Hollowing Tools

[Ben Gastfriend]

I am considering purchasing a midi (multi-tip) holowing tool. My idea is that the Sorby is the best hollowing tool, but does any one know where to get one that would be a little bit more sensibly priced? The one I was looking at from Sorby is the Midi Multi-Tip Hollowing tool (pictured below).

Thanks for your input!

73725

Ben

[Neal Addy]

Ben, I used a Multi-Tip as my main hollowing tool for a couple of years. It's a good tool and relatively inexpensive (as hollowing tools go) but it does have a few drawbacks.

The biggest drawback is heft. The handle is not long or heavy enough (IMO) to easily control the torque you'll get while hogging out a HF. The flat shaft helps a lot but you'll still spend a lot of energy fighting the tool. If you go with it I would suggest turning a larger handle for it.

Another (minor) drawback is the shaft. The 3/4" width will allow you to turn through a 1-1/2" hole fairly easily and still have room to maneuver but getting a smaller hole is a challenge. I was able to get down to 1-1/8" hole but only on deep forms without much top shoulder. It is good for getting up under the lip of a piece but you won't be able to reach deep into a shoulder without a wide hole. Also, this tool has a reach of around 4" to 5" depth. Any HF deeper than that will be a challenge.

I recently bought a Don Pencil Scorpion and Stinger. The pistol grip they offer really helps control the tool much better. They are a big step up from the Multi-Tip but pricey. There are quite a few other name brands out there that I'm sure others can recommend.

All-in-all the Multi-Tip is a good tool to learn HF's on. It's not quite as expensive as other brand hollowing tools and it gets the job done. But I wanted to offer these items as food for thought.

Hope that help!

Neal

[George Guadiane]

I am considering purchasing a midi (multi-tip) holowing tool. My idea is that the Sorby is the best hollowing tool, but does any one know where to get one that would be a little bit more sensibly priced? The one I was looking at from Sorby is the Midi Multi-Tip Hollowing tool (pictured below).

Thanks for your input!

73725

Ben
To me, the biggest drawback to this tool is the shaft, it's FLAT, with sharp edges. I lost a few HFs before I went to a round shank for hollowing. Same strength, smaller width and no real chance to catch on the shaft.

[Dale Bright]

Ben,

If you are looking for bang for the buck, take a look at the one I recently purchased. http://sitekreator.com/sherrillwoodworking/deep_hollowing_tool_set.html

I am quite happy with it for the money and it is very versatile.

Dale

[Neal Addy]

How interesting, George. I saw the flat shaft as a big help in controlling torque.

Ben, one other point... my comments above were related to the full-size Multi-Tip. I didn't catch that you were talking about the midi until just now. IMO the drawbacks I pointed out would be magnified with the smaller tool. I have a Sorby swan-neck hollowing tool. It's good for cleaning up but I can't imagine hogging out a HF with it. It's just not enough tool to do the job without major effort.

[Ron McKinley]

Ben, save your money and buy a captured system, something you can use for any hollow form as your skill progresses. There are many on the market but my favorite is the Elbo Tool from http//elbotool.com/ BTW, I have the Sorby tool that you mentioned but never had much luck with it.......Ron

[Fred Floyd]

I would have to agree. The captured hollowing tools are more versatile and quite easy to work with. I've used the Donald Derry model for a couple of years. It's good for small stuff and works well on a small lathe -- like the Jet 10-14 variable speed.

Earlier this year, I got the Jamieson rig. It seems to be well suited for larger projects, but I don't have a lot of experience with it. I spent some time at the AAW show with Lyle Jamieson and he makes it look easy. Setup is very important on this tool as well.

[Bob Hallowell]

Ben
www.monster-wood-tool.com (http://www.monster-wood-tool.com) Randy Privett tools are great he's has some cheaper sets that are still great plus you can add on to make it a full captive someday. Several of us own these and love them.

Bob

[Kevin McPeek]

I have the Sorby multi tip and I really like it. I don't have the small one though. It works very well for what it is, it just gets a little scary when you get very far over the rest.
Since the addition of a Monster hollowing tool I use that for most hollowing duties but the Sorby is used quite often still as a shear scraper, it is very versatile that way.

[Brodie Brickey]

Ben,

I saw a demo at the last AAW conference, that featured the full sized multi tip the pro (in no way affiliated with Oneway), recommended it as good place to start with hollowing.

He did say the first thing you should do is remove the handle and put a longer and heavier handle on it. You can turn a handle or buy one of the handles from Oneway or someone else. Handles for hollowing really need to longer than 12", they should be 18-24 and heavy which absorbs the bouncing that your get when hollowing.