Cutter guard hollowing tool recommendations

[Phily]

Wondering if cutter guard hollowing tools such as Little Brother, Rolly Munroe, Woodcut Pro-forme etc offer any real advantage? If so, any recommendations on which tool works best?
Cheers
Phil

[Dalboy]

I use the Crown revolution and find it great for all of my needs but then I don't do large hollow forms which some of the others will handle. So it depends on what you are expecting from it at the end of the day

[Phily]

Thanks Dalboy, I hadn't looked at the Crown. One of my concerns is that the cutters will be prone to clogging. I see that the Crown system deflects shavings away from the cutter, not through it. Ref your question, I'm after something that I can use to shave resin - which is prone to shattering (especially in the colder weather) with even the smallest catch!

[Dalboy]

I have not used mine on resin so not sure how it will cut. I cast my own pen blanks and turn pens but that is with standard turning tools so I know how it can behave when cold

[Wood Nut]

Hi Phil,
I have the Rolly Munro system and absolutely love it. I organised a demo by Rolly a few years ago, thanks to Maurizio Nannetti - chat with him about the tools as he now lives a little closer to you. Well-designed and depth of cut is controlled by the cover/shield. Brilliant design and rated highly throughout the world.
Cheers mate, and hope to catch up again soon,
Paul

[pommyphil]

I bought a used early Munro that gives endless trouble. I've spent more time adjusting than cutting ! Maybe just me but I'd try to use one before buying.

They're not cheap and may not work for your application.

Woodnut. Maybe I need a lesson ! :) Phil

[hughie]

I use the Proforme its my go to hollower especially for bulk removal. I have used and made my own Rolly Munro cant fault either of them. Although these days with small cutter he now uses 6mm dia you can get away with no guard this is what I use now. Both when you get the hang of it will cut well with a smooth finish. Rolly turns both the inside and the outside of his bowls with the his one. The down side Rolly has never got around to making a DVD on his cutter, many of us have suggested it to him, but nothing so far.
I guess for the most of them with guards they will at some stage clog, its a judgement call as to how far to open them up. Opening up the cutter tends to sort out the issue.
The Proforme has a a bit of a steep learning curve and the sweet spot can be elusive in the beginning. But what I like about is the its readily sharpened as opposed the round cutters that need some extra gear for sharpening. It will at time tend to self feed on green timber with the cutter wide open ie 1.5mm gap. But its not much of a drama as you can easily over come it. It could be daunting for a beginner the first time it happens tho'.

[Dalboy]

Forgot to add these I think it is the same for many of the hollowing tools.


https://youtu.be/Hfi3wdYaBRA


https://youtu.be/mqK9TsPMuCA

[Phily]

Hi Phil,
I have the Rolly Munro system and absolutely love it. I organised a demo by Rolly a few years ago, thanks to Maurizio Nannetti - chat with him about the tools as he now lives a little closer to you. Well-designed and depth of cut is controlled by the cover/shield. Brilliant design and rated highly throughout the world.
Cheers mate, and hope to catch up again soon,
Paul
Hey Paul, good to hear from you, how's the old back going? I chatted with Hughie a while back on Rolly's tool set but I have to admit that when a supplier makes it as hard as he does to buy the product it leaves a question mark! Pommy's comment (his name makes me laugh being a "pommy phil" myself) is one of the reasons I asked the question on the real worth of these tools. I still like the design of the Crown, but why do all the demo's use green timber? It would also appear that there are no stockist of the Crown hollowing tool in Aus????

[Phily]

[QUOTE=Dalboy;1979691]I have not used mine on resin so not sure how it will cut. I cast my own pen blanks and turn pens but that is with standard turning tools so I know how it can behave when cold[/QUOTE

I love turning resin. When you get it right, its so smooth, huge spirals of wafer thin shavings spiral out, its really addictive.
I hate turning resin. When you get it wrong through one millisecond of lost concentration, the whole bl..dy piece shatters, its really really annoying!

[hughie]

, but why do all the demo's use green timber? It would also appear that there are no stockist of the Crown hollowing tool in Aus????

ha ah thats easy, its the softest wood going and it always looks good as the long spirals uniform in thickness just fly off in great long tendrils, very impressive display and it sell tools. :U

But with most of these cutter you can similar results with wet or dry timber. Dry not quite so effective as the chips are stiffer with the lack of water and so break more easier , way less dramatic.

[Phily]

ha ah thats easy, its the softest wood going and it always looks good as the long spirals uniform in thickness just fly off in great long tendrils, very impressive display and it sell tools. :U

But with most of these cutter you can similar results with wet or dry timber. Dry not quite so effective as the chips are stiffer with the lack of water and so break more easier , way less dramatic.

yeh, I was being a little sarcastic in my question on that one!! When they have a video of shavings flying off a dry Aussie burl I'll believe the marketing pitch ��

[turnerted]

hughie
How are you sharpening your Proform?
Ted

[hughie]

hughie
How are you sharpening your Proform?
Ted

So far I go around the outside with a coarse diamond hone. I have on one occasion run around the outside with a linisher.

[turnerted]

Thanks hughie . I'll give that a go .
Ted

[Phily]

Dalboy, I went with your recommendation and purchased the Crown Revolution. Being impatient and already having a partially hollowed Rosewood bowl on the lathe, I jumped right in without reading the instructions or attempting to adjust in any way. Fantastic! It peeled away the timber with ease. Filled with enthusiasm I then tried a well seasoned Aussie burl - much slower as would be expected so I swapped to a conventional gouge.

My early evaluation is that its a great piece of kit, especially for softwoods. On hard timber, its value (at least for me) is after the bulk of material has been removed and catch avoidance is a priority.

On both hard and soft timbers the Crown has both improved production time and increased the enjoyment of thin wall turnings.

Big thanks for the recommendation.

Cheers
Phil