Anyone use the Robert Sorby Box Hollower #803H? ?

[Jack Gaskins]

Looking for feedback on the RS Box Hollower 803H. It came out last year. Trying to figure out if I should try it or the regular RS Box Scraper 829? I am going to hollow some 3x3 inch boxes and will use a bowl or spindle gouge to scope out the middle then switch to the Hollower/Scraper to finish up the sides and bottm. Just looking for some feedback on the hollower.

Thanks, Jack


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[Kyle Iwamoto]

I got one, but I think I got it well over a year ago. Fairly disappionted, as I was thinking it would perform miracles. But it's just a scraper. You can move the cutter so you can get some odd angled sides, and still get a corner at the bottom of the box. (That was the main reason I got it. Semi-closed form box) Which brings up a real hard problem, how to sand that odd shape/size corner....... So, I continue to make rounded corners, which are easier to sand. I use it occasionally, only because I have it. I recently made a batch of 80+ tea lights, and that comes in handy to clean up the bottom after the forstner. Not something I would really reccomend. Sorry Sorby. Just my $0.02.

[Jack Gaskins]

Thanks for the info Kyle. I was also looking at the box scraper by Serious tool works. Its 3/8ths thick and $90 unhandled! HUM,,,dont know....maybe one of the elcheap box scrapers from Pennstate Industries they are only $20.

[Thom Sturgill]

I have never been too impressed with the Sorby scraper tips.

I just bought a Thompson scraper and reground the end into a similar shape as he grinds for Jimmy Clewes. Mine is not as heavy. Grind the left edge back at an angle about 1 1/2" maybe 10 degrees . Grind the end back at 90 degrees to the new angle and then after about 1/4" grind it back in an arc to the opposite side. All of these edges are then undercut with a 70-80 degree grind.

One corner works for box corners, the short square for the bottom and the rounded corner for outside. I love the cut it produces. I sharpen with a rolled burr not a grinder burr. I was using a Sorby heavy duty scraper with a slightly rounded end that I sharpened about 1" back from the end on the left side.

[Michael Stafford]

I much prefer a square scraper. Of course my square scraper is not really square as only the leftmost 1/8" or so is square and the rest is ground slightly away from that corner so that catches are minimized. I also find that relieving the left hand side of the scraper so that it is at less than 90 degrees to provide clearance is a good idea. I like to hone the left side and top with a diamond hone to get that left corner as sharp as possible. Doing so reduces or eliminates the need for any sanding on the bottom of boxes with square insides.

[Harry Robinette]

I have a set of Box scrapers from Crown 1/4" and 3/8" there round with the angled cutter about 1" long on the end. I won't give them up for other box scraper, you can turn them and get a super fine cut or hold them straight and eat wood. I tried the Sorby one your looking at and it just seamed clumsy. I have the Straight Multi-tip tool from Sorby and it has a Box Scraper tip with it that dose a descent job. I like the half of a heart scraper that you can shear scrape with that works great.