Different cutter designs

[Rob Miller]

I'm wondering if any of the cutter designs are intrinsically less prone to catches than the others, specifically on a goose-neck tool. I'm thinking the circular cutters/scrapers should be less likely to catch -- am I correct in this assumption?

[Steve Peterson]

I have a round and a square carbide cutter from Harris Specialties. The round cutter has a round shaft that rolls on me and catches all the time. I have not gotten the hang of it.

The square cutter has a square shaft that always supports the cutting edge so it never catches on me.

Is a goose neck tool for the inside of hollow forms?

Steve

[Rob Miller]

Yeah -- like this: http://www.amazon.com/Mid-Size-Easy-Hollower-No-3/dp/B0064861QO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1401466940&sr=8-4&keywords=easy+hollower

[John Keeton]

I played a bit with one of these during a demo and found it to be a bit grabby. I suspect were one to spend more time with it, it might become a little more friendly. Even then, I doubt one could extend it very far over the rest.

[Rob Miller]

I'm in Phoenix so I plan to visit the symposium. That might be a good opportunity to try before I buy...

[John Beaver]

The first thing is to make sure the cutter is riding just above the center line. Even with that, I find some of the carbide tools can grab. A 1/4 or 3/8 HSS tip (like Ellsworth or John Jordan or Trent Bosch) will be less prone to grab because there is less mass contacting the wood. If you want the carbide, look at Hunter or JTTurning Tools where the cutter is at an angle and not horizontal. These catch less and leave a very clean surface.

[Reed Gray]

Even though I haven't done too many hollow forms, I have learned a few things. With any of the goose neck tools, you must have ALL of the goose neck out past the tool rest. Other wise they will torque/twist down. The more curved goose neck tools are for going under the shoulders of a hollow form, and maybe a little bit down the sides. You do not want to use them any where near the bottoms, especially on taller and narrower forms. The far point of the curve can hit the other side of the form, and that can result in a very nasty catch. Use the straighter ones for going down the sides and across the bottoms. If you look at the Kelton hollowers, they have 4 different curves, and considering the above, it makes more sense. Also, the size of the cutter matters. The farther off your tool rest you are, the smaller the cutter bit needs to be. 1/8 and 3/16 inch wide are common for a reason, mostly so you don't try to stick too much steel into the spinning wood at one time, and then get over powered. I didn't like the tear drop type cutters as I always seemed to have that problem with them. However, if they are rotated into a shear cut (cutter at 45 degrees instead of flat) they work a lot better. Other than that, hollow form turning is very 'touchy/feeley' because you can't see what you are doing, so have to feel your way around. You don't want to run into a big bump left from a couple of cuts unexpectedly.

robo hippy

[Kyle Iwamoto]

IF you're thinking of going into hollowing, my $0.02 would be to skip the hand held hollowing tools, except for a small gooseneck, which as Robo mentioned, is for the shoulders of the Hollow Form. Invest in any of the many captured or articulated rigs out there. It would have saved me quite a few dollars, since I ended up buying a captured/articulated rig in the end anyway, after many hours of hand held hollowing. It can be done, and you still need a few hand held tools, but the bulk of the hollowing, when done with a captured/articulated rig, is way more enjoyable, and not physically demanding.

+1 on the gooseneck being ALL the way past the rest. Contrary to everything I learned prior, but that lesson, I learned quite fast. The lathe grabbed the tool from my hand and tossed it and the HF a couple feet away.

[Rob Miller]

Yeah, that's my plan eventually but I don't have the money to throw at a full rig right now and just need something to get me by in the meanwhile. All I have right now is a Sorby 1/2" fingernail grind bowl gouge and an old set of cheapo Craftsman tools that came with the 1980's vintage lathe. I'm not doing fully enclosed hollow-forms but I like doing vessels with a slightly narrower neck or bowls with an in-turned rim and I'm having issues trying to get wood out of the inside shoulders because I just can't reach there with the bowl gouge. I'd love to have a $600 articulated rig but I don't have money for that and I don't want to quit turning until the money falls into my lap.

[Dwight Rutherford]

Rob,
You don't have to spend $600 to get a good captured hollowing system. Lyle Jamiesom has a DIY tutorial on his website. I made mine for less than $100.00 including the laser.

[Michael Gibson]

I'm in Phoenix so I plan to visit the symposium. That might be a good opportunity to try before I buy...

