I’ve been a lucky little woodwrecker and got to play with Hughie’s Jnr and The Ripsnorter as his self appointed crash test dummy.

Firstly, the Jnr (Specs) is a easy to maneuver oland tool, especially with one end rounded. It works well in end grain and is capable of taking the finest whisper of a shaving, even to the mystical poofteenth.

Specs
6mm Square HSS, square profile one end and round profile the other @ 80 degrees
Shaft 223mm long x 20mm thick
Drilled for 9.5mm
Complete length 590mm + 30mm cutter
Weight 700gm
Drilled and tapped for 1x6mm grub screw.


The Ripsnorter (Specs) is at the other end of the spectrum. When you want to remove buckets of shavings fast, use this beast. It is great for hollowing out bowl, goblet, box blanks. Make sure the blank is very securely held in the chuck. . That said, I have rounded one end to get a bastardised bowl cutter profile and have thinned the walls of a practice bowl quickly and for me quiet cleanly. I also have used it to true up a “drying” bowl blank, which is “interesting”. I do recommend that you hold the front of the tool firmly as if you drift to the wrong side of the bowl it may catch your knuckle on the way down .

Specs
˝” Square HSS, square profile one end and Round profile the other @ 80 degrees
Shaft 400mm long x 25mm thick
Drilled for 18mm
Complete length 930 + 40mm cutter
Weight 2100gm
Drilled and tapped for 2x 6mm grub screws( x 2 sides)

The only real down side to the Ripsnorter is the weight. After ˝ hour using the beast my right arm and shoulder were feeling the effects of (2.1kg). But the weight is the key to the hollowing prowess the Ripsnorter has so my solution is not to use it continuously for over 15 minutes. ( I ain’t no little boy at 6’ and 125Kg (Big grin) )

I am now awaiting the arrival of the middle sibling, The Senior, to complete the set.
(When am I going to get it Hughie, I’ve been a good little woodwrecker . . . snot!)