HELP in choosing a hollowing system.

[Jerry Lear]

I am new to hollowing but not to turning & I have a Vicmarc 300 w/21" between center. I would like to buy a hollowing system that would allow me to grow with it & not have to worry about buying another one in the future. I have done some research & the ones that stand out to me are Kobra, Monster, Gizmo, and the new Carter.

I know the Carter has about a 7" depth capacity which may be limiting. I looked on U-tube at the Cobra demonstation & it seems to be an extremely well-built machine but I can find very little information about it. I emailed the two fellows who own the company but have not received a reply, as of yet. As far as Monster goes, I can not find any video except for the Monster Mini, which I do not want. The Gizo seems well built but very limited information available.

Given the fact that I have a Vicmarc with a relatively small bed & is also set-up about 18" from the wall, what would you all recommend as a hollower? As I said, I would like to have one that I could grow with & I would like to buy only one as opposed to regretting the first buy.

Appreciate any help. Thanks to all of you.

Jerry

PS - I understand Cobra has a long waiting period. Does anyone know how long?

[David Walser]

Any of the articulated arm systems, with the possible exception of the Elbo Tool, should work well for you. So, too, would one of the captured bar systems that use a rear rest -- as long as you are willing to build a stand to hold the rear rest. (The problem with the Elbo Tool is that it uses the tail stock for support. Given your short bed, there's not much room left for your blank.)
I, too, have a short bed lathe and have the Monster articulated arm. It works very well and allows for a fairly long blank to fit on the lathe. The depth you can hollow is limited by the thickness of the bar. The Monster will accept large diameter bars -- as long as the end of the bar is machined to fit within the Monster's receiver. The monster is a quality tool and will NOT be the limiting factor on your hollowing. I recommend it without reservation. Kobra is a little more compact than the Monster and other articulated arm tools. It, too, is a quality tool and would serve you well. I’ve not seen the new Gizmo in person, but it looks very interesting. Since you own a Vicmark lathe, you might want to consider Vicmark’s articulated arm tool. Lots of options. All would serve you well.

[Jamie Donaldson]

I have and do own several hollowing systems, used on short bed Stubby and Woodfast lathes, and also recommend the Monster as the most user friendly as well as reasonably priced of the articulated systems. I have a Monster made step-up adapter (5/8"to 3/4") that allows use of most of my old home-made hollowing shaft tools, and as a bonus the Monster is a really well finished and shiny system!

[John Beaver]

I had the same decision to make and I went with the Gizmo. I felt it was much sturdier then the Monster and would serve me further down the line. Tom provides excellent support and makes an excellent product.

[Jamie Donaldson]

The Gizmo is new to the hollowing tool arena, and I have only seen Tom demonstrate an earlier version at SWAT 2 yrs. ago. I don't know the current price, but Tom is a great guy and will certainly "stand behind" his lathe tools!;)

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I very recently got a Monster articulating rig. I have no expierence with other captured systems. I got the Monster after getting beaten by my hand helds. I have not played with the rig extensively, but it seems very well built and I have no issues with it and what it does. It comes with a load of parts and cutters. I think they may still have a 10% discount right now. I also got the 1" bar for deeper hollowing, which is what I cannot do with hand helds. After I go more than 6 or 8 inches deep, my hand helds chatter a lot. Have not used the big bar yet, the normal bar seems to do the trick.

Good luck in your decision. There is a lot to chose from. They are all capable. I've just been there. If you're on the fence, the 10% on the Monster may tip you over......

[mike ash]

I purchased a monster and use it aboard my PM 3520. I am quite happy with the quality and the results. One day I will order the larger diameter boring bar so that I hollow a bit deeper. Any work deeper than 11 or 12 inches give too much vibration, without the larger bar.

No Regrets.......Mike

[Scott Hackler]

I won the Carter Hollow Roller in a turning contest and so the only "investment" I have in it was about $175 for the laser and a cutter. When set up it works good. The travel in and out of the form is very smooth, but side to side isn't that smooth because the roller design is only on one axis. The lazer setup is extra nice and very well built. It's limitations are that the factory bar is 3/4" and with that and the cutter sticking out to the side, its not meant for the small hole hollowforms. If you hollow through a 1" hole, its easy to get the boring bar in and out. The factory bar is straight and so hollowing the inside of the shoulder is impossible. I believe they sell a goose neck now, but I don't have one and hand hollow that area.

