Pro-Forme and Rolly Munro hollowing tools

[Ryan Baker]

I'm interested in opinions/experiences with the Woodcut Pro-forme hollwing tool. I've been experimenting with a lot of different hollowing tools lately, and I thought this looked like an interesting system. How's the learning curve? It is listed with a M2 HSS cutter, though I have heard people mention a carbide cutter. How hard are they to sharpen?

On a related note, I have seen a lot of people raving about the Rolly Munro hollowing tools. Any experience with these? It looks like it would have problems with clogging with the round cutter.

Thanks
Ryan

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

I have the Newer version Rolly Munro. I took the cutting head off & put it on a home made boring bar. This works Great for me. Yes there is a learning curve to it. However it can cut very agressively or be set to cut a very fine cut. Cloging has not been a issue for me.
As for the Wood-Cut Pro Form, I haven't used it. I do have a friend who has it & said it was one of the biggest waste of tool money he ever spent. He said it sits on the shelf & nevers uses it.

[sascha gast]

I have the woodcut system and love it so much it hurts.
unless tried, I wouldn't make up my mind about anything, just a fantastic hollowing tool

[George Guadiane]

I have the Newer version Rolly Munro. I took the cutting head off & put it on a home made boring bar. This works Great for me. Yes there is a learning curve to it. However it can cut very agressively or be set to cut a very fine cut. Cloging has not been a issue for me.
As for the Wood-Cut Pro Form, I haven't used it. I do have a friend who has it & said it was one of the biggest waste of tool money he ever spent. He said it sits on the shelf & nevers uses it.

IF you get clogging, adjust to a less aggressive cut. You can rev up the RPM and still make excellent headway.
I just bought the latest large size (my third - one other large and one mini)... Love them all!
I'm going to pit the older large one on a boring bar myself, I am using the two I had on the Monster hollowing system and L O V E LOVE it!!!
I will use the newest one after I spend more time with it, in the handle... I don't know anything about the other tool, but not having a guard (control/hood) makes it seem like it COULD be tough to handle, but I looked at it for a long time before I saw the Munro in action, that was all it took for me.

[Jeff Nicol]

I'm interested in opinions/experiences with the Woodcut Pro-forme hollwing tool. I've been experimenting with a lot of different hollowing tools lately, and I thought this looked like an interesting system. How's the learning curve? It is listed with a M2 HSS cutter, though I have heard people mention a carbide cutter. How hard are they to sharpen?

On a related note, I have seen a lot of people raving about the Rolly Munro hollowing tools. Any experience with these? It looks like it would have problems with clogging with the round cutter.

Thanks
Ryan

Ryan, Go to my website and look at the video of the hollowing tool I use. It cuts as good or better than any of the ones you can buy for big$$$. Not blowing my horn but give it a try and you will see what I am talking about. It is the only deep hollowing tool I us, I just use a bigger heavier handle to get deeper. I may make a capture system for the handle some day but so far up to 24" deep no troubles! Just go to my SMC info page and the website is listed there.

Good luck,

Jeff

[Ryan Baker]

Ryan, Go to my website and look at the video of the hollowing tool I use. It cuts as good or better than any of the ones you can buy for big$$$. Not blowing my horn but give it a try and you will see what I am talking about. It is the only deep hollowing tool I us, I just use a bigger heavier handle to get deeper. I may make a capture system for the handle some day but so far up to 24" deep no troubles! Just go to my SMC info page and the website is listed there.

Good luck,

Jeff

Yeah Jeff, I was actually looking at that before. I may have to give that a try. These tools (especially the Munro) ARE really expensive. I'm not unhappy with the tools I am using now. I'm just curious for some opinions about some of these tools I haven't had a chance to play with. It's an expensive thing to experiment with if you decide you don't like it.

[Art Kelly]

I have a Pro Forme (purchased directly from NZ) and it's definitely carbide. It took me a while to learn how to sharpen it. I finally got a long, round, tapered diamond rod and put it in an electric drill motor. I only sharpen the inside of the bit--it's easier for me and keeps the outside radius equal to the radius of the guard.

I guess I'd email Pro Forme to see what's up with the material. They seem to answer email inquiries right away. They may have changed to M2 because the carbide is so hard to sharpen once it gets dull. And it does get dull. YMMV. M2 could be easily sharpened with a small cylindrical corundum stone in a rotary tool.

I'm away right now so I can't take any pictures, but I'm sure you get the drift of what I'm saying about sharpening.

The tool guard is hard for me to adjust, especially when working on drier woods. The best experience I've had is with a couple of tall 11" bowls made out of some wet walnut. It felt like I was removing about a cubic foot a minute. Stuff was really flying out of there.

Art

[Ryan Baker]

Thanks for the info Art. It is interesting that you have carbide while they seem to be selling M2 these days (at least in these parts of the world).

[Art Kelly]

I may be mistaken about the material, based on this: http://www.shop.woodcut-tools.com/me...20Proforme.pdf

On page 10 of this document it specifies M2. I do know it's HARD stuff. I also know it's hard to sharpen using their method.

The more I know,
the more I know
I don't know.

Art

[George Morris]

Jeff great web site. Your hollowing tool looks good have to try that! george

[Jonathan Harvey]

I've got the pro-forme. I like it but I have not used it enough to give a fair review.