handles and hollowing tools gouges by John Jordan

[Bret Schaffner]

I'm looking at getting a handle and hollowing tools and also and a gouge. I saw John Jordan site and was hoping for some Input.

I'm wanting to start doing hollowing so looking a hollowing to to get me started

Any and all suggestion and input would be great.

[Thom Sturgill]

I will start by saying that i do not own and have never used any of John's tools. I have handled them many times at symposia. They are well made and reasonably priced.

The handes are solid aluminium with about 2" drilled to receive the 3/4" blade with adapters for smaller blades. The foam is comfortable in the hand, I do have one of his long handles, and often use it with my smaller Ellsworth cutters. While I have an armbrace (not his) , I have not used it much. Seems to beat me up pretty good, though many like them. I use a long 36" wood handle as shown by David Ellsworth. That seems to be a bit more comfortable for longer sessions. I do prefer hand hollowing to captured systems - less mechanical, more personal. JMHO.

The cutting tips are pretty standard HSS cutters and are removable by heating the end to release the CA glue that holds them. The blades are well formed and tapered to where the cutting tip is mounted so there is nothing to catch. Having lost a piece when a large swivel tip touched the opening when removing the tool, I appreciate that aspect of the curved tools.

[Dennis Ford]

I have not used his handles but the hollowing tools work very well.

[Jack Mincey]

I have and use John Jordan Hollowing tools to free turn HF as deep as 12". The Handles I have are made from steel tube and have a very comfortable rubber type grip. I also have the arm brace handle which I don't use much. I prefer the long handle for my hollowing needs now. His swan neck tools are very nice. I use the #1 and #2 3/4" hollowing tools for most of my hollowing. I made my own straight hollowing tools so there was no need to buy John's. I also have the #1 swan neck tool in both 3/8" and 1/2" for smaller forms with smaller opening. The cutters are removed and replaced by using a allen wrench. His cutters are small 3/16" with the back end ground round so that they fit into a smaller hole than a square cutter bit. This allows the cutter end of the tool to be tapered down smaller than most hollowing tools. This allows for a hollowing tool which doesn't have any problem getting the tip into tight spots with out the tool hitting before the cutter starts to cut. Personally I can't see how they can be improved any. Jack

[Paul Heely]

I've had the John Jordan tools and handle, and ended up selling them. They were very well made, but did not fit the way I like to hollow. Like Thom, I use Ellsworth style hollowing tools. I also have a Jamieson captured hollowing rig, but don't use it very much anymore. I would suggest trying to find some people in your area with different setups for you to try before you actually purchase anything.

[Dale Gillaspy]

Thom, John's hollowing tools do not hold the cutters in with glue. He drills and taps a hole on the bottom for a small set screw. That makes it a little easier to take out and sharpen, IMHO. His handles are fine, but nothing special IMHO, there are plenty of handles out there, or you can make your own. I tend to like his tools a little better than a few others I have tried. I find the balance pretty good for minimizing torque.

[Thom Sturgill]

Thom, John's hollowing tools do not hold the cutters in with glue. He drills and taps a hole on the bottom for a small set screw. That makes it a little easier to take out and sharpen, IMHO. His handles are fine, but nothing special IMHO, there are plenty of handles out there, or you can make your own. I tend to like his tools a little better than a few others I have tried. I find the balance pretty good for minimizing torque.

I stand corrected. As I said, I have looked a them a few times, but don't own one. The Ellsworth tips are glued in, as are many others.

[Gary Sichmeller]

I own the Jordan 3/4" hollowing tools including the straight tool. Love 'em! One of the better investments in hollowing tools I've made. I also got the armbrace handle from John Jordan and wanted to pass on a shout out for customer service to John and Vicki Jordan. I use the armbrace handle every time with the hollowing tools. Like others have said, decent handle, does the job. Well. it uses two set screws to hold the tool in the handle. At some time during use, one of the set screws fell out and got lost. I noticed that the hole for the set screw was also stripped of threads. I e-mailed John asking about the size of the set screw so I could buy a replacement at a local hardware store. I also asked if they thought it possible to re-thread the hole. John and Vicki's response went above and beyond what I've normally experienced with a lot of customer service. They said they would send me a new handle and would include a pre-paid postage label to return the old handle. My jaw nearly hit the floor! Needless to say, I will not hesitate to do more business with John & Vicki Jordan.

[bob svoboda]

Virtually the same experiences as Gary S. These folks are great to deal with and the tools are solid!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I know a lot of the pros out there will disagree, but I would suggest getting a captured rig with a laser. I started with hand held hollowers, and it is physically demanding, especially when going over 6 inches deep. I know using a laser is cheating, but if you want to make hollow forms, I think captured rigs and a laser is they way to go. I can hollow all day and not get tired. I use the laser when getting close to the final thickness. As you get better, you may ditch the captured rig and go back to hand held if you choose.

There are many many captured rigs out there with many many price ranges. They all work.

Just my $0.02.