This of this system as a smoother captive hollower.

I have had the Monster and Gizmo in my tool obsessed hands and prefered the build quality and square boring bars of the Gizmo. I believe the Monster comes with more in the package though....

The Kobra is the beefiest and possibly the best of the lot, but the most expensive and fully equipped around $1000-$1200. + a possiible 6 month waiting list as the guys don't make them until the winter months, when it's too cold to go outside!

Of course all this means squat is Alan Trout ever gets his hollower up for production. (Alan, I am still waiting for my beta version!!!)

[Ted Calver]

Jerry, I own both the Monster and the Kobra articulated systems, as well as a Oneway captive bar system. I've driven the Monster to 12", but the last 3" were done carefully with a fair bit of chatter and very very light cuts. For several hundred dollars more, the Kobra will easily do 15-16" and is solid as a rock the whole way. I ordered an additional 1-1/4" diameter bar with it that should get me close to the 24" mark, but have yet to try it. Both are well made, but the Kobra is much more substantial and on my PM 4224 with an eight foot bed, is my go to hollower. Unless you get a bed extension I think the Monster is your best bet for the money between these two systems. I can't speak to the others. I think the Kobra guys take a vacation this time of year, so they may take a while to get back to you. I found them very easy to deal with. IIRC it was about a four month wait for my system and well worth it.

[Fred Belknap]

I purchased a monster and use it aboard my PM 3520. I am quite happy with the quality and the results. One day I will order the larger diameter boring bar so that I hollow a bit deeper. Any work deeper than 11 or 12 inches give too much vibration, without the larger bar.

I got the larger bar. It is the same length as the regular bar and no extension. It is advertised that it will do 9" but the bar sticks out of the square block 10.5" and that don't leave much to hold on to. The system is well made and works good up to about 6" but I wouldn't expect much over that. I consider the 1" bar a poor investment.

[Ronald Campbell]

One thing I have noticed that most of us like the hollower that we own. I have had a captive D handle system and now have the Carter Hollow Roller. I am fortunate that I have all the tools that Carter offers. They do have a large bar that will let you go deeper. I recently have done pieces as deep as 14 inches. The lateral movement that Scott Hackler specs of can be difficult but you can loosen the rollers to allow for greater movement side to side. I use my Hollow Roller looser than recommended. There is also a swan neck that will allow you to undercut through a small opening around 1 inch and as far out as 5 inches giving you a 10 inch piece. I use the high speed steel cutter most of the time. I have sold my D handle system and glad to see it gone. I think most any of the systems that are out there are good systems and that is what makes it hard to pick. If you can get together with some of the club members in your area and see if they will let you test their systems. The best way is to drive one.

[John M. Smith]

I agree with Ron. People tend to like the system that they have and use. The best thing to do, is to get with local turners you know, and try out several systems.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have both the monster captured and articulating arm hollowing system. Both work extremely well.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Jerry - I have both of the Monster systems and love using them.

You don't list where you live. Just might be a Creeker living near you that has a system you can try out. No matter what system you end up getting... none of them are cheap! Try before you buy - if you can.

[Roger Chandler]

I have the articulated monster rig as well....have been well pleased! I had a local machinist make me a larger boring bar..it is 1.25 x .75 (if I remember correctly). A rectangle shaped bar, and I can hollow to 16 inches without too much chatter...some woods are easier than others.

[Peter Blair]

As stated above, I like the one I have, a Kobra. I too had to wait about 4 months but bought all the adaptors which allows me to use every hollowing tool that I had previously purchased. Not sure how deep you could go with the short bet though. The Kobra is soooo easy to use it that hollowing is now so much fun I am roughing out way more hollow forms than I had in the past just so I can set it up and hollow.

[Rick Markham]

I've got the Kobra and the Monster. I think the Kobra may be hard to outgrow, but it's in a totally different price point than the Monster. Jerry and Al can be tricky to get a hold of, but it is worth it. Having dealt with both companies, I can say service either way is top notch. (The Kobra is my favorite)