Hollowing a 2 3/4 to 3" hole for a pencil pot

[Jack Gaskins]

Hello, I have several pencil pots I need to make. The pots are simple straight sides with 2 3/4 to 3" opening straight down about 4 to 4 1/2". I normally use a couple forstner bits to start the hole then run a carbide scraper down the sides to the final size. My way leaves a rough surface with tearout and trying to sand out the tool marks sucks! So, is there a tool that can hollow/scrape the walls smooth or smoother than I am getting now? I was looking at prices of large carbide forsnter bits but they are over $100. I had thought about the Hunter hollowing swan neck tool with the small round carbide cutter....Any suggestions?


Jack

[Reed Gray]

Once you learn hollowing, it is much faster than the forstner bits. I use the Kelton tools. You can use a negative rake scraper for the bottom and the sides, or I just turn the hollowers on their side and do a shear scrape.

robo hippy

[Stan Smith]

I use a Berger tool for those kinds of cups.

[Brian Kent]

1) What is a Berger Tool?

2) I use a forstner for depth - whatever width I can. Often I start with a 2-1/4 for a quarter inch. then a 3/4 inch forstner to the final depth, then go back to the 2-1/4, using that original 1/4 cut to get a clean start. I finish with a tool rest aligned with the inside of the cup and use a small sharp scraper tilted a little to reduce tear out. After that sanding is minimal.

This is the fastest way for me - maybe not for others though - when I have several requests for mugs for Renaissance Fair.

[Ralph Lindberg]

1) What is a Berger Tool?

2) I use a forstner for depth - whatever width I can. Often I start with a 2-1/4 for a quarter inch. then a 3/4 inch forstner to the final depth, then go back to the 2-1/4, using that original 1/4 cut to get a clean start. I finish with a tool rest aligned with the inside of the cup and use a small sharp scraper tilted a little to reduce tear out. After that sanding is minimal.

This is the fastest way for me - maybe not for others though - when I have several requests for mugs for Renaissance Fair.

Soren Berger is a NZ woodturner that sells a variety of tools, his hollowing tool is basically a hook tool.

That I don't like about hollowing with a Forstner bit is what it leaves you at the bottom. So I use a technique I learned from Dave Schweitzer (D-Way tools). Take a standard spade bit and re-grind the end, grind it into a gentle curve, then sharpen it (I use a D-Way CBN wheel and a Robo-Rest).
If your drill all the way to the final depth, you have both a finish bottom, and the finish depth.

Although the DW uses the Forstner method for her pin-cushions, since she wants a flat bottom to glue the "cushion" to

[Jack Gaskins]

Other than scraping the inside side wall there probably isn't anything else that will give you a smoother finish before sanding I guess. I was just looking for a new tool that might help smooth those sides. Guess I will have to order a negative rake scraper and try that next.

[Thom Sturgill]

Check out Jimmy Clewes' design. Doug Thompson makes his scrapers and Jimmy has a scraper grind that works for inside boxes and outside of bowls. Its easy to re-grind you own profile if you just buy a blank, and while Doug's steel is very hard, you CAN roll a burr or just use the burr from the grinder though it does not last as long.

Hmm, Jimmy redesigned his site since I was last there. What he did was grind a slight angle to one side about 2" long and grind the end square to that. Then round the opposite corner for outside scraping.

[Bob Coates]

Check out http://www.grizzly.com They have both carbide (~60) and HSS ~30 dollars. The HSS you could sharpen.

[Robert Henrickson]

I use a Hunter tool (usually a #5) for things like this, at least for the finally surface if not the hollowing. Very little sanding needed.

[Ralph Lindberg]

Jack
There is also a hook-tool. A small hook cuts the side wall in a shearing cut. Alan Lacer shows how to build one for this application on his web-site. Soren Berger sells a complete tool and Andre Martel sells just the hook

[Jack Gaskins]

I was looking at the Hunter tools and the Eliminator tool today. Read that these two tools left a slightly smoother finish than the Berger tool. Im very close to choosing one of these tools.

[Jack Gaskins]

Check out http://www.grizzly.com They have both carbide (~60) and HSS ~30 dollars. The HSS you could sharpen.

Which tool was it you were linking too?

[Bob Coates]

On the grizzly site did a search on forstner bits or around page 368
3 3/8 carbide http://www.grizzly.com/products/3-3-8-Carbide-Forstner-Bit/DC1880 53.95
List of all caride http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2014/Main/368
List of std cutter http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2014/Main/369

[robert baccus]

I keep a tool for this and other uses and find it handy. Take a cheap 1/2" spindle gouge and grind down the left & back side until it is a side cutter. Cleans out holes, boxes and twig pots. Has about a 2&1/2" cutting blade on the left side. Cajun enginecreaing

[Jack Gaskins]

On the grizzly site did a search on forstner bits or around page 368
3 3/8 carbide http://www.grizzly.com/products/3-3-8-Carbide-Forstner-Bit/DC1880 53.95
List of all caride http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2014/Main/368
List of std cutter http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2014/Main/369

Thanks Bob, I'll take a close look at these.
Jack

[Jack Gaskins]

I keep a tool for this and other uses and find it handy. Take a cheap 1/2" spindle gouge and grind down the left & back side until it is a side cutter. Cleans out holes, boxes and twig pots. Has about a 2&1/2" cutting blade on the left side. Cajun enginecreaing

You wouldn't have a photo would you?