Anyone use the Sourby Hollow Master tools???

[Dennis Nagle]

I was looking through a box of tools I bought at a garage sale last year and found the long Sourby straight Hollow Master and the long swan neck Hollow Master. Anyone ever turn with these? Any tips you'd like to pass a long?

[Harry Robinette]

Dennis
I use the straight one quite a bet for shear scraping with the flat sided tear drop blade.( flat on the outside rounded on the inside and the shaft on the rest on it's round side for shearing) If your going to try hollowing with these put the cutter on the far side of the tip so the thin round nose cutter is at about 45 or 50* to the handle,it helps cut down on the torque. To be honest there really not much for anything.

[Thom Sturgill]

I'll second Harry. I bought both tools when I first started turning and used the straight as a scraper to clean up the bottoms of bowls until I bought a regular scraper. I find them too large for most hollow forms unless there is a large (2" or better) opening.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I'll third that. I have them and I started using them. They do work, however, they really beat me up. I finally got a couple of captured hollowing rigs, and they work MUCH better. I can holow all day with captured rigs, since the rig takes all of the stresses that are in the hollowing process.

If you want to hollow, I'd recomend that you invest in a captured system. There are many out there and I think they all work.

[Dennis Nagle]

I ordered the Monster articulated system two weeks ago so it should be here in three or for weeks. It might take longer than normal because of the 30" swing of my lathe and the 6" gap in the 15" wide bed. He will have to make the mounting part to fit, but to his credit, he is not charging me more for that. Working with Todd, so far, has been great.

I was just wondering about the usability of the Sorby tools and where/when they might come in handy.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Congrats on the Monster. I have a Monster also. If you turn urns or similar forms, just back of the opening, you can't get with the Monster. I still use the Sorby Hollowmaster.

[Dennis Nagle]

I assumed that would be the case Kyle.

[Curt Fuller]

The late, great Andy Hoyt (RIP) nick named the Sorby swan necked tool the "Hollow Bastard". And for good reason! After getting the crap beat out of me for several years by mine, I knocked the handle off, made an adapter so the 5/8" shaft is now 3/4", and use it in my captured hollowing setup. I love it in that form.

[Dennis Nagle]

Great idea Curt. The Monster does not come with a swan neck bar for getting under the near lip....it does now☺