Thompson tools (not doug's great gouges)

[Hilel Salomon]

At the Virginia Symposium yesterday a great turner, Fred Williamson, was demonstrating how he used thompson tools to hollow out very large blanks and hollow forms. Curiously, even before I had started turning, I had bought a thompson long bar tool (many years ago). At that time he was living in the Carolinas and a person I knew had recommended it. It's unbelievably long and sturdy and Fred does fabulous things with his. Fred, though, now uses a flat bar instead of the original round one. Do any of you have such a tool? I asked Doug (and I have quite a few of his gouges) if the other Thompson was related and Doug said that he knew of the other fellow but didn't think he made any tools now. A google search didn't come up with anything.
Regards, Hilel.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Hilel at Richmond I talked with Larry Hasiak who did several demo's. He has one of those tools and in fact I think a couple of them. Long and heavy but does a super job especially when roughing burls, etc. He said he got it from a guy named Thompson in he thought North or South Carolina. He said another turner told him that he knew he quit making the tool and wasn't sure if he was even alive yet. That's as much as I know. Larry said he hadn't talked with the man in probably 4 yrs. and hadn't been able to contact him. I hope this helps.

[Don Orr]

If we could see what it looked like maybe we could fabricate them ourselves. Or maybe the "current" Thompson could see if it was something he was interested in producing. I've never heard of them but I'm not from the South and have not been turning that long. I would be curious to see what is so special about this tool though.

[Hilel Salomon]

Don,

I can't post pics from here-my internet is too slow- but when I get back to SC, I'll post some. Fred Williamson made his own and he loves to make huge bowls, some of them natural edged, some of them even hollow formed. His demo was super and made me want to buy/make some of the flat ones he used.
Hilel.