Overlap in Hollowing & Coring Tools?

[David M Peters]

I don't have tooling for either deep hollowing or bowl coring, both of which I would like to add to my skillset. To my inexperienced eye, with both activities involve long overhangs and the need for auxiliary tool stabilization, there's the potential for shared hardware between the two practices, especially in the realm of tool rests and articulated arms.

However I've only found Kelton to advertise shared utility with their stuff. Their M8 gate (http://www.kelton.co.nz/McNaughton%20Center%20Saver.html) is advertised as also working with their hollowing tools (although they also sell a separate hollowing gate). I contacted Trent Bosch about using his Stabilizer for hollowing and he has in the past custom-made slotted tool holders.

Does anyone know of any other means to simplify/save money between the two practices?

[Bill Blasic]

I know of nothing that will allow shared use to do those two things. I do both and use tools designed to do each specific thing.

[John Keeton]

"Save money" is a phrase not often used in the turning world!!😄😄

[Dave Bunge]

I've read of people modifying the laser holder from a hollowing rig so it can be used with their coring tools.

It's on my list to try someday so I can be less conservative. Without one now I leave a lot of thickness in the outside bowl to be sure I don't make a funnel.

[Edward Weingarden]

A hollowing tool will have some form of a scraper (3/16" square) or cutter (Hunter style) at the end of a boring bar which can be anywhere from 5/8" to 1 1/4" in diameter. As you can see, you can't get a 5/8" bar (or larger) into a slot being opened up with a 3/16" scraper. The coring tool is equivalent to a parting tool with the cutting end slightly wider than the the rest of it (that's how my McNaughton is). Neither the hollowing tool nor the coring tool can do what the other one does.

[David M Peters]

Haha it's certainly true that woodturning is not a hobby for the thrifty; the AB sitting in my basement is a good reminder of that! Like Alton Brown I try to avoid unitaskers (http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/12/23/460833325/the-unitasker-kitchen-gadgets-alton-brown-loves-to-loathe), plus I don't have infinite storage down in my little shop. Sticking a McNaughton coring tool into an articulated rig just makes a lot of sense to me.

[Roger Chandler]

"Save money" is a phrase not often used in the turning world!!

"Save Money" - a relative term at best when it comes to wood turning. I sometimes "save money" in that I catch something on sale at a reduced price, but I certainly do not save any relative to having to spend money on the next accessory, piece of equipment or piece of wood! I have not saved a dime since taking up wood turning relative to not spending money........guess that is why the term "vortex" is used so often, as the suction power of the vortex certainly keeps the money flowing out, not in! :eek:

I do sell some items, but I have not broke even yet, and then there is always some new thingamabob-dohicky-whatchamacallit that is all the rave, and if a turner desires to have a complete arsenal of tools that allow him/her to become the complete and well rounded turner, then it is a must acquisition for sure! :rolleyes: Now if turning were just a static endeavor, rather than expanding skillset, we would all reach that point of break even, and then we could just move forward, but alas, I suppose we shall all meet our eventual demise, a little richer for having enjoyed turning, but a bit poorer because we took it up! Oh the paradoxes of life! :D

[Reed Gray]

First, the main difference in the coring and hollowing tools is the curves of the blades. Both have a 'goose' neck for the curve. The coring blades curve from the right side and are oriented for removing a core when the bowl has been reversed and you are ready to turn out or core the inside. The hollowing blades curve the other way to make up for the difference in the shapes of the form. Another difference is with the hollowing tools, the goose neck part never rests on the tool rest. This fools the tool into thinking that it is still straight and you can go around curves without torque pressures. The coring tools have the curve on the tool rest, and require some thing to stop the torque. McNaughton does this with the vertical fingers gate, Oneway has a support finger, and Woodcut is in a bracket. The McNaughton rest can work for their hollowing set up, but I find it a bit cumbersome, and prefer a standard rest and use the McNaughton for heavy roughing and an articulated arm for the fine finish work.

The McNaughton blade in an articulated arm????? NEVER!!!!!! You need a rigid support vertical gate to keep the curve from twisting out of your arm. If you do not have the top support like the D bracket on the tool rest, that allows the tip of the blade to drop unless you are an expert with the tool and use the long handles. The system is designed so that when in use, you keep the blade up against the top of that bracket. An articulated arm would give you zero support in this respect. You might try it once, and would end up wrecking your articulated arm, and your McNaughton blade. Articulated arms are not sturdy enough for this use.

robo hippy

[Brice Rogers]

Initially I was thinking about the similarities of hollowing and coring. But that thought process didn't go too far. Coring is just the cutting out of a chunk of wood from the center of a blank and is similar (as someone else previously said) to parting off (except on a curve rather than straight in).

There is a video of a woman using a chain saw for coring out the center of a huge bowl blank. But the "overlap" of the function of the chainsaw for coring and for hollowing is minimal. I look at it as two processes - - step one is the rough removal of a lot of wood and step two is the shaping and finishing cuts.

If you are trying to justify buying a coring rig, I'd say "go ahead". ;) It'll be a nice accessory for your AB. But also buy some curved bowl tool rests for support inside and outside of the bowl. :)

[Bert Delisle]

I agree with Reed, I have both Mcnaughton for coring and articulated arm for hollowing. Also have a gated tool rest for the big brother hollowing tool by Henry Taylor, I find I use the articulated arm for almost all my hollowing, even on small forms.
I use 3/4" bar for deep overhangs to reduce vibration from flexing. Even considering getting a piece of 1" bar.