Pulled the trigger on a Monster hollowing system

[Dennis Nagle]

I just ordered the Monster articulating hollowing system with the 1"x20" extension for going deep. Anyone have experience with the Monster?

[Roger Chandler]

I have the same Monster rig......only with the 3/4" bar. It is a fine system and I really like mine. I had a friend who was a machinist make me another larger bar for my rig......he has since passed away last year, but it gives me more reach to go deeper........it is a rectangular shaped bar, but with the shank cut down to 5/8" to fit the monster rig.

I think you will be well pleased with your unit........most everyone I asked about it was well pleased, and the reason I got mine.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Congrats. I have the 1" bar also. I posted a pic of my lampshade I turned. No really, I made a lampshade. I hollowed it with that bar, so it can go plenty deep. You may need a comparably long tool rest though. I had to buy a long reach 1" bar rest to go inside the shade. That much metal hanging off a tool rest will chatter a LOT. I like the system. It works. The farther you reach, the slower you will have to cut. The other end of the shade, I was using the 1/4" bit, and having trouble. Took a long, long time.

[Roger Chandler]

In my opinion the 3/16th bit is the easiest to use.......especially when going deep.........I use it most of the time.

[Prashun Patel]

I had one and then sold it. It was a great system, but I just stopped doing hf's.

The one thing I didn't really like about it was the laser. The vibration just made it hard to keep calibrated to the tip (for me).

The other advice I'd offer is to sharpen your cutters (the hss ones) free-hand. The tips are small enough that it doesn't take much effort to do this way.

[John Keeton]

Dennis, usually folks ask about a tool before they buy!!😃 But, fortunately you made a good choice. There are several past threads that compare the various systems and for the money, the Monster ranks very well. I have both the articulated and the captive and enjoy working with them.

[Dennis Nagle]

Is that like Ready, Fire, Aim John???

I have a tool rest that can go in 20" but the mouth has to be large to take it Kyle.

[Larry Matchett]

You are going to love the system. I think you will in time get the captured system if you are really going to deep with the 1" bar. If I am doing one that large I start with the articulated and then switch to the captured when I get to the bottom. Actually at 19" which is as deep as I have gone I still get some chatter and vibrations. I think a 1 1/4" inch bar would be handy for that. All in all a great system.

[James Combs]

I have its little brother the Mini Monster. Every thing is identical except size. I got initially for my Grizzly G0658(1220) but have since adapted it and use it almost exclusively on my Jet 1642. Like some of you have done on the Monster I have changed the standard bar out to a longer and larger square bar, I would have to go measure but I think I went from 5/8" round to 5/8" square and added 6" in length. I can easily get to an 8" depth but beyond that chatter gets to severe. Because of the low incidence of catches with a articulated system I even on occasion(when feeling lazy) use it for the inside of bowels.

Edit: BTW since we are talking about the monster(s) I did a little work on mine just this week. I converted the laser over from battery power to a power supply. I will do a more detailed post on the conversion later.

[Dennis Nagle]

I'd like to see that conversion James.

[John Keeton]

I'd like to see that conversion James.Dennis, JD may have done something differently, so he should post his pics. Here (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?211159-Monster-hollowing-rig-AC-DC-conversion&highlight=) is the thread where I did the 110V conversion on my Monster. It is abundantly simple and you may have the necessary power supply on hand.