Hollowers

[hughie]

I have a bowl in Blackwood, its rough out at the moment. I thought it might be a good time to try out the Sorby Ultima head that I have. It didnt really do as well I thought it might, but this chunk of Blackwood is prone to clumping as it comes off the tool and I had noticed this before with other tools.So I really cant fault the tool and ended up roughing it out with the Pro-Forme as its very open at the back allowing a better movement of the swarfe/chip/curlies etc. The Ultima later for some fine finishing at the end.
But cant really complain as I got lot of good curlies coming off with either tool and shape is ok

[smiife]

Hi hughie , I am looking around for a hollower myself , when I saw
your post i thought you might be recommending one !
I guess it, s like a lot of tools they all perform much the same ?
I have trouble getting into the shoulder of my hollow forms and
wanted a tool to reach that area , any ideas ?:U

[hughie]

Hi hughie , I am looking around for a hollower myself , when I saw
your post i thought you might be recommending one !
I guess it, s like a lot of tools they all perform much the same ?
I have trouble getting into the shoulder of my hollow forms and
wanted a tool to reach that area , any ideas ?:U

I buy the heads only and make my other gear as I need it. But just about every hollower will have some bendy gear to get under the shoulder. But if I had my choice it would be the latest Rolly Munro Wundercutt.
https://www.cwsonline.com.au/shop/item/rolly-munro-mega-kit

There are now many similar types around I guess copies of his original concept. I would have bought the head only at the time but they werent available. Failing that the Woodcut Pro-Forme, I have an older one but the new one looks an advancement on mine.
Whatever you get make sure the cutters are tungsten carbide, Its the only stuff that will consistently handle Aussie hardwoods.

[tony_A]

Appreciate the review Hughie. Want to get a hollower at some point and after a fair bit of looking have sort of decided on the Rolly Munro. I have access to a fair bit of old dead backwoods that is as hard as a goats forehead and, of course, interlocked grain. I am thinking something with a fairly small cutter and the ability to scrape or slice. Have seen video of various hollowing tools in action but they generally seem to be turning green softish wood that slices like butter. Have you tried the Rolly Munro or seen it in action on our hardwoods.

Tony

[Paul39]

Hughie,

Anything that makes that size curly with a good finish is not something to criticize. I take it the brass part of the Pro-Forme keeps it from taking too big a bite.

Tony, almost everyone likes to demonstrate with green soft wood because it makes turning look dramatic and easy. Reality comes later as you are chewing the tips off HSS tools on dry, hard, thinly disguised concrete, Aussie timber. The US version is dry black locust, most everything else is fairly easy on tools.

[Pat]

With hollowing, I have found that drilling to depth with a forstner bit, then hollowing with the vermec and finishing with either the vermec at 45 or using the woodcut hollowers to take whispers works for me.

[hughie]

Appreciate the review Hughie. Want to get a hollower at some point and after a fair bit of looking have sort of decided on the Rolly Munro. I have access to a fair bit of old dead backwoods that is as hard as a goats forehead and, of course, interlocked grain. I am thinking something with a fairly small cutter and the ability to scrape or slice. Have seen video of various hollowing tools in action but they generally seem to be turning green softish wood that slices like butter. Have you tried the Rolly Munro or seen it in action on our hardwoods.



Tony

Hi Tony, yup the smaller cutter cause you much less grief especially on tight corners etc. Nothing like having a big cutter jam and trying to rotate at speed at the end of a deep hollowing. :U
The down side is they wont rough out as fast a bigger cutter. So that is, why I have a Pro-Forme for roughing out, its fast and you, can set a very coarse cut and it will produce some great curlies even on hardwood [see below Blackwood off the Pro-Frome]. I use the Rolly Munro 6mm cutter with out a shield its not as hard as it looks, plus scrapers to finish off my pieces, and again the scrapers and shafts etc are of my own design.
The older Rolly Munro hollowers I am familiar with and I basically only turn hard wood { Gidgee, Deadfinish, Inland Rosewood, Blackwood, Sheoak, River Cooba etc] with the exception of Camphor Laurel and they work just fine on most everything I turn with. The new one I haven't used but a couple of very good turners that I know equally as well have them and recommend them. So its on this basis I have mentioned it in this thread. Now I am going to catch up with one or both of them soon and will definitely have a go at the new hollower. :U

[tony_A]

Hughie
Presume the Pro-Forme is HSS and will require regular sharpening. I find a gouge takes a number of sharpens of a to turn a blackwood bowl. How well do you find the Pro-Forme holds it''s edge.
Tony

[hughie]

Hughie
Presume the Pro-Forme is HSS and will require regular sharpening. I find a gouge takes a number of sharpens of a to turn a blackwood bowl. How well do you find the Pro-Forme holds it''s edge.


