Carbide tipped turning tools

[Donny Lawson]

I've been thinking about these tools for some time now and I've almost decided to get me some. There are quite a few out there to choose from. I'm looking at the Round, and Square tipped tool. A friend of mine has bought the "Turnmaster" from Robert Sorby and thnks its great. How many of you use the carbide tipped tool for bowls and what kind of suggestion do you recommend? I was told about tools from Harrison tools specialities. Great looking tools for a great price. I know Captin Eddie has tools too. Who uses these type of cutting tools and what is your opinion?

[Dale Miner]

There is an interesting thread on the AAW bulletin boards about this type of tool. A lot of comments from experienced turners. Give it a read.

[Richard Jones]

I use a Hunter #4 for hollowing end grain boxes and it's really a great tool for that. I'll keep using it for that until I can get a bit better at that back hollowing technique. The finish off the Hunter is excellent, much better than I get get with a scraper, so it's lots less sanding. A couple of swipes with 180/220 and it's done. You have to run it at an angle, call it 45°, give or take........Will cause great damage to your work and ego if run flat.......:eek:

I don't use it much for bowls, although I am experimenting with it.

[John Keeton]

Donny, here is the thread you started last month on these - just for reference in case you are looking for it. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?193493-Hollowing-tools

[Greg McClurg]

I use the Hollow-pro tools by Mike Jackowsky and love them.

[mark ravensdale]

I have a Hunter Hercules 5/8 shaft and the little 3/8 shaft one (which works fantastic on the plastic/polyester pen blanks, it leaves a Finnish that needs hardly any work after the tool!!!)
The big 5/8inch shafted one I use mainly for/on really nasty gritty dirty pieces of wood that would normaly kill a normal HSS gouge, it loves this kind of wood and cuts it like my bowl gouge cuts holly, but please understand that on your everyday wood (clean) a sharp HSS gouge will leave a better Finnish hands down!!!
i too have been looking at the new sorby tool with interest and will probably make the purchase sometime soon.

[Gary Max]

Donny-- I have a couple of the Carbide tools,somewhere covered with sawdust by now. Almost impossible to sharpen. Mine might come in handy for turning really hard material for pens.

[mark ravensdale]

Gary, I use my Robert Sorby "pro edge" belt sharpener to sharpen the tungsten tips that fit my hunter Hercules, hunter says you cannot sharpen them and should just throw them away but at £18 (UK pounds) I was not too keen on throwing away!
I found that if you use the 120grit ceramic belt and mount the tip on the little spinny thing they supply for sharpening the teardrop style shearscraper blades one can bring the edge back sharper than factory fresh, of course all of this is no good if you ain't got a pro edge belt sharpener, but I just wanted to let you know it is possible to resharpen them (unlike what they tell you!)
where there's a will there's a way!!! (as my dear grandma used to say:))

[Jordan Gilbert]

I was just researching the same thing ...... I bought 3 full size ewt and I was blown away , So I bought 6 more :cool: worth it .