hollowing systems / tools

[Curtis Myers]

My head is spinning looking at all the hollowing systems and tools.
What are the strengths and weakness of each system? Anyone know of a review of the various systems?
What are you using?
Any homemade systems?
What would you like to have?

1. Articulating arm like the Brent Bosch "Hollowing Tool Stablizer"
2. Captive system like the "Monster Lathe tool"
3. Free hand like the D-Way "Hollowing Tool" or the Ellsworth tools

All the Best
Curt

[charlie knighton]

pittsburg national symposium is coming up in june....suggest you attend.......the instant gallery and vendor sections are free.....just go to the vendor area and chech them all out......or attend the demo also

[David Delo]

It would help to know what you want to make, how deep you need to go and what lathe you have. Here's a link to a demo handout from Chicago Woodturners that might help or make your head spin a little bit faster. http://www.chicagowoodturners.com/De...sStoledemo.pdf

Good advice from Charlie, Pittsburgh Symposium is just around the corner.

[Peter Blair]

Curt, I have all three you list and use them all for various types of hollowing. I make cutters etc to fit as I find the need. I found a lot of information on the net when I was looking but you are correct it can make your head spin at times.

[George Guadiane]

I have the Monster articulated arm setup. I use it with my Rolly Munro articulated hollower (I have three different ones). I just ordered the parts for a conversion to my smaller demo lathe. Personally don't feel the need for anything else.
I can't imagine a better space saving setup for accuracy and versatility. I would have gotten the additional "D" frame rig, but my shop is small and the space doesn't allow it.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I agree with David, it will help for us to know what you ant to turn, because it does make a big difference. I have a Monster articulated, and very happy. I also use the Rolly Munro cutters. For small turnings I have the Don Derry hollowers. This is a fast set-up and the laser is rock solid, but you're limited to about 6" realistic depth, unless you buy the heavier system. I already had the Monster, so I got the DD system only for small turnings.

My $0.02 would be to skip the hand held tools. While lots of people turn free hand, the learning curve is long and steep. I tried using free hand tools and I got physically beaten. The captured systems will take all of the physical work out of play, and if you get a laser, that takes all the guesswork out of play.

Try searcing this forum for hollowing threads. There are many. Bottom line is all of the higher priced well known hollowers work and they all work well. They all also have limitations. You can probably spend all day with your head spinning reading threads here. I think you get a lot for the money with the Monster Hollower, but there is a pretty long wait time.

[mike pockoski]

I just made my own articulated hollower using the Beall buff threaded Morse Taper (here) and about $20 worth of 1-inch square stock from the local welding company. This link has some discussion on making it...lots of folks have gone this route. I went with this method as i'm eagerly awaiting the new Grizzly and wanted a tool that would fit that lathe as well. But i'm super happy with it, works better than I expected. I'll all for supporting our fellow turners, so if you've got the coin, buy from them and spend your time turning instead of making tools. For me, my yearly tool budget is going towards the Grizzly lathe so i'm making my own stuff for a while...

I just used a simple hacksaw to cut the 1" stock into lengths, and then used the hacksaw and some patience to cut the half-lap joints on the section that comes out of the tailstock. I thought about the sawz-all or going to the bandsaw but the hacksaw was cutting so fast and precise i just stuck with it... Few drops of oil on the blade and it cuts like butter. Dress the cuts up on the grinder and she's all pretty.

I drilled all the holes on the drill press. Sharpened the bits before I started and was done with all the drilling in under an hour. The hole for the Beall buff MT adapter is 21/32 if I recall correctly. I held the short ends vertically in a small vice on the drill press table and drilled those holes along the axis of the tool...was a piece of cake. Use lots of cutting oil and it goes fast.

I drilled half-inch holes for all the ends of the 1-inch stock sections. Then I stuck a 3/8 ID, 1/2 OD flange bushing (like this, though i used bronze) and a 3/8 through bolt. I tried using a Teflon washer at the joints, and it was pretty smooth. Usable and very functional, but you have to leave the through bolts a little loose and that makes just a little bit of play in the tool. Not so much that it affects performance - especially considering the beating you take with hand hollowing - but I like my tools to be sexy so I upgraded to these really cheap thrust bearings and now it glides like SILK! They let you clamp down on those through bolts to take out the play and still keep it gliding.

You need a 1/4-20 bolt that's about 6" long to go through the tail stock. You'll need a bolt and a washer (or similar, i used a star though-knob) so I can easily snug the MT adapter into the tailstock. Once you take up the slack, you turn the tailstock out a bit and really cinch down on it to set the whole thing in place so the star knob is really just there as a "stop".

