Carbide bits for Sorby hollowers?

[Wes Ramsey]

I’ve got a couple of Sorby hollowing tools - the big swan neck and their smaller straight hollower. The last piece I hollowed with them was a chunk of holly root that was full of grit. I could get just a few seconds of good cuts with the half round HSS bit before it dulled. Took many more hours to finish than I would prefer!

I’ve got more of that wood and some walnut root pieces on deck for my next few projects and need to come up with a better solution. I like the tools and would like to find half round carbide bits to replace the HSS ones I have now, but I haven’t found anything other than blanks.

Anyone know where I could find pre-shaped, half-round carbide bits? For what it is worth, one measures .256” and the other is .172”. If I can’t find the half-rounds I will see if Cap’n Eddie has some round carbide cutters that will fit.

[James Hedrick]

I have seen one on azcarbide. I haven’t tried it yet but thought i’d pass it on.

[Bob Bergstrom]

Check AZ Carbide. Ron Campbell offers a wide variety at a good price.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Are you planning to make a lot of Hollow Forms? Reason I'm asking is if you are, I would highly recommend that you invest in any of the captured or articulated hollowing systems out there. I also started using hand held tools, same as yours. And more. Having captured or articulated hollowers makes HFs much much easier. Using hand held tools of course makes you a "better" hollower, but the physical strain is not a lot of fun. The captured rigs takes all of the physical stress out of HFs. Good luck in finding the "perfect" hollowing rig though. There are tons out there, None are perfect, they all work well. They all don't do everything well..... Keep your hand helds, there are things they do that I can't with my rigs, so I'm glad I started with hand helds.

[Wes Ramsey]

Thanks for the tips guys!

Kyle - I eventually want to buy or build an articulating arm rig, but that's in the distant future for me. I started with the Sorby tools as I know they are good quality and will get me where I want to go. Maybe not as fast as I like, but most of my turnings are just for fun, gifts, donations, and on occasion I'll sell a few to fund new tools or supplies. Doesn't matter to me yet how long it takes, but if I can replace the Sorby cutters with carbide it will get me by for now. I think over the winter I will be turning and selling quite a bit to help fund a new lathe...unless, of course, I come across a really good deal on an AA rig first :)

[Tom Giacomo]

I am using Captain Eddie's large round cutters on my Sorby.