Thread: Deep hollowing system

At the last WWW Show I bought the Vermec one. Used it a few times and the more I use it the easier deep hollowing becomes as I get proficient at it.

Well engineered as all Vermec products are and the beauty is that you can use it to hollow on the wrong side of the bowl without any chance of a dangerous catch.

Can recommend it.


Peter.

is that the one with the sanding head too? and its cheaper than the wood craft one as well. whats the max depth u have hollowed with it

Originally Posted by mat_au

hey all im looking to get a deep hollowing tool been looking at the woodcraft and the vermec atm

anyone else have any suggestions??

What Woodcraft system are you referring to?

opps woodcut not woodcraft LOL

Pro Form Hollowing Tool Set Prokit 03 - Woodturning Tools and Timber, Woodturner Accessories, Woodcarver Supplies, Woodturning Equipment

Originally Posted by mat_au

is that the one with the sanding head too? and its cheaper than the wood craft one as well. whats the max depth u have hollowed with it

Yes, the sanding heads are optional items, but they threw one in with it as a show sweetener.

So far I've made two vases with them, depths being 180 mm and 90 mm. It can go deeper then that, but I haven't tried it yet, not enough time.

You can also use it to hollow out bowls instead of bowl gauges, but that would be cheating according to the purists among us.


Peter.

Mat as has been asked what sort of size hollow forms are you trying or wanting to do.

Small to medium size forms up to 200mm deep can be easily done with the Rolly Munro mini tool or the Woodcut Proforme flexi, which both have 1/2" bars.

To go deeper you then move up to the Munro Mega which can easily do 300mm deep.

The next step is the Woodcut Pro forme which has the ability to add more handles to give you more leverage.

Vermec have 2 options one hand operated and one gated, the difference is how you use the tool, some like the ability of beign able to adjust the cut on the go and others like the gated style which limits feel.

All have a steep learning curve but if you start with vases you learn how the tools work and listen to what the timber is doing, if you go straight into hollow forms you will certainly go through the sides more often than not.

well i dont want to limit my self to the size of the tool i havent yet done any hollow forms but very keen to try, but saying that i dont want to say spend $200 on a tool that say good for 200mm and be limited to that. So i rather spend the money now on 1 set and have it then have to do it twice and spend more money on something i could have got in the first place but i also want something that is good and going to last the distance.

Originally Posted by Sturdee

So far I've made two vases with them, depths being 180 mm and 90 mm. It can go deeper then that, but I haven't tried it yet, not enough time.

Peter.

Just checked their website and it can hollow up to 350 mm. Here is a link to the YouTube video by Guilio Marcolongo using the Vermec Ultimate Deep Hollowing System.


Peter.

I use the WoodCut ProForm with the long handle and a couple of homemade Orland type tools for larger items.

For smaller items I've mostly homemade converted screwdrivers etc as explained by David Ellsworth in his book.

Originally Posted by mat_au

Pro Form Hollowing Tool Set Prokit

+1

Also called Woodcut Advanced Hollowing Kit

Have used most of those mentioned and this is now my preferred hollowing kit.

But the others still get a run from time to time.

I use the Pro form with my own handles and shafts, some Oland type hollowers. Most of my set up is DIY wit my own designs for handles shafts heads etc.

When it comes to deep hollowing tools, if you are after one tool to do big and small, hard and soft timbers, narrow opening and wide, then you will be looking long and hard. I have a few deep hollowers from which to choose and which one I pick up depends on the timber, the shape I am after and the size.

I like the Vermec for deep hollowing on big stuff but it is a bit awkward for smaller stuff. Deep hollowing can be very physically hard on the body but the captured tool rest on the Vermec makes it a lot easier.

For smaller stuff there are a lot of options but if I were interested in doing burls or harder timbers I would opt for a scraper rather than the cutter on the likes of the Munroe, Woodcut and (now) Vermec.

Mat

Thanks for starting this thread, it's something I've been thinking about for some time.
I've looked at the vermec at one of the syd woodshows. It seems to be very well designed and made. Enzo gave me a bit of a demo, and he made it look easy to use (but then he makes them so should be familiar with it)
Of course I haven't used it so can't comment further

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

Mat

Thanks for starting this thread, it's something I've been thinking about for some time.
I've looked at the vermec at one of the syd woodshows. It seems to be very well designed and made. Enzo gave me a bit of a demo, and he made it look easy to use (but then he makes them so should be familiar with it)
Of course I haven't used it so can't comment further

The three things I like about it (apart from it's quality) are:
1/ Ease of use; yes it is very easy to use, almost no skill required.
2/ It takes away the grunt
3/ Its one of the only DHers (if not the only one) that lets you work on the up stroke which makes the whole process of DHing far more comfortable because you are not leaning over the lathe bed.