Rob, l am going to do some hollowing in Phoenix at the Peachtree Booth in the Trade Show Area. I will be using a Sorby hollowing system, if you want l can give you some tips and you are more than welcome to try out the tools. Michael.

[Rob Miller]

Rob, l am going to do some hollowing in Phoenix at the Peachtree Booth in the Trade Show Area. I will be using a Sorby hollowing system, if you want l can give you some tips and you are more than welcome to try out the tools. Michael.

Thanks, Michael. I'll probably be a little overwhelmed but will try to remember to look you up.

[steve worcester]

The learning curve for hand held is steep in my opinion. On the cheap, if you have a friend who can weld, then Lyles tutorials will get you there quickly. Outside of less expensive, Trn Bosch has a great articulated hollowing system, as does Monster, etc. All of them have their limitations.

[Peter Blair]

Rob, if you are looking for a simple system that costs very little and just works check out the one Jim Rinde has posted on WOW. It is all made from wood except the cutters. Looks really easy to make and use.

[Michael Kellough]

Searching but can't find this. Do you have a link?

[robert baccus]

The only catch proof cutter I have found in 20 years of deep boring is the Woodcut cutting tip. It has an adjustable cutter limiter like a safety razor--almost never plugs up and never grabs even at 20" deep. Friends use handheld factory handles with success--I went to a homemade controlled rig which can use 5 different cutters.

[Rob Miller]

The only catch proof cutter I have found in 20 years of deep boring is the Woodcut cutting tip. It has an adjustable cutter limiter like a safety razor--almost never plugs up and never grabs even at 20" deep. Friends use handheld factory handles with success--I went to a homemade controlled rig which can use 5 different cutters.

Is this the cutter you're referring to? http://www.shop.woodcut-tools.com/section.php?xSec=96&xPage=1

[John Keeton]

Rob, if you are looking for a simple system that costs very little and just works check out the one Jim Rinde has posted on WOW. It is all made from wood except the cutters. Looks really easy to make and use.Peter, most viewers probably are not members of WOW (World of Woodturners) and will be unable to access the site.

Michael Kellough, that is probably why you cannot find the site.

[Scott Brandstetter]

Rob
I have the Harrison Specialty simple hollowing system and love it. Now, a couple points, I am still very new at turning and I have not completed HF's much deeper than 8 inches or so. I know there are much larger systems out there, but, for me, the investment cost vs what I will learn and get out of it was well worth it. Might want to give it a look.

[Rob Miller]

Rob
I have the Harrison Specialty simple hollowing system and love it. Now, a couple points, I am still very new at turning and I have not completed HF's much deeper than 8 inches or so. I know there are much larger systems out there, but, for me, the investment cost vs what I will learn and get out of it was well worth it. Might want to give it a look.

I think I may just try to build one of the Lyle Jamieson setups. The plans seem simple enough and I've got a welder and a fair bit of scrap steel lying around.

[robert baccus]

A Jamison rig is easy to weld up--I recommend at least 1&1/8" dia. shafts and drill the end for 1/2" cutting tip shafts. Yes Rob--that's the one. Ps- they never seem to wear out--I keep a new one on hand but I'm still using one I installed 4 years ago. I think it's my fourth cutter in 20 years. Rob--these are easy to sharpen. I use a 4"tapered diamond round file or a rotary grinder with a stone or diamond bit. Sharpen only the inside of the hook--never the outside. The hook is very stout--I tried to break my first one 20 years ago but have yet to hurt one.

[Rob Miller]

A Jamison rig is easy to weld up--I recommend at least 1&1/8" dia. shafts and drill the end for 1/2" cutting tip shafts. Yes Rob--that's the one. Ps- they never seem to wear out--I keep a new one on hand but I'm still using one I installed 4 years ago. I think it's my fourth cutter in 20 years.

How do you sharpen them? Seems like it would be difficult.

What diameter bar would you recommend for the rear rest and the rest of the rig?

[Harry Robinette]

Search : homemade monster : here on this site I put my drawings for the tool and cutters here.
All was made with no welding, just tap & die's hack saw, drill press and grinder. I used aluminum but steel can be used if you have some just make to size for your lathe my is for an 18" lathe.

[Peter Blair]

Thanks Harry. When I search for this I get four hits, none of which is your drawings?

[Rob Miller]

Thanks Harry. When I search for this I get four hits, none of which is your drawings?

They're here: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?178647-My-Plans-for-my-Homemade-Monster-style-Hollower

[Peter Blair]

Thanks Harry!!!