul] last year.

[Fred Belknap]

I had the 3/16" cutter bend when I was doing a return on a hickory bowl that had dried pretty much out of round. I bent it back and am still using it. I don't extend it any farther than I need.

[Jamie Donaldson]

Roger- I believe every turner should learn to hollow using hand-held tools because it teaches the basics of the process. On a small scale the Ellsworth type tools make very good learner tools, and I encourage students to practice hollowing with their eyes closed, being as one, in harmony with the tip and the cut,.......... Does this sound familiar?

[wes murphy]

John, I should have know to hollow from top down, as with any hollowing operation. I was really surprised to have the tool holder break right at the hex screw at the first touch, so I really didn't get to use it at all. It was possibly defective at the start. The carbide cutter worked very well, but i was getting quite a bit of chatter at the bottom, far more than I had expected and I kept the shavings blew out as much as possible. But it only takes one catch. One other question, how do you adjust the long cutter to go into a small hole? Not that I'm anywhere that stage of work, but the cutter would barely fit into my 1 5/8 dia hole.

[Thom Sturgill]

Very familiar (having just finsished a training session with David). Since looking in the hole is somewhat futile, not to mention uncomfortable, 'hollowing blind' encourages good stance and use of your other facilities, whether hollowing by hand or assisted with either a captured or articulated rig.

[John Keeton]

One other question, how do you adjust the long cutter to go into a small hole? Not that I'm anywhere that stage of work, but the cutter would barely fit into my 1 5/8 dia hole.Wes, I assume you are talking about a long section of 3/16" cutter in the adjustable cutter head? I have marked the hex shank on my cutter head for depth in the boring bar. I set the cutter bar angle, and set the laser, then remove the cutter head from the boring bar, insert it in the hole and reset it in the boring bar at the index mark. Make sense??

[Bernie Weishapl]

Wes my question is how long is your cutter? When I got my monster rigs both the captured and articulating arm the first thing I did was cut the cutter in half. I only have a 1/4" to 3/8" sticking out. I can put it in a 5/8" to 3/4" hole. I am thinking if you had more than 3/8" of the cutter sticking out it could have broken your tool holder. Like John I always work my way down when hollowing to make sure I have as much wood as I can at the bottom of the HF. Most generally when I get chatter it is because of chips in the piece or I am extended over the rest quite a ways so that would require light cuts. A steady rest will also help. Keep practicing and have fun.

[Roger Hirlinger]

Thanks Jamie. Actually I have been turning hollow forms for a couple of years by hand - this was just my first effort with the Monster. Mostly I've used Sorby's hook neck hollower and with a Termite Ring tool on fairly small pieces. I'm certainly not an expert and I can't say as I have practised with my eyes closed, but as noted it doesn't do much good trying to look into the form when it's turning. Most of the work is done by feel with an occasional pause after blowing out chips to see how things are progressing. I decided on the Monster to see if I could move up to larger forms without getting beat to death. Also wanted to try the laser guide to see if I could get wall thickness down without turning through the side.

With respect to breaking the carbide cutter holder; as you can see, the holder only had about a 1/32" between the edge of threaded hole and the end of the holder. Looks like on this one they drilled the hole a little too close to the end of the machined flat. When I made the replacement I moved it back a little and didn't machine the underside, so it has a little more meat to provide support.

[Roger Chandler]

The carbide cutter should be presented to the wood at about 38-45 degrees.......if you had it 90 degrees or flat, the cutter will grab like crazy...........just the nature of the cutter shape, and the 45 degree angle will produce a shear cut with light passes...........hope this helps!

[Roger Hirlinger]

Thanks Roger. I had the cutter at about 45 degrees. Pretty much the same angle I've been using with the Termite ring tool. I'm going to try it again with the new holder I made on another piece of the Cook Island Pine. I'll definitely take light passes over the knots and see how it goes.

[Jon Nuckles]

One other tip that might help with vibration when using the articulated setup: make sure the joints are snugged up. I was having a very hard time with my Monster from the day I received it. Someone on the Creek posted Monster maintenance tips, including tightening the joints. I did that and it made a world of difference. There may be a risk of overtightening and damaging the bearings, and I can't advise on the proper torque as I don't even own a torque wrench.

I wish the Monster came with more complete instructions. I still use the the little HSS scraper bits (1/4 and 3/16?) almost exclusively. I have the carbide circle cutter, but don't really know how or when to use it properly (final clean up and carefully, right?), and don't know what the other tools people refer to are, or where they get them.

[wes murphy]

Thanks for all your assistance and information. I really appreciate it. Had cataract surgery this morning so it'll be a days or two before I'm at the Monster again.

[John Keeton]

Wes, I take it since you are on the computer the surgery went well! Hope you have a quick recovery and get back at it.