Tony


As far as I know its HSS but dunno what grade, but it keeps it edge ok Woodcut reckons it will last you around 2-3 years I have used my old one for over 5 years still good, till it hit the floor nose first :C had to buy another.

[hughie]

Hughie,

Anything that makes that size curly with a good finish is not something to criticize. I take it the brass part of the Pro-Forme keeps it from taking too big a bite.



Tony, almost everyone likes to demonstrate with green soft wood because it makes turning look dramatic and easy. Reality comes later as you are chewing the tips off HSS tools on dry, hard, thinly disguised concrete, Aussie timber. The US version is dry black locust, most everything else is fairly easy on tools.

Paul all those chips-curlies were off the Pro-Forme. The Sorby would clog rapidly due to the nature of the Blackwood as I mentioned. We have plenty of very hard hardwood and depending on its source they will have varying degrees of silica as well. This particular Blackwood is not so bad, the other tree I have is hard and very abrasive, my Thomson 1/2" will only last two cuts as will just about every other tool I have except my 3/8 tungsten gouge. Most of the blanks I have are hardwood turn vary degrees of difficulty but worth persisting as the finish you can get is superb. Plus some very good contrasts between the Sap and heart wood, especially when you carve through the sap into the heart.

[smiife]

With hollowing, I have found that drilling to depth with a forstner bit, then hollowing with the vermec and finishing with either the vermec at 45 or using the woodcut hollowers to take whispers works for me.

Hi pat , I also drill to depth and use my vermec , but still have trouble
getting in the "corners".......I think it needs a bent or swan neck shaft
Oh!........... we are never happy are we :U

[NeilS]

I have most of them right back to the early Woodcut Shepid Loop ad the early Sorbys.

My go to hollower is still the Woodcut Pro-Forme.

I also like the scraper on the Pro-Forme swivel head, one of the few that will give you an internal 45deg scrape.

Then it's the Munroe on a Hughie shaft for any deeper hollowing... :U

418353

And, if that isn't heavy enough I go for the big Hughie Rip Snorter. (on left)... :U:U

418354

[Pat]

Smiife like this?

418359

all the family

418358

Swan neck

418360

Gratuitous hollowing toys

[hughie]

I have most of them right back to the early Woodcut Shepid Loop ad the early Sorbys.

My go to hollower is still the Woodcut Pro-Forme.

I also like the scraper on the Pro-Forme swivel head, one of the few that will give you an internal 45deg scrape.

Then it's the Munroe on a Hughie shaft for any deeper hollowing... :U

418353

And, if that isn't heavy enough I go for the big Hughie Rip Snorter. (on left)... :U:U

418354

Lol I had forgotten about those :2tsup:

[smiife]

Smiife like this?

418359

all the family


Swan neck

418360

Gratuitous hollowing toys

Hi pat , yeah , thats what I have , but the swan neck Isn, t
Bent enough to get to the corners ! ?......

Oppps , forgot to ask what Is the red one ?

[Pat]

Smiife, the swan neck can get into gentle corners on tight apertures or on more generous openings I have been able to have 90°corners. 50mm allows such angles. There is a true swan neck available, but I have not yet bothered to get it.

The red one is a woodcut swan neck, in a Kelton handle.

[DavidG]

My hollower. Tape open to 900mm
418402418403

[hughie]

Heres the set I made for the Ultima. It has a slightly longer link on the cutter than what Sorby provide and the handle is foam covered. The shaft will slide inside the handle to vary the length. Nothing too flash its an older handle and shaft from way back. But the shaft is good 20mm dia high tensile hard chromed. It's an old pneumatic cylinder rod and is much stiffer than most.