I used two 1/4-20 set screws to hold the cutting tool in place and to hold the whole tool onto the Beall adapter. Drill 'em straight on the drill press while you're doing all the other work over there. If i did it again, I'd probably use a bigger set screw. These take a lot of torque and you're tightening and loosening the ones at the tool end every time you change from a straight hollower to a swan-neck.

The hollowing bars are just round stock i had leftover from making some hand-held tools. Heated them up and bent 'em with a hammer. Then just drilled a hole in the end and set a broken drill bit in there with epoxy and put an edge on it on the grinder. Lots of videos online about making them and ways to sharpen... I keep a file next to the lathe and take a pass or two over the cutting edge a couple times each vessel. It cuts so fast, i have to force myself to stop and empty the vessel out. Once i have some extra money, i'll buy some nice tools from our peers who make them...i'm all for supporting those who practice our craft. But for now, these cut like crazy!

probably too me 2.5 -3 hours to put it all together. I wiped it all down and give it a paint job...my 5 yr old daughter picked the color. (it was either this or pink...)

IMG_0671.jpg

[Thom Sturgill]

Articulated arm seems to me to be limited to depth more than a captive rig like the Jamieson. Monster sells both, so they might give a good idea on limits. There are some very large captive systems out there. I have built both and the joints on the arm are a limiting part of the design.
After taking a weekend with Ellsworth, I now hollow free hand. There is a philosophical point about the difference in hand hollowing and using a mechanical device to do the hollowing and where the dividing line is. Ellsworth's technique took the beating out of hand held hollowing for me.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

If looking to do deep hollowing with a captive system check out Advanced Lathe Tools system by Steve Sinner. It's heavy duty and works great. I've used it for over 7 yrs & highly recommend it. I also use the Rolly Munro cutter but on the Advanced Lathe tool System. The Rolly is a EXPENSIVE cutter but worth every cent once you learn to set it up correctly it's very fast and efficient.

[Bill Blasic]

I have both Monster rigs with bases to use on all my lathes. I also have an adapter (5/8 to 3/4) to use bigger tools in them. They are excellent tools. I also have the Pro-Rail Hollowing System manufactured by Alan Trout which is truly the ultimate hollowing system made today. In all of these systems I mainly use the Kelton Hollowers or the John Jordan Hollowers (from 5/16 to 3/4). Recently I have been trying out the Pro-Forme Flexi Hollower from Woodcut tools and it works very well (with these systems) at greatly reduced speeds. I could never go back to hand hollowing.

[John Keeton]

I started out hand hollowing. Folks derive their satisfaction from a variety of sources. While most of my turning involves hollow vessels, there is NOTHING about the hollowing process I would consider enjoyable save for perhaps the last passing cut so I could say I was finished with that chore. For me, the joy in turning is in the design and planning of the piece, and the bringing together of the components, finish and embellishments.

I have both Monster systems, and while I consider them a valuable asset and of excellent quality, and, while they have reduced considerably the effort and aggravation associated with hollowing, there still remains NOTHING about hollowing I find enjoyable. But, it is a process that is necessary to produce works that bring a great deal of satisfaction for me.

[Brian Kent]

John, are you still using the Monster systems?

[John Keeton]

Brian, it now seems apparent that as I pass through the autumn of life, my attention span has shortened and I tend to drift with my artistic expression. At one time, my turnings consisted largely of hollow forms. Then came lidded bowls from which I have traveled down various side trails as far as embellishments. I tend to view each lid as a canvas upon which to create focal art where the bowl becomes subservient to the lid. That still is my primary interest and apparently of interest to others as my recent lidded bowl class at the Folk School was full. However, more recently, I have been doing large offset platters and I find they also provide great canvases. All that to say that I rarely find a need for the Monster systems, but who knows what the next diversion will be!!

[Brian Kent]

Thanks, John!

[Scott Hackler]

I do a bunch of HF and own hand boring tools, a Monster articulated and captive, a Gizmo articulated and the Carter Hollow Roller (modified captive) and when I don't hand hollow, I use the Gizmo on the big 23" Vicmark lathe or the Monster articulated on the 16" Jet. I feel the articulated are the closest in feel to hand hollowing. Trent's rig is kind of an articulated, but not the same as the Monster or Gizmo. (but a lot cheaper!)

Hands on is best. If you can attend a symposium to test drive, you will know instantly what feels right for you.